Changing Attitudes

When it came to the question of new process selection the first consideration used to be financial viability, the fact that it was inbound or outbound or was considered of secondary importance. There were always one or two centers looking for payment per seat per hour, but in those long gone days of plenty that was never really a problem.

But times have changed and the industry has moved forward. Here we sit in the middle of a global economic downturn, yet the expectations of centers when it comes to new process selection appears to be higher now than it was in the past.

Do you remember when every center had a business development team? They tended to consist of a business development manager and one or two executives whose primary role appeared to be assessing new process offerings. I ask because we don’t see them any more. I’m curious to know who’s in charge of business development now.

But business development for many centers appears to be out of fashion, despite the fact that it need not be time consuming or costly.

Let me quote from an interview with Jerry Durant – Chairman Emeritus -Founder IIOM published on this site a few days ago: “There are literally hundreds of thousands of small to medium sized buyers in western markets that can utilize sourcing to augment their business.”

The current demand is for inbound processes only. How many small and medium sized centers have lost money paying for inbound processes that don’t exist simply because they are seen as easy money? And where do the geniuses come from who believe that clients with outbound processes will pay per seat per hour without performance guarantees?

Are these the reasons that there are so many empty seats in centers, the belief that business development is unnecessary expenditure, and that outbound processes should be dismissed because they are not easy money. And even if they are not wholly the reason, are they a contributing factor?  

Steve Richards

www.steverichardstraining.com