Outsourcing companies come in all shapes and sizes, from many different countries and at many varied pricing schemes. But there are some critical aspects that you should pay attention to if you want to get the most from your outsourcing company. Check it out:
1 ) Does your outsourcing company know it’s way around the web? In today’s business environment, a web presence is important to doing a global business. Internet savvy reps are a must!
2 ) Having your reps “Americanized” is very important to your clients. How heavy an accent does yourcurrent rep have? And do they clearly understand what expected from a Western style business?
3) Is your rep familiar with the way your company does business? A good outsourcing firm will take the time to get to know their client and their business style intimately.
4 ) Does your current outsourcing firm have Western style management? A reliable firm will have an American on staff to help with communication issues and problems as they arise.
5) Is there a way to keep track of your reps on the job? A reputable firm will have live cameras, recorded phone calls and reports that will keep track of their employees efficiency.
6 ) A proper infrastructure such as power, water and phone lines are something we take for granted in the West. A reliable outsourcing firm should be located in a country where this won’t be an issue.
7 ) Is your outsourced rep familiar with popular computer programs such as Word, Excel and other desktop publishing programs and communication systems? This is important in today’s business world.
8 ) Does your current outsourcing firm give you flexibility in payments and packages? You may need only part time help right now, but you’ll need to upgrade quickly and easily as your business grows without a hassle and extra penalty fees.
9 ) Does your outsourcing company keep up to date with their reps training? The Internet changes quickly. How do you know that your rep will have the cutting edge technology to stay on top?
10 ) Some outsourcing firms may only specialize in a couple of things such as call centers or billing services. But this is a small part of what you need to be successful. A good outsourcing firm will have available all the resources to grow your business at every level.
When searching for an outsourcing firm, all of these things should be addressed. Your firm should be a one stop shop of reliable help, technical know how, courteous employees and simple and easy payment plans that do what there are supposed to do…make your life easier.
Visit 123Employee.com where for less than $6.00 an hour, you can have your own dedicate rep that not only will help save your company time and money, but help grow your business. 123Employee has addressed all of your concerns about outsourcing. See how they can help you today.
Now that the business requirements have been defined and you also have the short listed vendors that you want to evaluate, this is the time to write an RFP (request for proposal) or RFQ (request for quotation). Whichever format that you decide to choose, just make sure that your RFQ or RFP should have the following sections:
Submission information
Introduction & executive summary
The business background and overview
Well detailed specifications
Assumptions and constraints
Terms and conditions
vii. Selection criteria
d. Proposal Evaluation & Outsourcing Vendor Selection
The major goal of this part is to effectively minimize human emotion and political influence so as to arrive at a decision that is certainly in the very best interest of the company. Make sure that you are very thorough in your investigation, ensure that you also seek input from all the stakeholders and utilize the following method in order to direct the team to a unified outsourcing vendor selection process:
Initial review of all the vendor proposals
Record company requirements and vendor requirements
Allocate importance value for every requirement
Calculate an overall performance score
Finally, pick a winning vendor
e. Agreement Negotiation Strategies
The last stage in the outsourcing vendor selection process is developing an agreement negotiation strategy. You need to understand that you want to partner with your outsourcing vendor and not take ‘em to the cleaners. Ensure that you review your goal for your agreement contract negotiation and effectively plan for the negotiations, make sure that you cover the following items:
Make sure you list rank your main concerns (or priorities) along with options
Make sure that you know the clear difference between what you need and what you want
Make sure that you know your bottom line so that you will know exactly when to walk away.
Clearly define any benchmarks or time constraints
Make sure you assess prospective risks and liabilities
Dispute resolution, confidentiality, changes in requirements, non-compete.
vii. You should do the same for your outsourcing vendor
When you choose the right vendor to handle all your outsourcing needs, this will surely give you some peace of mind knowing that your outsourced tasks are in good capable hands. Never allow your emotions get the better of you, make sure you stick to what is best for your business.
