If you are looking to save money and thinking about using a business outsourcing company for your telemarketing or your technical support needs, you must consider the communication issues that might
arise with outsourcing.

Many times when people call a customer service or call center for assistance, they complain because there is a language barrier and it is hard to understand what the agent is saying.

If you are considering hiring a company for your outsourcing needs, you should ensure that the customer service representative’s first spoken language is of the customers who will be calling.

If it is not, you should make sure that the representatives will be able to speak the language of most of your customers well enough to understand them.

One way to guarantee the language barrier will not exist with the customer service representatives from the outsourcing company you are hiring is for you and other team members to make phone calls to the representatives who will be representing you.

This way, you and your team members can speak to the individuals and verify that their spoken language is going to be good enough for your customers.

Most communications problems with call centers and customer service representatives occur from using offshore outsourcing groups.

Business outsourcing can save your company a lot of money. However, it is for you to decide which is more important, your customer satisfaction with your customer service and support or the amount of money you are saving through your outsourcing endeavors.

You may find your customer count goes down once you begin outsourcing your customer service needs.

It is worth thinking about and checking into.

Remember, I am a Virtual Assistant who LOVES to do editing , proofreading and
transcription assignments!

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

573-775-4520 jan@tallentagency.com

Transcribing audio to text for reports, ebooks, etc. can be so much easier for the transcriptionist to DO and do so with maximum accuracy if, as a speaker, you use a clear and steady voice when making your recorded event.

In a moment, I will share with you a prime example of this as with permission from the speaker I am going to show you just what I mean.

I have done now quite a few transcriptions which were made much more difficult than they needed to be by the following:

*People talking so fast it is a wonder they can understand themselves

*People talking over each other and interrupting each other – this is especially difficult to decipher when you have two or more voices that are very similar!

*People who interrupt themselves to go off on another train of thought completely and then jump back to the prior subject

*People with – to be honest – horrible grammar – who do NOT want these errors fixed when being transcribed!

*People who make it obvious that there was NO PLAN on what to be said or discussed so there is no flow or rhythm to what is being said

*People who repeat the same thing several times but there is no sequence to let the transcriber know when to leave it and when to remove it

*People who come in and out of range of their microphones or whatever recording device they are using – I have done some where I had to send the file to the interviewer or interviewee with unknown and unclear notations for whole paragraphs of audio I could not hear or figure out or even give my best guess at

I know there are others and realize them AS I am doing a transcription, but these are just off the top of my head … IF you are planning on having your audio event transcribed, it might be a good idea to type up one of your shows or seminars or webinars, etc. yourself and you just might be surprised at how difficult this can be, especially for someone that probably does not know YOU or is not used to the way you speak.

Most of my Transcription Clients have, mercifully, been great voices and conversationalists TO transcribe. I appreciate that and them so very much. A normal, easy to hear and understand ONE HOUR audio file can take up to six hours to transcribe, proofread and edit. Obviously, having to stop several times to re-hear and try to translate and/or decipher is going to take even longer.

Now, on to that prime example of an interesting, fun, and CLEAR speaker who obviously has planned out what she is going to say AND has a great delivery as she is saying it – I would like to introduce you to Ann Evanston, The Warrior-Preneur and a savvy biz lady who shares “thoughts, inspiration and education – warrior style!” and one of my favorite videos of Ann’s – The Social Psychology of Social Media.

Listen to Ann’s clear, steady voice with a nice, even flow – this is just the type of speaker that is a joy to transcribe!

thanks, Ann, for the permission to use you as my prime example
and also for being a favorite and appreciated client!

Remember, I am a Virtual Assistant who LOVES to do editing , proofreading and
transcription assignments!

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

573-775-4520 jan@tallentagency.com

Editing services have become in demand these days, and if you browse the Web, you can find numerous editing firms and freelance editors competing for the attention of potential clients.

Aware of the importance of having your written work checked by a professional, you scour the Internet for a reputable editor that can help turn your manuscript from plain to great. But with the many choices available, you may find it a bit tricky to choose the best editor for your needs.

Before you begin your hunt for the right editor, you must first know the distinction between copy editing and proofreading. Confusion and misunderstanding often arise between editing firms and clients because the latter often say they need proofreading service when in fact they meant copy editing.

Proofreading is a basic check of a document or manuscript before it goes to publication. The job entails comparing the original and edited versions of a document to make sure that the necessary corrections have been made. A proofreader also changes the grammatical and typographical errors that have been missed out in the copy editing stage. The consistency of fonts, layout, and pagination is also checked in the proofreading phase.

Copy editing, on the other hand, is a broader and more complicated type of editorial service. The job includes proofreading along with other tasks. It involves a more thorough review of a document to spot errors in terms of style, grammar, reference citations, word choice, and textual structure. A copy editor does the following: give advice to improve grammar and make writing more coherent and logical, fact checking, making text more compelling, making sentences more concise, make style and formatting consistent, among many others.

When you talk to a potential editor, you and the other party must agree to the services that you need to make your writing project effective and of excellent quality.

Now, your next concern is to determine the qualities you must look for in an editor and the services he offers. Keep in mind that a good editor must deliver quality work that is right on target. That means an editor should have a sharp eye for any mistake in terms of typos, grammar errors, and misspellings. A competent editor must be also knowledgeable of how to make a text flow logically and smoothly from start to finish.

The price is also an important factor to consider when choosing an editing firm or a freelance editor. Of course, the rates that your chosen editor charges must fit your budget. If you cannot afford it, then look for others. To lower your expenses, you may also choose only the services that you really need.

You must have a good working relationship with the editor because you will spend a considerable time working with that person and using his editorial services. If there are lots of conflicts between you and the editor, you are less likely to finish your writing project on time. Worse, the quality of your work may suffer.

Remember, I am a Virtual Assistant who LOVES to do editing, proofreading and transcription assignments!

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

573-775-4520 jan@tallentagency.com