2008 Answer Center America, Inc. Posts Aggressive 29 Percent Growth and Seeks Hiring 25 New Employees in January 2009

Chicago, IL – December 29, 2008 – Companies have discovered cost effective call center outsourcing services driving growth of Answer Center America, Inc, one of the nation’s leading call centers, up 29% this year.


Answer Center America, Inc. (ACA) today announced unprecedented growth this year, which has lead to a steady hiring stream of 5-10 employees per month, with current open positions for January 2009 at 25.

With more than 120 specialists on staff, ACA handles nearly six million calls per year. Given the high call volumes, optimal agent performance is critical in providing quality service experiences to ACA’s corporate clients. ACA hires experienced call service agents and trains them internally. ACA services include general call services, inbound call services, and outbound call services, with a broad range of technologies utilized; making it important that both new and current staff is continually trained. The fact that many ACA agents are bilingual – in English, Spanish and French – adds another layer of complexity to hiring and managing the unique skills and proficiency levels of each specialist.

“Last year Answer Center America identified a need for turnkey outsourcing solutions which provide corporations the ability to scale as needed from general workforce management functions to advanced help desk and sales capabilities,” says Mike McMillan, Director of Sales and Marketing, for ACA. “ACA has been working to add services which will help our customers thrive in a tight economy. Take, for instance, the cost savings of outsourcing help desk support. Our Tech Connect service allows for network, server, and PC monitoring and support remotely, and our Instant Connect service enables web chat. These coupled with our Ticketing System for inbound call recording allow customers to cost effectively outsource their entire customer service operation using a customized methodology. Our specialty service, Your Connect enables ACA to customize and virtually mirror the operation of a corporate call center, creating a total savings of 75% - 95% depending on call traffic!”

ACA provides a customized call center solution with full scalability, allowing room for anticipated client growth. It also allows call center agents to integrate with client systems and personnel. ACA utilizes technology, which allows for seamless integration with various telephony switches. ACA systems capture and analyze customer/caller interactions, improve workforce performance and optimize service processes. The system allows clients to improve service by scheduling the right agents with the right skills at the right time. ACA helps companies discover business trends, employee and customer behavior patterns, and ensure excellent customer service. ACA plans to continue to improve service offerings to meet the changing economic and technology needs of its clients.


About Answer Center America, Inc.

Answer Center America, headquartered in Chicago Illinois, is a leading provider of 24/7 call center solutions for optimizing employee time and skill sets. Answer Center America delivers high quality and superior customer support necessary for a remote messaging and business solutions. ACA is best known for its multi-layered security support system using state of the art equipment, highly trained professionals and dedicated customer service agents which allows them to provide customized, affordable outsourcing services.

Today, more than 2,500 organizations on 4 continents rely on custom solutions provided by ACA solutions to perform more effectively and competitive in their market. ACA provides a seamless extension of your business custom made for you. Visit us at our website www.goacanow.com.


Media Contact:

Michael C. McMillan
Director of Sales and Marketing
Answer Center America, Inc.
Phone#: (800) 270-7030
Fax#: (800) 971-2110
Email: mikemcmillan@goacanow.com
URL: http://www.goacanow.com
Blog: http://blog.goacanow.com

Baton Down The Hatches Because Here We Go!

T Minus 3 Days, 14 Hours..... and Counting Till 2009

It's the final stretch to get everything you can done and ready for 2009.  Many people have been emailing me asking me for my end of year checklist that I use to get me and my team ready for the next year.  So I figured why not share my response with all of you.  

Instead of sharing my actual check list I thought it would be much more beneficial to share with all of you what questions I ask myself to come up with my check list.  We don't have much time so lets jump right in.

1. What are my top 4 quarterly goals, and what is their priority?  

(What Order Do I Want Them Done In)

2. What are the company's sales goals and forecast models?

a. What process or system do I have in place to track my numbers?

-Have I tested to make sure this systems is working properly?

3. What training do I need to complete with my team before the new year?

(New Service/Products, New Commission or Bonus Structure, etc...)

4. What are my professional goals for my self and how do I plan to complete them?

a. What new group, organization, or club will I join in "09?

- What is my plan to become recognized? (i.e. - Board Member, Award, etc...)

b. What classes or training seminars will I be attending in "09?

- How will they benefit me and my team?

