Representing your company’s brand, the logo’s main purpose is to visually represent your company. A graphic design generally composed of text and image, the logo conveys the values of your company. Your main stake is to touch the heart of your target audience. For achieve this goal, the logo will be highlighted on all communication media of the company: billboards, websites, business cards, presentation brochures, etc..

The logo’s impact can be pretty significant if it is well designed. Indeed, it can push the consumer to buy and create a sense of belonging the brand. The creation of a logo should not be taken lightly. You want to create your logo and you don’t know where to start? Here is what you should know.

The functions of a logo

Before you start designing a logo, it is important to establish the functions it should perform. Why is it important? What should it try to demonstrate?

As said above, first and foremost, the purpose of a logo is to disclose and point out the identity of your company. At a glance, one should be able to more or less guess the company it represents and its values. An effective logo must be easily memorable. It must allow you to differentiate yourself from others.

In addition to seducing your target audience, your logo must help you develop your brand image and unite the members of your company around your project. This is why it is essential to create a logo that also aligns with the company’s values.

Designing the logo

Designing a company logo is far from being an easy task for everyone. This activity requires advanced skills in graphic design and illustration. In addition to a perfect mastery of graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator, it is necessary to have a developed sense of creativity in order to successfully produce a graphic identity that reflects the aspirations of your company. If you do not have all the essential skills to create a logo, it is strongly advised that you get help from someone who is an expert in the field.

Step 1: Identify the target and the values of the company

The very first step in designing a company logo is to identify the values of the company, as these will be at the heart of the message conveyed. It is also important to determine the target audience that the company wants to reach in order to have an idea of the nature of the logo. Finally, it is wise to take into account the company’s slogan or baseline if there is one, to better understand the energy that it gives off. This brainstorming and reflection work will allow you to better understand your objectives and what you want to achieve in image.

Step 2: Gather a lot of date and create a database

Once you have grasped the core of the message that your logo must convey, you must conduct visual research and a benchmarking exercise. To put it simply, you must analyze and compare what has already been done by other companies. This will help you to orient the design and style of the logo. Below, the different types of logos that exists:

• The monogamous logo or letter: It is composed of letters marking the initials of the company. Common examples are IBM, HBO, etc.
• The logo or wordmark : It highlights the name of the brand like Coca-Cola, Google or VIS
• The symbol: It is an icon/symbol or a pictorial mark like the logos used by Apple (The bitten apple) or Twitter (the birdie)
• The mascot logo: It illustrates the company’s mascot like the one used by KFC
• The combination mark: It includes both the wordmark and pictorial mark like Doritos, Lacoste, Burger King, etc.
• The emblem logo: It is recognized by the presence of a font inside an icon or symbol.

When you have enough data and you have a general idea of a logo, start by designing it on paper. Don’t be afraid to create several designs to test them out

Step 3: Determine the typography

On your computer, you’ll now be able to start researching the typography for your logo. You can use Adobe Illustrator from Creative Cloud to carry out some font testing. “Researching the typography is a crucial step in creating a logo. One should be able to convey the values of the company only with the font used. To do this, you need to know the style of the company; whether you are going for formal or informal. You should capture the core of the message you want to convey by choosing the right font. All the other elements of the logo will only be complementary”, explains Emmanuel, agent responsible for logo creation at ProContact.

Step 4: Choose one or more vectors

Once you know which font to use for your logo, it’s time for you to choose the vector(s) that will be added to the project. This means that you will need to determine the graphics and colors that you will add to the logo.

Step 5: Vectorization and digital realization of the graphic models

This brings us to the fifth and final step: harmonization. The goal is to match the font to the chosen vector(s) and to make the necessary adjustments so that the logo is as you wanted it to be. Don’t hesitate to remove a few elements if you find the logo is overloaded. Also, be sure to create an existing logo in multiple formats that are compatible with the different sizes of your communication channels. It is also recommended to make several mock-ups. “Generally, we make one logo and three or four variations of the logo. This allows us to have several choices on hand”, says Emmanuel.

