TeleNotes functionality serves both sales reps and management

BY MARY JO MARTIN

Editorial director

Brothers Tom and Jim Metcalf, long-time sales reps, used their personal experience with CRM (customer relationship management) systems in coming up with an idea for a totally new type of system -- called TeleNotes -- in 2002.

The Metcalfs were frustrated and dissatisfied with the current solutions available for sales call documentation and planning. They believed that current systems required too much office or administrative time to maintain the information. As they shared their experiences with the companies they worked for, they began brainstorming on a new, more efficient, way to organize their sales lives. After about 12 months and with the help of programmers Lance Schildknecht and Josh Fritzsche, their dreams became a reality. TeleNotes began marketing their unique Sales Productivity System to companies throughout the U.S. and Canada.

President Tom Metcalf recently discussed the benefits of the TeleNotes system with editorial director Mary Jo Martin.

MJM: Can you describe the growth TeleNotes has experienced over the past five years?

Metcalf: TeleNotes enjoyed steady growth during their first several years in business and, as word has spread about the benefits of this unique service, we have been experiencing exponential growth since early 2006. 

TeleNotes is marketed to companies with outside sales reps as well as individual sales people. We service virtually every market that has outside field salespeople. Manufacturers’ rep agencies, manufacturers and wholesale distributors are among the strongest markets we serve. Independent agents in the financial and insurance fields are rapidly growing in numbers.

TeleNotes currently employs 50 people and is adding to that number regularly.

MJM: Give us a snapshot of the company’s management team and services today?

Metcalf: As president, I am ably assisted by an inside support team of customer service agents, data entry personnel, accounting and a complete it staff. TeleNotes employs more than 50 individuals and that number continues to grow as we bring on more clients. 

Currently TeleNotes offers a robust online database, or CRM application. The strength of service comes from the ability for a sales rep to complete all their data entry via their cell phone or dictating into their PDA. Within just a few hours, all their information is posted to a secure website ready for use.

Transcription is bi-lingual for those who wish to dictate in Spanish and have it translated into English for management.

Sales reps can do the following via their phone or PDA:

• Call in new accounts
• UPDAte existing accounts and contacts
• Add customer notes/histories
• Schedule calendared events
• Create or uPDAte opportunities
• Enter expenses
• Forward information (call notes and/or follow ups) to other individuals.

Future plans are always in the works, however some of our more immediate plans are for a client-based (program to reside on a pc or laptop) application as well as enhanced secretarial services. We’ll disclose more details on this exciting new offering upon its release.

MJM: How long have you served the customers in the PHCP industry?

Metcalf: I worked as a manufactures’ rep agent in the plumbing industry for several years, and also worked in outside sales for a wholesaler in the same industry.  As a result of this background, our initial clients came directly from the PHCP industry. My brother Jim’s background is in the medical device field and many clients in that industry also use TeleNotes, which has been customized to fit their needs as well.

From day one, our clients have been wholesalers, rep agencies and manufacturers. McGregor and Associates and G&S Sales were the first rep agencies  to sign on. John Deere Landscapes was our first major wholesaler account, beginning in early 2003. 

MJM: How exactly does your system work?

Metcalf: After each sales call, or customer interaction, the user:

• Dials the TeleNotes toll free number
• Enters an assigned 4-6 digit p.i.n.
• Simply talks
• In one to two minutes they describe any and all critical information from that customer encounter including: Account name (including address information); Contact name (including phone numbers, email address, etc.); Notes including which products or services were discussed, customer concerns, next step, any other information to be captured; Expense information; Competitive information; Follow-up tasks and future appointments; Instructions for the TeleNotes transcriber to follow such as e-mailing the Call Note to another individual(s)
• The call notes are then transcribed and entered into a contact management database ready for review; clients can also synchronize this data with a Pocket PC or Outlook
• Managers have complete access to this information for review and coaching; they can schedule events for their sales team and add comments to Call Notes, which are then e-mailed to the sales rep 
• Inside sales support teams can access the information for client tracking and outside sales support
• Sales reps can have reminders automatically sent to their e-mail (Blackberry or other device) or as a text to their phone to ensure they never miss an appointment
• Pre-call planning is now possible with detailed information in their own words from the previous visit with their clients
• Reports are generated at the leisure of the user; since TeleNotes is web-based and we have dozens of reports, reps and managers can see any information at any time
• Call turnaround is guaranteed within 24 hours, however the average turnaround time is currently between two and six hours depending on call volume.

MJM: How do your services benefit your customers and their channel partners?