Experts will tell you that the outsourcing vendor selection processes can be pretty complicated and also an emotional undertaking – that is, if you do not know how to approach it from the very beginning. Here are steps to help you select the right outsourcing vendor for your business. This guide will help you analyze your business needs, search for prospective vendors, pilot the team in choosing the winning vendor(s) and provide you with the knowledge on contract negotiations and effectively avoiding negotiation errors.
a. Examine the Business Requirements
Before you start the whole process of gathering data or performing interviews, you should first assemble a team of individuals who sure have a vested interest in this kind of vendor selection process. The very first task that the outsourcing vendor selection team will need to carry out is to clearly define (in written form) the material, service or product that you are looking for in an outsourcing vendor. Then, define the technical and the business needs as well. Also, you need to clearly define the vendor requirements. Lastly, you will also need to take time to publish your document to the aspects that are relevant to this outsourcing vendor selection process and also seek the team’s input. You should have the team evaluate the comments and create a final document.
Quick Summary:
Put together an evaluation team
Define the material, service or product
Define the business and technical needs
Define the vendor needs
Finally, publish a “requirements” document for the team for approval.
b. Outsourcing Vendor Search
Now that you and the team have an agreement on the business and outsourcing vendor requirements, the team must now begin to search for prospective vendors that will be able to deliver the product, service or material. The bigger the scope of the vendor selection process then the more vendors you should consider putting on the table. You need to understand that not all vendors will even meet the minimum requirements and the team will have to come to a decision of which vendors you will seek more information from. Then write a RFI (request for information) and immediately send it to the chosen vendors. Lastly, carefully evaluate their responses and pick a small number of promising outsourcing vendors that will be short listed and move on to the next step.
Quick Summary:
Put together a list of promising vendors
Pick vendors that you will request more information from
Write an RFI
Evaluate the responses of prospective vendors and create a short list of promising vendors
Hope you are having a fantastic week! I will be In Dallas this Saturday speaking at Dave Lindahl’s Rehab Riches event. If you are in the area let me know and I will see if I can get you some guest passes.
We’ve had a lot of requests for a digital copy of the AudioBook version of my book ‘Outsource This!’
Please click here to download your complimentary copy now.
Outsourcing companies come in all shapes and sizes, from many different countries and at many varied pricing schemes. But there are some critical aspects that you should pay attention to if you want to get the most from your outsourcing company. Check it out:
1 ) Does your outsourcing company know it’s way around the web? In today’s business environment, a web presence is important to doing a global business. Internet savvy reps are a must!
2 ) Having your reps “Americanized” is very important to your clients. How heavy an accent does your current rep have? And do they clearly understand what expected from a Western style business?
3) Is your rep familiar with the way your company does business? A good outsourcing firm will take the time to get to know their client and their business style intimately.
4 ) Does your current outsourcing firm have Western style management? A reliable firm will have an American on staff to help with communication issues and problems as they arise.
5 ) Is there a way to keep track of your reps on the job? A reputable firm will have live cameras, recorded phone calls and reports that will keep track of their employees efficiency.
6 ) A proper infrastructure such as power, water and phone lines are something we take for granted in the West. A reliable outsourcing firm should be located in a country where this won’t be an issue.
7 ) Is your outsourced rep familiar with popular computer programs such as Word, Excel and other desktop publishing programs and communication systems? This is important in today’s business world.
8 ) Does your current outsourcing firm give you flexibility in payments and packages? You may need only part time help right now, but you’ll need to upgrade quickly and easily as your business grows without a hassle and extra penalty fees.
9 ) Does your outsourcing company keep up to date with their reps training? The Internet changes quickly. How do you know that your rep will have the cutting edge technology to stay on top?
10 ) Some outsourcing firms may only specialize in a couple of things such as call centers or billing services. But this is a small part of what you need to be successful. A good outsourcing firm will have available all the resources to grow your business at every level.
When searching for an outsourcing firm, all of these things should be addressed. Your firm should be a one stop shop of reliable help, technical know how, courteous employees and simple and easy payment plans that do what there are supposed to do…make your life easier.
Visit 123Employee.com where for less than $6.00 an hour, you can have your own dedicate rep that not only will help save your company time and money, but help grow your business. 123Employee has addressed all of your concerns about outsourcing. See how they can help you today.
Daven Michaels is an award-winning outsourcer and author of the book, ‘Outsource This!’ Daven has been honored more than any other individual or outsourcing organization. You can get more information on outsourcing by visiting www.123Employee.com
How does outsourcing compare to old school advertising? Are you still pouring out tons of cash on high priced print ads that end up in the garbage or radio commercials that people tune out to another station the instant they hear it? Old ways of advertising are notoriously expensive, and they were typically only for the largest companies and out of reach for most small businesses. But that has all changed. The Internet has opened opportunities for everyone.