Once the logo is finished, you can export it in the formats you need them for both web and print media (PDF, EPS, JPG, PNG).

More than ever, your company has had to demonstrate its value, deliver exceptional service and to keep expanding. Did you know that outsourcing has become one of the most powerful business and strategic operational tools? It allows teams and executives to focus on their core business, enabling the entire organization to generate profits.

If you are still hesitating to include outsourcing in the way your company operates, here is a review of the year 2022. Positivity is the order of the day, especially for IT outsourcing, legal outsourcing, business process outsourcing, administrative outsourcing, etc.

What is outsourcing?

Let’s have a quick review on what the outsourcing strategy is all about:

Outsourcing is a business practice that involves hiring an external party, one which is not related to the company, to provide services or create goods that were traditionally provided in-house by the company’s employees and staff. Outsourcing is a practice generally adopted by companies to reduce costs. As such, it can affect a wide range of jobs, from customer support and manufacturing to the back office.

Outsourcing was first recognized as a business strategy in 1989 and became an integral part of the corporate economy in the 1990s. The practice of outsourcing is the subject of considerable controversy in many countries. Opponents claim that it has led to the loss of domestic jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Proponents argue that it provides an incentive for firms and companies to allocate resources where they are most efficient, and that outsourcing helps maintain the nature of free market economies across the globe.

(Source: Investopedia)

Look-back at outsourcing in 2022

The year 2022 was a positive one for outsourcing, which continues to establish itself as a practical and reliable business strategy for companies. This review reveals extraordinary progress, proving that many companies trust outsourcing so that they can grow and generate profits.

Many media outlets are currently reporting on the most outsourced services in 2022. This review gives us some insight into the future of outsourcing.

Information Technology

Statista explains that in 2022 the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the IT outsourcing industry increased by 8.93%. This will represent a market volume of $551,956.3 million by 2026.

As for the most outsourced needs, they are:

• Digital transformation implementation;
• Mobile application support and management;
• Search engine optimization;
• Data centre management.

Administrative activities

Some of the most commonly outsourced administrative activities in 2022 include telephone services, accounting, event management, payroll management, virtual assistance and others.

With regards to virtual assistance, Technavio explains that the size of the global virtual assistant market will grow by US$4.12 billion, with a CAGR of 11.79% between 2021 and 2025!

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

BPO has gained momentum as the preferred and most cost-effective solution for developing companies. Providers are piggybacking on internal teams to fill in existing gaps and take on additional business tasks, whether these are technical or otherwise.

The BPO solutions industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Its CAGR was 9.1% in 2022 according to Grand View Research 2022.

The development of blockchain

Outsourcing blockchain development involves the provider taking over the development and management of its client’s blockchain technology.

Globally, in 2022 the blockchain technology market was worth $5.92 billion. Its CAGR is expected to increase to 85.9% from 2022 to 2030, again according to Grand View Research 2022.

Legal processes

A study by American Lawyer Media tells us that 93% of legal departments have chosen to rely on multiple industry-specific service providers to handle a wide range of tasks.

Outsourcing is the solution allowing you to provide a qualitative and cost-effective legal service by taking care of tedious and mundane tasks (reviewing documents, drafting contracts, etc.). In return, it allows in-house legal teams to focus on more important tasks.

In 2022, the global legal process outsourcing market was worth USD 10.77 billion. The forecast is positive, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.9% from 2022 to 2030 according to Grand View Research 2022.

Contact us now!

How can we help you at ProContact? Outsourcing is our business and we offer a wide range of services:

• Telephone reception
• Remote secretary services
• Polls, surveys, satisfaction studies
• Remote marketing and prospecting (appointment setting, prospecting…)
• Qualification of files
• Management and enrichment of databases
• Customer loyalty
• Technical assistance (hotline, webhelp, technical support)
• After-sales service, customer service
• B2B / B2C prospecting
• Customer relations;
• CRM tool and software;
• Satisfaction surveys;
• Human resources;
• Digital outsourcing
• And others.

