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There are a lot of ways to hire an overseas telemarketer and the reality is a lot of the professionals on here started off as people just getting started and they learned there way around it. There are more nuances to it than I can cover in this post, but here's how you can get started, a few things to think about, and hopefully others can share their thoughts/experience to make this a really helpful thread.
First, most folks want to use filipinos. They're pretty accent neutral (tend to sound latino if you don't know any better), speak english fluently, and inexpensive ($3-$5/hour is a good starting point). On the downside you typically will have to pay them via either paypal or western union, both of which I've done without problems, unless you do dispute their labor. Another challenge working with them is legitimately their internet isn't always as reliable, especially if you're getting out of Manilla and heading to more rural areas.
So where do you find them? Well, where do you find everything? CRAIGSLIST! I had good luck with Cebu (https://cebu.craigslist.com.ph/), but Manila is where you'll generally find the most polished/experienced talent. Major call centers for US companies will be based there and if you go up on your budget it a bit, $7-$9/hour you may end up paying close to US wages, but you can expect an incredibly skilled telemarketer for that which is reliable. In the U.S. being a telemarketer is generally considered low-skill/degrading/whatever, but for them it's a very respectable career.
Things I found helped:
First, don't agree to full-time permanent employment. I always start them off on a week or two and say "we'll try this for 10-20/hours and see if we're a good fit". For better or worse it becomes really apparent pretty quick if they're going to work out or not.
Second, use a dialer that lets you log their activity. I like Dynamic IC because it will screen out cell phones and DNC lists, but the big thing is you want to make sure you can track their calls and activity. You know, trust, but verify
Third, and this is probably the hardest, treat it like business. It is an area where money is extremely limited and so you will legitimately hear some sad stories that will pull at your heart strings. Maybe they're hustling, maybe it's honest, but keep it professional. Only pay them if they're working and be clear with your goals. If they tell you about how (whatever) happened, certainly no need to be rude, but you're only paying them for work and if they can't work then you can't pay them, that's just business.
If anyone would like to share their experience/best practices/questions let's make this an active discussion!
First, most folks want to use filipinos. They're pretty accent neutral (tend to sound latino if you don't know any better), speak english fluently, and inexpensive ($3-$5/hour is a good starting point). On the downside you typically will have to pay them via either paypal or western union, both of which I've done without problems, unless you do dispute their labor. Another challenge working with them is legitimately their internet isn't always as reliable, especially if you're getting out of Manilla and heading to more rural areas.
So where do you find them? Well, where do you find everything? CRAIGSLIST! I had good luck with Cebu (https://cebu.craigslist.com.ph/), but Manila is where you'll generally find the most polished/experienced talent. Major call centers for US companies will be based there and if you go up on your budget it a bit, $7-$9/hour you may end up paying close to US wages, but you can expect an incredibly skilled telemarketer for that which is reliable. In the U.S. being a telemarketer is generally considered low-skill/degrading/whatever, but for them it's a very respectable career.
Things I found helped:
First, don't agree to full-time permanent employment. I always start them off on a week or two and say "we'll try this for 10-20/hours and see if we're a good fit". For better or worse it becomes really apparent pretty quick if they're going to work out or not.
Second, use a dialer that lets you log their activity. I like Dynamic IC because it will screen out cell phones and DNC lists, but the big thing is you want to make sure you can track their calls and activity. You know, trust, but verify
Third, and this is probably the hardest, treat it like business. It is an area where money is extremely limited and so you will legitimately hear some sad stories that will pull at your heart strings. Maybe they're hustling, maybe it's honest, but keep it professional. Only pay them if they're working and be clear with your goals. If they tell you about how (whatever) happened, certainly no need to be rude, but you're only paying them for work and if they can't work then you can't pay them, that's just business.
If anyone would like to share their experience/best practices/questions let's make this an active discussion!