Three years after the advent of the Do Not Call lists (DNC), some companies believe ignorance is bliss. I don’t think the courts will agree with them……

Fixed Dialing
Telemarketers taking the ostrich approach to DNC compliance is a nonstarter for enterprises. Refresh marketing initiatives to ensure that the rules are followed and reach your target audience more effectively.

by Coreen Bailor

From CRM Magazine December 2006

It’s been roughly three years since the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry legislation went into effect, yet many marketers continue to hide their heads in the sand when it comes to regulatory compliance standards surrounding their outbound initiatives. Two reasons for this avoidance are that some enterprises remain unaware of the laws and of the responsibility businesses have to meet the regulations, while other corporate leaders fear not being able to replace outbound telemarketing dollars. Either way, businesses are beginning to pay the price for refraining from compliance–the FTC has commenced leveling hefty fines on companies that disregard the statutes. Satellite TV provider DirecTV was slapped a year ago this month by the FTC with a stinging $5.3 million penalty, after the Commission charged that DirecTV and the companies it hired to promote its programs had been violating DNC provisions since October 2003. (more…)

Companies live or die by the results of Gartner’s Magic Quadrants in their market spaces. Check out the new results in the IVR and EVR space.

Gartner Eyes IVR and EVP Vendors
Magic Quadrant findings ping Avaya, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Intervoice, and Nortel as leading the sector; reduced complexity and tight integration are hallmarks of advancement.

by Coreen Bailor

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Gartner has revealed its “Magic Quadrant for IVR and Enterprise Voice Portals, 2006,” earmarking Avaya, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Intervoice, and Nortel as leaders of the market. Players within the leaders quadrant are high-viability vendors with a strong voice response offerings, significant market share, broad geographic coverage, a clear vision for how voice self-service needs will evolve, and a proven track record for delivering IVR offerings, according to Gartner.
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Even now when I consult with Sales teams, I see them write customer notes on scraps of paper for later entry. Some things never seem to change.

10 Tips To Help New Reps Increase Sales with CRM
By Elizabeth Millard
December 6, 2006 11:42AM

It sounds simplistic, and in many ways, it is: create a digital version of a scrap of paper and have those notes feed right into the CRM system. “You’re looking for ways to streamline functionality and increase productivity,” says Gartner analyst Michael Maoz. It’s particularly important to save time and ensure that the right information is captured.

Automating the sales process is one of the most important functions of a CRM system. In fact, much of today’s CRM software has its origins back in the mid-’80s and early ’90s, not as “customer relationship management” software, but instead as “sales automation” software.
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This article wanders a little with subject matter, but if you stay with it you will see several very good examples of how Customer Service makes the difference in customer loyalty. As we are bombarded with competitive and bottom line messages, remember the reason we show up for work everyday. As the title says, “Good Customer Service for Dummies?”.

Good Customer Service for Dummies?
By Rich Tehrani
December 6, 2006 11:15AM

Part of the irony in Virgin Atlantic’s ascent to greatness is that when Richard Branson wanted to equip his existing airplanes with $8 million in built-in seat TV screens so passengers could watch whatever programming they wanted, he found that banks would not loan him the money for this endeavor. Instead, Branson got the banks to loan Virgin $2 billion dollars for a fleet of brand new planes — with the screens included! (continue reading)