Call Centers. Telemarketing. Purchasing Advice.

Telemarketing Costs

Outsourced telemarketing pricing can work in two ways: per-minute charges for time spent on the phone with prospects and per agent fees. You may also be required to maintain monthly minimums with the telemarketing service provider.

Let’s start with those minimum requirements: Expect to commit to at least 1,000 person hours for a common telemarketing campaign. Once you factor in call duration and depending on the number of agents involved, you’ll pay around $20 to $65 per hour with the low-end reserved for the offshore option. The hourly rate typically drops as you add more person hours to the project.

Make sure to budget for setup and training expenses, which will vary based on the technology needed and other costs such as travel expenses (and international travel can really eat into your savings for using an offshore service!)

One expense you should certainly avoid is buying an 800 number from a telemarketing vendor. If the vendor supplies the number, they have the right to keep it when the project is over. Purchasing an 800 number is inexpensive and once you own it, you get to keep it for future use.

And remember: We can’t connect you to pay-for-performance telemarketers – they tend to be overaggressive and don't really work.

Additional fees

You may be responsible for several other costs unless the vendor includes it into your price quote. These extras can tack on several thousand dollars to your fees, so make sure you need these services before agreeing to pay for them.

-Setup costs (campaign launch, software configuration, script writing and editing, training)
-Telemarketing lists ($150 to $300 for every 1,000 phone numbers with additional costs for highly focused lists; most brokers require a 5,000 to 10,000 phone number minimum.)
-Reporting fees

Contracts and non-disclosures

All of the pricing and work information need to be spelled out in a contract. This contract will detail what work will be done, what performance levels are expected, and what the penalties will be for not living up to the contract terms.

If possible, make sure that you have everybody from the telemarketing firm – from the agents to the managers – sign a non-disclosure agreement. After all, they will have full access to your corporate information and database and you want to make sure they don’t take that confidential information with them when the job is done.

In addition to an outsourced call center for your inbound calls, a telemarketing campaign for your outbound calling efforts can be a boon to your business. Check out our Outbound Telemarketing content or submit a free request for quotes today!

Now that you understand how outsourced telemarketing services can work for you, let us help you find telemarketing partners for your business. Our free request for quotes form can connect you with multiple vendors who will allow you to compare prices and services before you buy!