Metcalf: For the first time, our clients have detailed, timely and usable information from the field. Their salespeople actually enter sales call information. The user acceptance rate among our clients is over 90% and rising. As TeleNotes releases more functionality for the sales rep -- and provides more value to these individuals -- the sales reps respond by using TeleNotes more as a time and territory management tool rather than as strictly a tool for managers.

Communication between manufacturers and the rep agencies representing them has always been a struggle. Now, with TeleNotes, rep agencies can provide information to their factories without having to chase down details from each of their salespeople. (TeleNotes automatically organizes the Call Notes by factory for manufacturers’ rep firms to then send on to those requesting the information.)

MJM: Why do you believe this type of system is more valuable than traditional CRM software?

Metcalf: Three main reasons:

• The Number 1 reason, which cannot be underrated, is the method in which the data is obtained. Talking will always provide more details than typing. Salespeople actually use TeleNotes as it only requires a phone call and no data entry. Again, everything you can do in act! can be done in TeleNotes...and then some.
• TeleNotes has built-in systems to remind reps of upcoming activities and appointments without them having to even boot up a computer.
• TeleNotes is web resident, enabling mangers to access the information from anywhere they have internet access. Also, the field sales reps don’t have synchronization issues to push or send the data to the home office from their remote laptop or pc.

MJM: Would this be something that wholesalers may want to implement to monitor their own sales reps - not necessarily for reporting to manufacturers, but for internal use?

Metcalf: Yes, outside sales reps as well as inside sales support both benefit from TeleNotes. Marketing and hr departments also get great value from TeleNotes by using our data mining capabilities and custom report features.

MJM: Describe the various ways within the sales cycle that a customer can use this service.

Metcalf: TeleNotes uses some pre-set fields to enter the data such as Account Name, Call Type and Narrative, just to name a few. Each call is tracked and organized by any of these fields. A company can set up its own sales cycle and follow it through the cycle as each follow-up call is made. For example, you may wish to track a prospect from Initial Contact to Presentation to Won/Loss. Tracking this information is automatically organized within TeleNotes. The only thing a rep needs to do is specify the Call Type during the call-in and TeleNotes does the rest.

MJM: Is yours a unique service, or are there other companies that have similar offerings? If so, how does TeleNotes differentiate itself?

Metcalf: TeleNotes is unique to the CRM industry; however there are competitors who transcribe audio and convert it to text. In a general sense, most of them transcribe phone calls and e-mail them back to the dictator. TeleNotes is unique in that we are a complete CRM or contact management service provider. Our services allow companies to have a full-time administrative assistant for each one of their sales reps without the overhead of hiring additional personnel. 

MJM: What is the cost for such a service?

Metcalf: Costs range anywhere from $100 per individual per month to $140 per individual per month, depending on number of calls into the system and the number of users on the system. There is a $125 initial set-up fee per user which pays for the initial training, importing of previous database information (in the event the client wishes to pre-load TeleNotes with their account information from previous years of sales call data), and ongoing customer support.

Interestingly, when compared to act! or other CRM or contact management solutions, TeleNotes is the most cost-effective solution on the market today. Remember, time spent typing contact and sales call information into a computer program costs money. Too often, companies overlook the overhead expense of having their salespeople behind a computer typing and not out with customers selling. So, at approximately 50 cents to 87 cents per hour, outsourcing data entry to TeleNotes is very affordable.

MJM: What are your growth projections/goals for the near future?

Metcalf: We are excited about the direction TeleNotes is headed. More and more companies need information from the field to make quick, market-sensitive decisions. Most managers cannot wait until the end of the week, month or quarter (or the next conversation in the hallway) to find out vital details from their people. TeleNotes streamlines the flow of information empowering reps, managers and marketers to make timely, educated decisions regarding their businesses.

Our goal is to become as common to the CRM industry as Kleenex is to the tissue business. We believe that every sales rep is searching for the easiest, most reliable and efficient method to capture the very thing that pays the bills, sales call information.

TeleNotes was designed by salespeople for salespeople. We understand the need and value of having timely, detailed and quality information spread through every department within a company. The issue at hand is not the need for information but the method in acquiring the information. This may sound overly simplistic, however just look at a cell phone -- now you can watch tv on your cell phone or mobile device! PDAs, Blackberry devices and cell phones have more functionality today because the users want info now.  That thinking leads us to believe that complete territory and time management should just be a phone call away, not hours of data entry away.

For more information, call 866/835-3668 or visit www.telenotes.net.