At ProContact, we work closely with you to include outsourcing in your business strategy. We offer you an immediate and unprecedented adaptation of your way of working thanks to the arrival of resources located elsewhere, without losing time, money or quality.

ProContact is more than a contact centre. Thanks to trained, qualified, hand-picked, multilingual agents, we enable the companies that choose us to gain credibility and above all to satisfy their customers, whatever the situation and in complete transparency.

Outsourcing has become a tangible and concrete business strategy for the development of the company. To find out more about our services and for a quality partnership, click on our contact form, send us an e-mail or call us on (+33) 1 77 75 04 50.

Many companies have been preparing for the year 2023 for several months now. Amongst the key questions, one question stands out: is it better to start this new year by outsourcing certain projects or to favour internal expertise? The latter solution is naturally more reassuring, giving the impression of having better control, since all the material is there. But is insourcing really the best strategy for dealing with the competition?

If your company is still thinking about it, ProContact explains why outsourcing is the answer to all the problems that may arise with insourcing.

Outsourcing in 2022: What are the results?

Here are 3 statistics that speak for themselves, compiled by the site www.founderjar.com :

45% of companies have planned to increase outsourcing since the start of the COVID19 pandemic due to a lack of in-house skills (source NTT) – Since the start of the COVID19 pandemic, many companies around the world have seen a growing need to improve and optimise their workplace, as well as attract talent and new skills.

One study found that 48% of companies knew they needed to modernise their working environment because of the pandemic, while 45% of global companies said they planned to outsource more work for the same reason.

The study also indicates that much of the effort previously spent on outsourcing activities will be redirected to finding more professionals with technical skills.

For 70% of companies cost reduction is the main reason for outsourcing (Source Deloitte) – Outsourcing statistics show that the predominant reason companies choose to outsource is simply to reduce costs. Indeed, outsourcing actually helps to reduce overall company costs by significantly minimizing the costs that are normally associated with hiring internal staff. These include recruitment costs, various benefits and health insurance, depending on the employer and location.

62% of companies worldwide are looking to renegotiate their outsourcing terms and contracts (Source BCG) – Companies are still grappling with budgetary issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the market continues to grow and evolve exponentially. A study has revealed that up to 62% of companies are planning to renegotiate their outsourcing agreements and contracts. The report reveals that 59% of companies are looking to renegotiate the terms and conditions of outsourcing contracts, 56% of companies want to change the pricing structure and 48% of companies want to reinvent the current delivery model.

The obligations of the company today

Today’s companies must meet certain criteria in order to be able to position themselves against the competition, and thus earn money, to evolve and develop. Four obligations form the pillars of a company that lasts in the post-Covid era:

• Delivering a true customer experience – by creating the best results for its customers;
• Streamlining costs – intelligently resisting increasing pressure to improve margins and remain competitive.
• Complying with regulations and laws – remaining compliant in an ever-changing regulatory landscape.
• Equipping – implementing all available technological and operational capabilities to drive diversification and competitive advantage.

Internalisation in 2023?

Internal resources very often have to divide their attention by dealing with several, sometimes conflicting, projects. All this to say that this strategy can fall victim to many limitations:

• Lack of the latest technology;
• Existing system constraints;
• Poor allocation of internal resources;
• A constantly deteriorating user experience;
• Poor analysis and understanding of customer needs;
• Constantly changing regulations.

It is impossible to win tomorrow’s customers with yesterday’s technology and strategies.

The benefits of outsourcing

To cut to the chase, outsourcing is a sound and reliable business strategy. It has repeatedly demonstrated its strength in enabling companies to:

• Significantly reduce expenses;
• Improve the customer experience;
• ;Unlock new revenue streams;
• Explore new business models.

How does this solution help businesses to grow?

Outsourcing is no longer a foreign concept that companies are wary of. With a worldwide presence, it has proven its worth:

• Outsourcing is scalable and cost-effective;
• It challenges conventional ideas;
• Quick access to expertise not available locally or in-house;
• Trained staff to handle a wide range of tasks;
• Allows for sharing of responsibilities and risks.

Get in touch with us!

