SP Data Response Management Profile : June 2008
Q&A with CEO Dan Plashkes regarding DirecTV
Over the past two decades, SP Data founder, Dan Plashkes and his team have delivered award-winning response management results to the satellite/cable/telco/wireless sector.
What’s the magic? Total immersion by the senior team in each client’s business.
By getting to know our clients’ needs and the space they operate in, SP Data can combine fresh, strategic thinking with proven, best practices to deliver high-impact acquisition and retention services through the Call Center.
In 2007-2008, SP Data increased its operations in the satellite/wireless/cable sector, committing its best front line talent to overachieve on all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Today, we have more than sufficient capacity to launch and scale new campaigns on DirecTV’s behalf from our world-class, multilingual contact centers in Ohio, Costa Rica and Canada.
Dan, let’s say DirecTV selects SP Data to augment or replace outsourced direct sales and customer care vendors. What is going to differentiate SP Data from our current slate of outsourcers? What outcome can DirecTV expect when partnering with SP Data?
As seasoned entrepreneurs ourselves, we tend to get much more involved in our clients’ day-to-day operations than our competitors. The hands-on approach we would bring to DirecTV would invariably lead to greater insights around the lifetime value of their customers and the retention attributes of the services DirecTV provides.
SP Data believes in the premise that a happy customer wants to buy more products and services. Where there is a service opportunity…we focus on satisfying that customer…and where there’s an opportunity to upsell or cross-sell a product or service appropriate to the customers’ needs…we’ll capitalize on it. Historically, this leads us to exceed on KPIs and meet or exceed Qsat or customer satisfaction surveys.
What does SP Data mean by “flexibility”? How does “flexibility” translate to something tangible to the DirecTV vendor management group tasked to do “due diligence” around SP Data?
Originally, outsourcing was invented to give companies greater flexibility than they could get through their own internal services. Unfortunately, many outsourcers today have burgeoned to the point where they’ve become rigid and inflexible for their clients. DirecTV needs an outsourcer that can turn on a dime – scale up with quality, trained people for peak season campaigns and, rather than let go of these key people in less busy times, retrain them for future DirecTV campaigns.
SP Data invests heavily in our employees. In turn, they tend to stay with us because we offer the flexibility to work on acquisition and retention services for similar clients. We consider ourselves to be the most flexible, highest performing organization in the industry – the outsourcer of outsourcers.
As DirecTV’s premier outsourcer, how would SP Data compete with the cable companies for “the bundle”?
As DirecTV’s most highly regarded outsourcer/partner, we will focus on DirecTV’s strengths to generate revenue, especially the number of specialty and high definition channels available. We will also promote the unique advantages of the DirecTV offering to DirecTV subscribers as expertly as we currently do for DirecTV’s current partners.
How would you suggest the SP Data /DirecTV partnership take on the cable and telco’s with better results?
Today, we know how to sell DirecTV at the expense of either cable or telco alternatives. We know how to get customers excited around high definition (HD) channels, NFL Sunday Ticket, and premium programming, etc. We are in the best position to push the quality of programming and selection available from DirecTV with great revenue results.
How might SP Data expect to retain DirecTV as a client over a multi-year relationship?
By delivering great results through experienced, superb account management. Without fail, we intend to be recognized as a premier partner by Chase Carey and the executive team. We’re about top line gross acquisitions for DirecTV at the expense of the cable companies.
How would SP Data stimulate retention amongst the DirecTV subscriber base?
We believe in long-term commitments in exchange for “value”. We want to offer DirecTV subscribers more programming/stations at a lower cost, in exchange for a longer-term commitment.
Dan, what would be your strategy for increasing products and services you might sell on behalf of DirecTV?
I would look at offering customers longer-term contracts, focus on selling additional boxes, and push harder to sell more premium services through well-informed agents. Plus, address the specific needs of Hispanic subscribers using our multilingual agents.
DirecTV experiences agent turnover. How would SP Data minimize turnover?
We hire with the right profile and create a stimulating environment for SP Data salespeople to work in. We have a terrific sales incentive program and create great career opportunities. The result? A high-quality trained staff who is part of our family and who don’t want to leave. They want to sell DirecTV!
How experienced might your team be, with respect to broadband and video services delivered by DirecTV?
We’ve been selling broadband and video services for more than 20 years. Right now, we’re actually up-selling DirecTV through one of its largest channels partner, Qwest Communications, with amazing results. We’re also selling ExpressVU in Canada, where we cold call for new customer acquisition and sell bundled communications services. We just love selling the NFL Sunday Ticket!