Did you know for as little as $6.00 an hour you can have your own dedicated outsourced rep? They are trained in creating wide reaching Internet ads that traditional advertising can’t touch. Whether your business is a worldwide endeavor or just a local Mom and Pop establishment, outsourcing has a solution for you. In the old days, you would have to deliver a coupon to your customers or promote an event via print in a newspaper or local magazine. Visitors can now go to a website and get all the information they need to make a decision and print the coupon out on their own printers.
Instead of an expensive television commercials, you can make videos about your business that play on your website and show off products, satisfied customers and staff. The power of videos to sway a consumer decision to purchase is something your business needs now. So you don’t know how to market on the Internet? You say it’s too confusing? Outsourcing is the answer to those worries. And you will save a ton of money over hiring an employee that knows how to do it…they could cost you $15.00 an hour and up for just basic knowledge, not to mention the equipment and benefits that they will need.
Marketing your business on the Internet has never been easier with the help of outsourcing. This is not only the new cutting edge way to market that consumers now expect, this is the recession busting way your business needs to save money. Over half of all searches on the Internet are local. This gives a vast new opportunity to businesses large and small, local and wordwide, to access advertising that once was only available to the big guys. Isn’t it time that your business takes the next step to greatness?
Daven Michaels is an award-winning outsourcer and author of the book, ‘Outsource This!’ Daven has been honored more than any other individual or outsourcing organization. You can get more information on outsourcing by visiting www.123Employee.com
The Philippines is a country that is well respected and considered as one of the very best outsourcing countries in the world. One of the great things about this particular outsourcing country is the citizens. This country is filled with well educated labor force that can communicate effectively in English. If you are searching for an outsourcing country that will provide your business with a competitive edge especially with front office tasks such as effective customer service and sales.
The Philippines is famous among seasoned outsourcers as a country with a colossal number of very productive, multi talented and highly trainable labor force. Majority of the Filipino outsourcing firms only hire staffs that are very qualified for various outsourcing projects. You also need to know that Information Technology (IT) and support from the Filipino government is a given – this is why top companies already carryout operations in this country.
Are you looking for an offshore outsourcing company where you will find staff for job processes which include telemarketing targeted at customers from countries such as the United States, then you should considered outsourcing this particular telemarketing job to outsourcing firm in Philippines. You need to understand that telemarketing to American based clients will require that use telemarketers who speak the English language impeccably. Reputable outsourcing firms in the Philippines will only employ staff who will definitely meet all of your requirements for your company’s telemarketing department. If you are feeling a little cheap and prefer to hire the services of an outsourcing firm who charge ridiculously cheap fees but provide you with really shabby services, get ready to lose clients and potential clients. When outsourcing your company’s telemarketing, you need to understand that it is really important that prospective clients clearly understand what telemarketers are saying so that these clients can understand what goods and services your company is offering.
Another great thing about the Philippines is that they have a culture of honesty. The majority of the Filipino population are really honest – it is part of their culture. They also understand the American culture very well and are (as mentioned earlier) really hard working people. When outsourcing work to the Philippines, you are sure of getting quality service without spending so much money than you would normally have spent. You can employ a staff on a full time basis to do a lot of online duties for you for around $250 per month – and don’t worry about it, it’s not slave labor because $250 sure goes a long way in the Philippines.
Daven Michaels is an award-winning outsourcer and author of the book, ‘Outsource This!’ Daven has been honored more than any other individual or outsourcing organization. You can get more information on outsourcing by visiting www.123Employee.com
Remember when outsourcing was a dirty word? It still may be that way for a lot of business people, but this economic situation is dictating that we view our business decisions and future outlook with a new frame of mind. Is going out of business from too high a labor cost and too little revenues part of the future you are envisioning your business? I hope not. Because there are solutions that will make sense to you.
When we think of outsourcing we think of reps in India that sound like they work in a QuickyMart downtown. This is a concern to serious business people who want to take their call center solutions and customer service to the next level. And what about your Internet presence? Moving into the 21st century means taking a long, hard look at how your customers find your services. Searching the web is the quickest way for potential clients to find all the information they need to make a decision on what services they need. From meeting the CEO in an introductory video to researching the financial stability of a company, clients are turning to the Internet for their information. In the past, it was hard to find an outsourcing firm that was web savvy.
But think again.
