Beagle Research Shows Adding Sales to the Call Center Agenda is Top of Mind for Innovative Executives; Veterans of Change Outline Multi-Dimensional Approach.

STOUGHTON, Mass. -- Beagle Research Group, a leading consultancy and market research firm dedicated to the customer relationship management (CRM) market, today announced the upcoming release of a study focused on the efforts of innovative organizations to instill a sales culture in a traditional, service-focused call center. Full details of the study will be first announced at Catalyst 2005, the Knowlagent executive customer conference in Tampa, Fla., on Wed., May 18. Denis Pombriant, founder and managing principal, authored the study and will present the key findings at the conference.

According to the research, many large organizations seeking new ways to boost revenues are at the beginning of a process that, for many, will result in more profitable customer-to-call center interactions. However, the study cautions that many issues leading to that conversion have not been resolved. For instance, how to transform a service-only call center into one that is responsible for some amount of revenue generation is a remaining question.

"Call centers need to establish a delicate balance between sales and the primary mission of the call center, which has traditionally been providing service," Pombriant said.

The report's findings indicate this balance will come from integrating issues like sales management and coaching, training, and incentives with traditional ideas of service. The study shows there is a big difference in the thinking of executives who are in the planning phase and those early adopters who say they have completed the transition.

According to Pombriant, "People who are in the planning stages think of this primarily as a training exercise for their call center agents." But, he also noted, "People who have already been through the process see many more dimensions that contribute to success."

Without a more rounded view of the challenges ahead, the report concludes, we could see the same kind of failures and disillusionment that were generated by early CRM initiatives. The report notes that only a minority of early CRM implementations were adequately analyzed and planned for and many challenges were left undiscovered until meeting them resulted in costly overruns and delay.

The executive white paper summarizing the findings will be available for free download at www.beagleresearch.com beginning May 18.

About Beagle Research Group

Beagle Research Group is a consulting and market research firm focused on emerging companies and technologies that will have an important impact on the way business is conducted in the years ahead. Our work is based on professional standards of quantitative and qualitative research which informs all of our publications.