Cubs Tour

This was by far one of the coolest tours I have ever been on. They do these tours every year and would suggest it to anyone who loves the game. GO CUBS!!!!

- Michael C. McMillan

From Sales Life Style

Updated ACA Online Video

Call Center Metrics Can Boost Quality and Save Money

Summary: There are productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction metrics which can be measured to enhance quality and increase a company bottom line. GoACAnow.com offers call center solutions that can manage inbound or outbound business calls professionally.
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Call center metrics are key performance indicators, and they should focus on business goals and call center solutions. If metrics are analyzed and lined up with strategies, they can boost quality and save an organization money. Metrics monitor a call center’s performance by gathering and analyzing information; there are productivity metrics, quality metrics, and customer satisfaction metrics.

Inbound productivity metrics include the number of calls handled, and their timing. Also included are the number of emails handled, and the average time to respond to emails. Inbound productivity metrics comprise the percentage of calls and transactions resolved in the first contact. Outbound productivity metrics include the number of outbound calls and their timing. Productivity metrics for orders and quotes include the number of quotes and proposals, prices of quotes, and dollar amount of items sold. They also identify the number of leads and cross-sell/up-sell opportunities.

Quality metrics involve the accuracy of orders and quotes. They quantify product knowledge, technical knowledge, and communication and problem solving skills. Satisfaction metrics are figured from real time surveys of customers, field sales staff, and partners/distributors.

Analyzing these metrics can show if goals are being met, and if call center solutions are needed. The results will show specific areas that need improvement, and the quality of the call center will improve if new plans are put into practice. Cost analysis including measuring cost per call can save money and increase revenues by implementing improvements where needed.

Answer Center America, Inc. offers high quality call center solutions with their state of the art technology, and professional staffing. GoACAnow.com operates efficiently by analyzing metrics, and can increase a business’ bottom line.



Bio: Grace Enderlein is a freelance writer and editor. “Call Center Metrics Can Boost Quality and Save Money” outlines what metrics measure, and how they can increase quality and save money for call center solutions.

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

You Must Give To Get!

This week I learned possibly one of the most important pieces of my sales life thus far.

"It is better to take an order from a motivated referral, than it is to sell to a defensive buyer!"

What this saying means is that to become a great sales person, instead of just a good sales person you have to earn it.

So how do you earn it you ask!

It is simple! You earn it by making your value to your potential client so great that they start to see you as a friend, or better yet a trusted advisor, rather than some annoying sales person. To do this you must provide them with exactly what you are looking for, MORE BUSINESS!! Now I am not saying this is easy, trust me I grew up in sales and just figuring out now how to do this effectively, and it still is not easy!! But, I have already started to see just how much it pays off by working hard for your clients. Let me tell you what I have done so you can see how this can work for you.

This week I dedicated myself to taking the new people I have met at the YEC event I attended and finding them either new business from my current contacts or solutions to express issues they were having. I did this quickly and efficiently without them asking. I did it so that it was not seen as a burden rather a kind gesture on my part. Now, let me just tell you this was not by any shape or form easy. For 2 of them I spent almost 6 - 8 hours researching the best possibly client's for them and then calling upon my client's that fit in that category. But, the reward from all this hard work has just paid off is ACES!! One of the client's I did this for just referred me a multimillion dollar potential client that just started looking for call center services. Because of my hard work my client referred them to me and told the client there is no other call center they would ever trust more than ACA!

I wanted to tell you this whole story so you can see that this is not just smoke I am blowing up your back side to get you to read my blogs. This is real life, and real dollars and cents. If you are eager to make money, and when I say money I mean LOTS & LOTS of MONEY!!! Then you must be willing to put in the time and effort to make it worth your potential client's time to work with you and buy your product/services. You do this by research, backward referrals to your client, and always fulfilling on the promised you make to your clientele. Done properly the days of cold calls, cold lead selling, & begging clients for referrals will be over. The days of order taking for referrals sent over to you will begin. Then you can tell everyone how proud you are to FISH IN A BARRELL!!!


Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “You Must Give To Get!” talks about how giving value first really makes sales so much easier. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

A Night Networking

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending my first Young Executive Club of Chicago (YEC). Out of many of the events I have had the pleasure of attending I must say this was truly one of the best. Walking in it was very nerve racking as I knew no one at the event. But, after only 2 minutes I was knee deep in conversation with 4 executives an creating a great networking opportunity. If there is anyone in Chicago looking for an amazing networking group I would strongly urge you to look into YEC. If you have questions on the group please visit; http://www.youngexecutivesclub.org.

From Misc. . .

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for Answer Center America, Inc. “A Night Networking” is my personal review of a night out at a business networking event. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.