- Are any of them able to be expense or do I need to budget for them personally?

c. What new business outfits am I planning on purchasing for "09?

- Have I budgeted for them?

d. What were my "08 accomplishments?

- Where have I posted these so I see them every day in "09?

e. Have I planned a personal vacation with my wife?

(Make sure to add personal pieces as your personal life can set the tone for your professional)

5.  Do I have any money left in my budget for "08 that I should allocate to a marketing blitz for Jan. "09?

6. What are all the marketing and advertising companies I will be using in "09?

a. What is my contract length with them?

b. How much is the contract?

c. What matrix am I using to track it's success or failure?

You Are Done!!!!

This is a great starting point but  by no means everything for everyone.  With different industries come more or less questions.  The most important thing is to make sure you are asking your self at least the personal goal questions as with out the answers to them you have no direction for the new year.

**One Last Important Note**

Once you have completed answering all of your "09 questions make sure to post them at your desk and on your mirror in your home bathroom.  This way you are reminded of them ever day and can stay focused through out the year.  Also, once you have completed any of the tasks, goals, etc... make sure to check them off so you can see your accomplishments.  This is one of the most important pieces as these types of tasks can be easily forgotten or motivation lost if you do not keep them in front of your face at all times.  

Have a successful & prosperous New Year!!

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer center America, Inc. “Baton Down The Hatches Because Here We Go!” helps managers and sales people get ready for the new year by getting organized. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

From Sales Life Style

Chicago Businesses Can Take Advantage of Call Centers

The poor economy has Chicago businesses seeking cost cutting measures in order to survive. Using a Chicago call center allows for the continued operation of business while being cost effective. Utilizing personnel efficiently greatly increases corporate savings and frees employees to do what they were hired to do. Call centers are effective cost cutting measures during a down economy.

Succeeding in Chicago’s Poor Economy

The recession continues in the United States, and confidence is low making the future uncertain. Chicago is no exception to the economic downturn, and it is reflected in the downsizing of businesses at all levels. The occupancy rate of commercial real estate in Chicago is already low, and it is expected to keep declining, and foreclosures are looming in neighborhoods that were promising just a few short years ago. Chicago has seen the collapse of the major financial institution Washington Mutual, and is anticipating layoffs from Chicago-based United Airlines. Chicago is the headquarters for many companies, large and small, and CEOs have warned that layoffs will continue into 2009.

Some companies cannot afford to support an in-house staff anymore, and have already made layoffs. All businesses are seeking cost cutting measures to survive. Companies need continued coverage for incoming and outgoing calls despite any financial problems, and this is where outsourcing to a Chicago call center can really make a difference to the bottom line.

Chicago Call Centers Save Money

Chicago call centers increase efficiency in a company by offering low cost and high quality communication solutions. Using a call center maximizes the bottom line, and does not compromise the image a company wants to portray. A call center staff is trained to knowledgeably promote products, and professionally represent companies. Using a call center increases customer satisfaction by giving a constant presence to a company and allowing more interaction with customers. Customers’ needs are met consistently and promptly, which results in customer retention and approval.

Using a call center costs a fraction of what it would be to staff in-house. Studies show that when comparing variables such as call length, number of calls per hour, staffing costs, and administrative costs, outsourcing call center needs saves around 70 to 90 percent! Call centers can be used to replace internal staff, or they can be used to fill in during peak periods or after hours. The cost difference is significant also taking into account the need to hire, train, and supervise permanent employees.

Exactly How a Outsourcing Through a

Call Center Saves Money

An average mid-cap company receives on average 40–50 calls per hour in their peak months, 20–30 calls per hour in their average months, and anywhere from 5–15 in their slow months. The national average of work production by a standard employee is roughly 45 minutes of each work hour (please note — 45 minutes is the high end of the scale). If you figure anywhere from $7 to $30 per hour for infrastructure costs & $25 to $75 per hour for administrative costs, you start to see what real costs savings outsourcing these calls can achieve.

What all this means to your bottom line is very simple. Once you have moved your current solution to a full outsourced solution we have found savings from 75% to 79% at peak months, 80%–89% at average months, and well over 90% savings in your low volume months. Then if you add in the “X” factor of if your higher “Worth and/or Skilled” employees are currently performing this function your savings can end up on low months over 105% and increase productivity.

