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Q: Should I outsource telemarketing programs designed to identify qualified sales leads, or try to do it in-house?

A: It depends on a number of things...

Is your company willing to invest in the headcount, facilities, management and training of the personnel required to get the job done? Many are not, which would lead to outsourcing.

Do you have experienced people to direct and manage the in-house telemarketing lead qualification department? If not, outsourcing might make more sense.

Can we find outsourced telemarketing companies whose people can have "peer-to-peer" conversations with decision makers? If not, in-house is probably better.

Do the telemarketers require direct access our CRM systems, customer records, or order and inventory systems? If so, you might be better off in-house.

Will extensive training of the telemarketers be needed? If so, it may be better to have it done in-house where you can more easily leverage existing training resources.

Will the project be ongoing or a one time or short-term project? If short-term or one-time, you are probably better outsourcing.

Both approaches (in-house or outsourced) can work, depending on your situation. But to be successful, be sure to hire the best people you can afford and give them lots of training.

M. H. Mac McIntosh is described by many as one of Americas leading sales and marketing consultants and an authority on inquiry handling and sales lead management. Visit his website at http://www.salesleadexperts.com, email Mac at mcintosh@salesleadexperts.com or call him at 1-800-944-5553.