In a separate article, I wrote that if you truly know your job, you probably are aware of 1,000 more things than somebody else, who doesnt.

This definitely applies to managing call centers, and especially to overseeing telemarketing units.

For example, we know from experience:

(1) Louder voices sell better than softer ones.

(2) Callers are more robust, extroverted, and successful pitching from a bullpen than a private office.

(3) Informal leaders, usually your top reps or those with the longest tenure, will be more influential than the formal supervisors and managers in the phone unit.

(4) Scripts are inevitable, but to succeed they need to be enforced, strictly.

(5) Turnover is part of the telemarketing beast, that can be tamed, but usually isnt.

If you want more information about these ideas, please see my articles that provide details.

In this piece, I want to bring up a sixth piece of knowledge: If you want peak performance from your telemarketers, keep every seat in your center occupied.

A full room is necessary for these reasons:

(1) Voices are louder and the collective loudness emboldens every individual in the group, creating peer pressures to perform.

(2) A full room means you can and will replace every vacant seat, immediately. Nobodys seat is sacred. Only performance will secure it for the occupant.

(3) This is a desirable job, and theres competition to come aboard.

(4) If you like the people around you, and want them to make it, help them whenever you can.

(5) Per capita achievement is raised in a full room; youll get disproportionately more sales than when fewer seats are occupied.

So, keep recruiting until you reach 100% capacity, and keep recruiting after that, to maintain it, dropping the worst achiever when you need a desk.

Anything less than 100% occupancy means youre not doing your job as a manager!