What this means to your business in dollars and cents is as follows:

• Enterprise Businesses 2 Million +
• Mid-Cap Businesses 1 Million – 2 Million
• Small Businesses 250k – 1 Million
• Start Businesses 25k – 250k

The amazing thing is that even some call center companies can outsource and save money by using ACA’s model. This not only saves money, it improves call quality, and thus customer loyalty.

Many call centers offer inbound and outbound solutions as well as web chat, conference and Internet Bridge, email, faxing, and credit card processing.

Review: “Chicago Businesses Can Take Advantage of Call Centers” notes that companies’ use of Chicago call centers helps save money. Answer Center America, Inc. offers superior customer support and state of the art equipment to meet client needs. A cost comparison study is available to estimate the savings associated with outsourcing call center needs. http://www.goacanow.com

To What’s Next!

A Look Back at 2008 and a Glance at 2009

From the beginning of 2008 everyone knew that this year was about to be something really special. From the addition of the morning huddles to the new processes between customer service and sales, we were all amped for success. At New Years Eve Janet, Jeff, Stephanie, & I all toasted our standard toast, “To what’s Next!” Little did we know in just one day something important was about to happen.

The morning of January 2nd started like everyday here at ACA. All of management and support staff of ACA met in our morning huddle, we reviewed all the new changes for 2008 and wished everyone a good day. Nick Farrell and Mike McMillan first thing in the morning both got faxes with client’s paperwork; little did any of us know or imagine this was simply the tip of the iceberg for new accounts in January. In the weeks to follow ACA saw 58 additional accounts come in for new service. This amount of sales just left everyone with one exclamation, WOW!!

After over 20 straight days of 14+ hour work days in all departments February could not have come any faster. But even in a 28 day month sales was able to pull out 27 sales in that month as well, continuing the long hours of work.

But, even after all the long work days, and hard work of turning up comparatively, a small answering service, inside of 2 months we were able to get through it as a team. Over the next few months we continued having great growth in sales, and began to focus on improving our business processes for new accounts.

The rest of the year stayed consistent with a monthly average of new revenue of $10.000 for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd quarter. This amazing growth has led ACA now into December, and the close of 4th quarter. Wrapping up the 4th quarter, all of us in senior management began focusing in on the end of year number and all the accomplishments we have made. Right now, as it stands ACA has broken the record set last year of 22% growth in one year and hit 24%, we have added over 20 new seats in our 5532 location, and best of all we now employee and support over 120 employees. These remarkable achievements are a direct reflection of the hard work of everyone her at ACA, especially the agents as they truly are the life blood that keeps us all moving forward.

With 2009 only now literally days away, the attention of management now looks to what is to come. We once again are getting new processes put in place, building forecast models, cleaning off desks, and getting ready for what many of us believe will be yet again another record breaking year. So this New Years Eve when that clock strikes mid-night, please join the rest of your ACA team in toasting, “TO WHAT’S NEXT!”


Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for ACA. “To What's Next!” tells the story of the struggles & accomplishments of Answer Center America, Inc. in 2008. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

From Sales Life Style

Happy Holidays!!! Are You Ready to Party?

Tis the season for client holiday parties, how many are on your calendar?

Holiday parties are personally one of my favorite times of year, and the only events I really truly look forward to. The one problem many young sales people have though when attending their first event sometimes take to much advantage of the open bar. Now I am not saying don’t grab a glass of wine, if I said that I would be a total hypocrite. LOL!! What I am saying is to make sure to have a limit set in your head before the first sip.

**Unless this is an event for a client, then my rule is simple, water or pop, no booze no matter what!**

The reason for this is that more than likely you will then be one of the only people there not intoxicated and now have the edge in every conversation you are having. As all of us know any opportunity a sales person has to get an edge on a conversation, the better!

So this season remember when you go to the party make sure to set limits or don't drink at all. This way you will make sure to enjoy the party till the very end, and more importantly have a clear head to do what you should be doing, SELLING!! This leads me to Rule 1 of my top 10 rules of a sales lifestyle.

Rule 1: Always Be Ready To Sell
At a party, at a bar, or just walking down the street everyone you meet may be the next big sale. You must always look, talk, and act the part to get the sale. If not you can bet your competition is.

From Sales Life Style

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “Happy Holidays!!! Are You Ready to Party?” goes over holiday party etiquette for sales people. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

Teamwork Is The Real Key To Success!!