Knowing that there are outsourcing firms that have moved into the next level of service and where to find them is the solution to your business issues. And providing the cost cutting solutions to make it happen for your business will give your bottom line a breath of fresh air. Lowing labor costs and diving into new, cutting edge technologies to represent your service is exactly what will keep your business not only solvent, but with a future outlook you can depend on. Outsourcing with the right firm is the answer.
There is a new breed of outsourcing firms at your disposal. You need to know where to look and be given the proper information to make the correct decision.You are using the Internet right now to research solutions to your business needs. So are all of your potential customers. Short term or long, outsourcing is the wave of the future. A new breed of customer service rep can change the way you do business forever.
Daven Michaels is an award-winning outsourcer and author of the book, ‘Outsource This!’ Daven has been honored more than any other individual or outsourcing organization. You can get more information on outsourcing by visiting www.BelowMyPayGrade.com
If you are keen on your own personal development and are intent on achieving success I have a great book to recommend.
Dr Richard Norris, who has helped me on occasion, has written a book entitled, Hoof it! 7 Lessons on Your Journey of Success. Richard has been a competitive athlete, vet, an army officer, and is an award-winning business coach. He knows a thing or two. He has high standards and tends to do things slightly differently.
Unlike other books on success and leadership, Hoof it! is not dry nor does it dish up the same old stuff in the same way as most business books.
Hoof it! is told in the age-old form of story-telling. It is a story about life, leadership, legacy and success told by an orphaned Wildebeest calf named Vic who is mentored by an old bull on the annual migration on the Serengetti. Along the way Vic learns about 7 key lessons about success.
Richard asked for my honest opinion and I think it is a masterfully told story. A few people have even said it would make a great animated movie for the likes of Disney or Dreamworks. I agree.
Hoof it! contains practical lessons we can all learn from. Even better, Richard has added some simple exercises at the end of each lesson so that by the end of the book you will have an action plan to progress your own Journey of Success.
This in one book I will refer to again and again. It is so practical.
Hoof it! is available now. Click here to check it out!
You will likely see me on the site as I have offered a bonus, along with some other thought leaders Richard knows. The value of the bonuses alone is over $2000 — which significantly exceeds the cost of a copy.
Have fun and Hoof it! Buy a copy, take advantage of the bonuses and enjoy your Journey of Success.
It would be great to see Hoof it! as a best-seller on Amazon and even on the New York Times Best-seller List. Richard has been an important contact and I would like to thank him for all the support he has given me. Let’s help him along his Journey of Success too. Tell people about Hoof it! and post your comments at Hoof It! Book.
It is almost impossible for any business not to consider outsourcing especially in this present day and age. In the next couple of years, most businesses will outsource more than 50 to 70 percent of their work and concentrate on their core businesses instead. So, if you are one of those people who still find it pretty difficult to embrace outsourcing wholeheartedly, then be prepared to be kicked out of business by the competition in the next couple of years.
Here are some of Information Technology (IT) procurement and sourcing dos and don’ts that will help you carefully plan your outsourcing tactics:
Clearly Identify the Opportunities for Outsourcing
Don’t for any reason ask the pig about sausages! When you are defining non-core and core services for your company, you will need to gather as much data as you possibly can. You should consider using external assistance in order to help you conduct benchmark studies and also help you identify good areas of opportunity. You also need to consider the help of a supplier in order to conduct a study, this will of course give you the best alignment to successfully market offerings, in addition with drawing on the experiences of the supplier with other clients.
You need to learn from those who have been there before you and this will include suppliers, their clients or customers, the industry analysts and third parties. Make sure that you have sponsorship from higher-ranking leadership in order to drive the accomplishment of the outsourced projects. You need to make sure that you have expert IT procurement and sourcing professionals manage the commercial sectors of your contract. Every supplier has well trained personnel, so why on earth would you want to put amateurs up against them?
When Sourcing Strategy Development
Do ensure that you get all your act together. Make sure that you have the appropriate cross-functional team created in order to carefully assess service alternatives, which includes procurement/sourcing, technical and financial representation.
Contracts and Negotiations
Do make sure that you use contractual terms as the basis for negotiations and also include them in the RFP with a “redline copy” as a clear condition for reply.
Supplier Selection and Assessment
Do ensure that you create and also maintain an environment that will, of course, foster very open, honest communications, transparent and mutual trust. There really isn’t any point working with one you cannot trust either offline or online.
Don’t hire an outsourcing firm without the proper experience or a bad reputation – trust me, you will live to regret it!
Daven Michaels Author of the book Outsource This!
