Almost by definition, teleprospectors do a job in which conversations are remote and, due to hierarchical constraints, indirect. Fortunately, though, there are sometimes some pleasant surprises: moments of authentic contact which give real meaning to the job. 

A story told by Nicolas, Teleprospecting project lead at H2A.

“The buildings are less imposing… 
There really are bakeries everywhere!”  

Like many Americans before him, that’s surely what our client must have thought when he arrived in Paris. 

The Vice-President of a world-renowned software publishing house was there on business. My surprise of the week: he sent me an email saying he was planning to make a short detour to Arcueil to meet us “for real”. Up till then, all our communications had been remote. 

The stakes involved in the visit by this new client, who had entrusted his teleprospecting campaign to us five months previously, were high and we couldn’t afford to get anything wrong! 

In the reception lobby, his warm smile immediately told me what sort of person he was: our discussions would be fruitful!​

A shake of the hand, a little small talk and a few jokes later, we set off on a tour of the H2A offices. He soon surprised me by asking:

“Can I see the call center team that looks after our teleprospecting campaign?” Of course! 

Once we’d entered the office of the team in question, the staff looked at me perplexed. It’s not often they get a visit from a VP! But I barely had time to make any introductions before he got in ahead of me. He went up to Mohamed, one of the employees who has contributed most to this mission and about whom we had told him a lot of good things in the past. 

Once again: big smile, warm handshake, hand on the shoulder. Our client congratulated him and shared with him all the praise that he’d heard about him. He sat down next to him, turning his back on me, and embarked on a long conversation with our call center agent.

“So how do you deal with the prospects, 
what’s your secret for getting so many appointments?”  

And then questions about his work and his methods followed one another in quick succession. Accompanied by a lot of laughs. 

And as for me, watching them, I finally understood why the client had been so keen to visit us: he wanted to be there where everything happens. In the field. 

A moment of authentic contact which gives meaning to our work and says much more than any thank you.