Noun 1.teamwork - cooperative work done by a team (especially when it is effective); "it will take money, good planning and, above all, teamwork"
cooperation - joint operation or action; "their cooperation with us was essential for the success of our mission"

So many people have heard all the teamwork slogans like, there is no "I" in team, or my personal favorite a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Though all meaningful most people thing is is a load of crap. The reason is that it is so played out in the corporate world. But, what many people have to know is that teamwork is possibly the single most important think a sales person needs to learn to master. Now I know many of you are saying, yeah what ever Mike we have all heard this before, but trust me keep reading, you will thank me.

When you are working on a large deal, or even a mid-cap deal you must learn to use all the tools in your tool shed. What to I mean by this, well in the words of one of my most trusted mentors Tim Searcy, "You must bring a boat to take down a whale." What I am saying is that with out a team of skilled teammates behind you, you have little to no chance to get the big deal. What do I do, simple, the moment I think I have a whale on the line, I get my entire team involved. I do this for one simple reason, because I learned long ago to surround my self with people who are much smarter than I am. This way when my client has a question that I may not know, some one on my team can answer it for me. Working in this way allows me to supply a level of service to my client's that stands alone in my industry.

So if you are looking to increase your personal bank account it is time to work with your team instead of trying to do it your self. Because doing it your self will just leave you alone with a small bank account. Doing it with a team will have you at a kick butt martini bar with a bunch of friends celebrating the HUGE deal you just closed.

From Sales Life Style

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “Teamwork Is The Real Key To Success!!” talks about how it takes a team of people to do great things not just 1 person. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

Success Starts at Home

Through out much of my sales training and mentoring I have learned about how hard work makes sales easier. But, what they fail to to ever teach you is how your personal life can effect your professional.

I am married to one of the most amazing wife a sales guy like me could ever ask for. She is very supportive of my career and all the negative and positive that comes with living a sales life style. Her support of my life style is what drives me to my success. Now I know you may already be saying to your self, No Mike your success is driven through determination, hard work, and the passion you have for what you do. My answer to you would be NO! Those are things that have lead from the support I receive at home from my wife on a daily basis.

I would like to share with all of you possibly the most perfect example of what I am talking about. Today, December 5th, 2008 I just closed the largest sale in ACA history. This single account will redefine ACA as a company for many years to come. When I told my wife of my accomplishment today she gave me a huge hug and kiss and told me she knew I could do it. Of course that always feel great, but that was not all she had in store. Earlier that day she had actually known about what I was wrapping up. So she stopped by Nordstrom and purchased something I have always wanted, a Mont Blanc Pen! Now for all you sales people out there, you know Mont Blanc is like a 4 crt. diamond ring to a prospective bride. This is truly the pen of pens for sales people. She got me this as a reminder for what I accomplished. This token of appreciation has me so gratefully to have her in my life I felt it necessary to write about tonight.

From Misc. . .

So all you sales people out there when you are looking to increase your sales success. First make sure you have a loving & supportive home life first. As if your home life is not stable how can you ever expect to have a stable sales life.

From Misc. . .

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “Success Starts at Home” reviews how much your home life effects your sales life. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

What are Your Goals

I commonly tell my sales people that a promise is only as good as the paper it is written on. So to are the goals that you set for your self. Many people, especially sales people, set goals for them self all the time. The issue is that many times they forget to do the most important piece, write them down for everyone to see. To give everyone a real life example to help everyone get started I am going to post my real 2009 professional goals here to share with all of you. (I would share my personal goals, but they are not as fun) LOL!! I look forward to your comments on them.

1. Close 1 account that has a base package over $100,000.00 per month, a.k.a. $1,200,000.00 per year account!

2. Personally Close over 2 million dollars in total sales in 2009

3. Lead my team to 3.5 million dollars or more in total sales in 2009

4. Increase my monthly outbound revenue to over $50,000 per month

Now please understand in world these numbers are very realistic and reachable with a lot of hard work. Next to writing your goals down, the next most important part is making your goals realistic. You want to set them to a level you know you can achieve. If you set them to high you will not achieve them and then not want to do it again next year. So now sit down, write everything out, and get ready for an amazing sales year!!!

