Glossary of Commonly Used Telemarketing Terms


ACD
ACD, or automatic call distribution, is a switch that automatically allocates incoming calls to agents depending on who's available. More sophisticated versions can apply more specialised criteria, such as where calls have originated or who is calling and/or who they want to talk to.

Agent (Or telemarketer)
The person who actually makes the telemarketing calls for you or who handles your inbound calls.

B-to-B
Business-to-business (as opposed to B-to-C – business-to-consumer). Teleconnexion is a business to business telemarketing company.

Call routing
The criteria programmed into an ACD to determine how incoming calls are distributed to our staff.

Calling line ID (CLI)
The system that tells you a caller's name and number.

Churn
The rate of defections - either of customers or staff - as a proportion of the whole.

Data Cleansing/Data Hygiene
Using both computerised list matching and telephone research to check and update the information on your database.

Data Protection Act
The data protection act provides legislation on holding and use of personal data. DPA guidelines govern what information you can hold on customers and prospects. If you or your agents are holding personal information you should be registered to do so.

Deduplication
Using computerised list matching to ensure that you only have one record per customer or prospect. This helps to reduce campaign costs and to ensure your customers and prospects are not irritated by receiving multiple calls.

DDI (direct dialling in)
When someone says "I'll give you my direct line," they're giving you access to DDI. I.e., calls come straight to them rather than via a switchboard or operator.

Downtime
The proportion of total time during which any system or campaign is idle.

Drop outs
Break-up due to data loss during transmission, generally down to fluctuations in signal strength or bandwidth.

Encryption
Making communications secure by 'garbling' them before transmission then 'de-garbling' them on receipt.

Inbound
Handling calls from your customers or prospects in to our telemarketing centre

Interactive voice response (IVR)
A talking computer, often used in call distribution - callers select options by speaking rather than by 'pressing the 2 on your keypad'.

Outbound
Making calls out to your customers or prospects.

Outsourcing
Getting another company - generally a specialist in that particular area - to handle part of your business under contract.

Qualification Criteria
These are the characteristics that every lead, appointment or event delegate must demonstrate in order that we meet your minimum quality standards / expectations.

MPS
Mail Preference Service. This service enables individuals to opt out of receiving mailings. Teleconnexion can use the MPS file to remove prospects from your database to ensure compliance with the MPS.

PAF
The post office address file – this contains all UK addresses in approved post office format and with postcodes. Teleconnexion can correct any incorrect postcodes or addresses you may have electronically to reduce undelivered mailings.

PBX (private branch exchange)
A box you own ('private') that - typically - sits in a cupboard or hangs on the wall, and handles all your telephone traffic.

Power dialler
A piece of kit into which you program a batch of numbers and which then dials them for you, moving onto the next instantly if it encounters a fax burble, busy line, or anything else other than someone picking up and saying 'hello'.

Predictive dialler
An even cleverer piece of kit, which senses when calls are about to end and dials another number in anticipation, ready for the agent to have a new respondent the moment they're free. Instantly, automatically and continuously connecting answered calls and available agents keeps your people fully occupied and your downtime to a minimum. Teleconnexion does not use this type of software as we feel it is inappropriate for business-to-business telemarketing.

Seat or Desk
The number of seats or desks in a call centre is used to give an indication of capacity. So, if your campaign needs a high level of support, it is important to ensure that there are adequate seats that can be allocated to you.

Script
A detailed list of information you want to communicate to your customers or prospects together with the questions may ask and answers that telemarketers should use. Teleconnexion does not use scripts, but instead prefers to develop a Telemarketing Project Brief which includes all the aspects of the project, including a Call Outline. Whilst it is sensible to agree a standard form of words for business-to-business call introductions, we understand that scripts are inappropriate for business conversations.

Screen pop
A little window that pops up in the middle of your agent's screen, giving them information on the person they're talking to. (Pulled automatically from the database by the computer, referenced by the customer's phone number.)

Service level agreement
A service level agreement or SLA is a commitment given by a company to their customer: this is what we'll deliver - and what you'll get if we don't.

Skills-based routing
A system which identifies defined criteria in incoming calls, then routes them to agents with the most appropriate skills to handle them.

Talk time
The proportion of time agents spend actually on calls.

Telephone Cleansing
Telephone calls made to prospects or customers to check or add to existing data to enhance your knowledge and improve your targeting and communications.

TPS
Telephone Preference Service. This service enables individuals to opt out of receiving telemarketing calls. We will use the TPS register file to remove prospects from your database to ensure compliance with current data protection legislation.

Virtual private network (VPN)
Renting or leasing surplus capacity on another organisation's network, allowing you to use it as though it were your own dedicated network - thereby getting the same capabilities but at much lower cost.

Voice recognition
The ability of a machine to recognise a particular voice. Software programs which turn your speech into text refine their voice recognition as you use them.

VolP (voice over IP)
Voice over Internet Protocol. This is the clever stuff that lies behind the 'Talk to an operator NOW! - Just click here' buttons you sometimes see on websites. Allowing data and voice to use the same line at the same time, it is invaluable if agents and customers need to both talk and refer to the website simultaneously.

WAP (wireless application protocol)
Supposedly offering mobile access to the Web, albeit in a stripped-down version, low speed and limited take-up by customers and suppliers helped turn it very rapidly from killer app to white elephant.

Wrap up
The capturing of information to input screens, paperwork and/or anything else that needs to be done to 'wrap up' after a call.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teleconnexion is a leading business to business telemarketing company. The correct spelling of our name is Teleconnexion (not Teleconnexions, Tele-connection, Teleconnection or Teleconnections). We provide high quality telemarketing for business to business clients in a range of sectors and we also work extensively for Business Links and for Learning and Skills Councils. To find out more about our telemarketing services including list enhancement, lead generation, telephone research and data cleansing services please use this website or contact us directly.