From Sales Life Style

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “What are Your Goals” talks about how setting goals can make you much more successful personally and professionally. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

Not Service Industry! Supply Chain Management, What?

A few months ago I had the pleasure of going through a training by Tim Searcy, with http://www.whalehunters.com. Tim is by far one of the most passionate and energetic sales people I have had the pleasure to meet in a long time.

During this training Tim had said something to me that really blew me away. Tim first asked, "what industry are you in?" Of course the crowd all from call centers said, "Call Center." Tim abruptly said, "Wrong!" As all of us looked at one another thinking this guy must have had a few to many cocktails, he started to explain. "None of our company's are in the call center industry, we are in the supply chain management industry." "All customers are looking for us to do is make the flow of goods or services become easier to get to their customers."

When I heard this I quickly wrote it down as it really rang true to me. I thought to my self how all my customers come to me with an issue and that issue is almost 99.9% about issues in their supply chain to customers. When I heard this I began work on a different way of selling our services. I began to build an atmosphere that was informative and helped client's streamline their supply chain all the way from manufacturing to their customer as much as I can.

This strategy was not as easy as typing a few thing down, it took a crazy amount of work to accomplish. Below I have listed what I did to learn more about how I can help consult my client's on their supply chain. These were only a few of the steps. If you are interested in more please feel free to comment and I will add more.

1. Joined & began attending events with 2 different business networking organizations here in Chicago.

2. Networked with other outsourcing companies that I know from past experience would offer a benefit to my client's.

3. Did background checks on all the businesses I met and spoke to their clients to categorized their service quality.

4. Created strategic partnerships with those businesses I felt were the best and began negotiating costs and services for my client's if I were to refer them.

5. Developed presentational materials for the most common issues client's inform me they are having. This way I can provide them a complete solution in a nice bundle.

This is what I did first. By doing this I learned a ton about who I was as a sales person and what I really can offer a client. Knowing this information I have been able to increase my sales drastically and not be just another sales person to my client's, but a trusted advisor to them. Being a trusted advisor, a.k.a. FRIEND, I get to reap the rewards of frequent referrals and great testimonials. That alone has paid for all my hard work in spades!!!

So what are you doing still reading this??!! Email me for what else I did after my first step and start increasing your sales...

My Favorite Movie Quote:
" I know you're not standing on your front porch with a bag of money waiting for me to call you. But I'm not some 18-year-old selling a cure for AIDS. I'm 46 years old, I have 22 years market experience, I know this business. So pick up your skirt, grab your balls, and lets go make some money"

- Boiler Room, 2000

From Sales Life Style

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “Not Service Industry! Supply Chain Management, What?” offers a new look at an industry that commonly just sees it self as an outsourcing solution. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

Social Networking

When I first was told about social networking I was so confused on where to start. Then I built a MySpace & Facebook page. This got me started and I was able to meet a ton of people, but was not seeing any business from it. Then I discovered the world of blogging and reviewing. This opened my eyes to a part of the social networking scene I was able to get into. Now almost 3 months later I have already seen 3 new client's from it and close to 100 business contacts who look to me for business advise. This reach would not have been possible if not for my social network. If you are struggling with getting your social network started let me give you 5 steps to success. I am not saying these steps will lead you to riches, but they will expand your network.

1. Build a MySpace & Facebook Page (Add Photos, Videos, & Posts often)
http://www.myspace.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/

2. Start a Blogger Account (Promise Yourself to write at least 1 entry per week)
http://www.blogger.com/

3. Open a Yelp Account (Begin Reviewing Local Places ASAP, 5 a week atleast)
http://www.yelp.com/

4. Open a Plaxo Account (Make sure to tie in your MySpace, Facebook, Blogger, & Yelp Account) This way all of your network can see what you are saying
http://www.plaxo.com/

5. Track all your success with Google Analytics (Doing all this work with out a way to track it is just foolish! Make Sure your Hard Work is Paying Off)
http://www.google.com/analytics/

If you don't know anyone online add me. Below are all my user names and links. I would be more than happy to be your first friend and help you expand your network.

Facebook:


MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/mikiesplace

Blogger:
You are here http://thesalesking.blogspot.com/

Yelp:

Recent reviews by Michael M.

What's this?

Plaxo:
http://salesking.myplaxo.com/

From Misc. . .

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “Social Networking” gives sales people 1 more tool to use to build their professional network. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.