How can we help you at ProContact? Outsourcing is our business, with a wide range of services:

• Telephone reception
• Remote secretary services
• Polls, surveys, satisfaction studies
• Remote marketing and prospecting (making appointments, prospecting, etc.)

Outsourcing should not be seen as a difficult task, but as a step in the development of the company and the evolution of its employees. Even today, despite its proven track record, the BPO sector suffers from the misperception that it is a job killer. As a result, when outsourcing is mentioned, it is not uncommon for a feeling of demotivation and fear to set in among internal resources. Here’s how to avoid this possibility.

The impact of outsourcing on employee motivation

If there is a lack of transparency, even though outsourcing is unlikely to affect the smooth running of certain tasks and responsibilities, employees may lose “faith” in their company. They are even more likely to apply for jobs with competitors or even to change career path.

Whether it’s for entry-level or management positions, it’s only natural that employees show genuine fear for their future with the company when outsourcing is mentioned. This is even more true for small and medium sized companies in the current global recession.

What tasks can the company outsource?

The range of tasks that can be outsourced is vast. At ProContact, our services are as follows:

• Telephone reception;
• Remote secretary services;
• Polls, surveys, satisfaction studies;
• Remote marketing and remote prospecting (appointment setting, prospecting…);
• Qualification of files;
• Management and enrichment of databases;
• Customer loyalty;
• Technical assistance (hotline, web help, technical support);
• After-sales service, customer service;
• B2B / B2C prospecting;
• Remote secretary services;
• Customer relations;
• CRM tool and software;
• Satisfaction surveys;
• Human resources;
• Digital outsourcing;
• etc.

For the most complete coverage of your needs, count on our Digital Service to meet your needs in:

• Maintenance / redesign of websites;
• Management of e-commerce or social networks;
• Processing of files;
• Design & graphic design;
• Or content creation.

The importance of preparing internal resources for outsourcing

For its success, outsourcing must be a complete project which also implies being able to take into account internal resources. The latter must adhere to this step in order to ensure the success of the entire process.

But how do you present such a project to people who fear for their jobs, their salaries or their evolution within the company? Here are some concrete actions that can be quickly implemented.

Outsourcing has many advantages for them

Outsourcing is more than a solution that consists in delegating part of the tasks that were previously performed by the company’s internal resources. By choosing this strategy, the employer offers them an environment that is conducive to personal and professional development:

• By reducing their workload;
• By optimizing the distribution of work;
• By reducing the level of stress at work;
• By offering them a better balance between professional and private life.

Introduce both parties
Once the outsourcing process is underway, organize a formal meeting during which both teams, the internal and the external, will have sufficient time to exchange and get to know each other.

Unless a physical meeting is possible between the two teams, consider the many easy-to-use meeting apps.

Organize joint projects

Outsourcing is a partnership between a company, its teams, its provider and their agents. And partnership means collaboration. What could be better than collaborative projects so that employees from each party can get to know each other? This strategy also helps calibrate workload distribution.

Build team spirit and encourage effort

Team spirit is more than ever the cornerstone of an outsourcing project. The idea is that internal resources, but also external ones, feel comfortable while developing stronger and stronger bonds. Don’t hesitate to organize occasional events that go slightly outside the professional framework in order to ease tensions.

Integrate outsourced agents into your organization

Integration rhymes with outsourcing. Indeed, for a successful, sustainable and serious outsourcing project, it is essential that you, as the sponsor, make every effort to make your outsourced agents feel at ease. They have been hired not as a separate element, but as an extension of your company. As such, they should be treated with the same regard as your internal resources.

Moreover, make sure that the message gets through to your on-site teams!

Outsourcing, a winning solution for the company and its employees

When handled responsibly, thoughtfully and humanely, outsourcing is more than a service for the company. It is a benefit that must also extend to employees. By focusing on communication, this step will only be positive and profitable.

In conclusion

Communication is undoubtedly the main element of a successful outsourcing. Indeed, as a company, you have the duty to do everything to reassure your internal resources so that they can in turn implement their know-how and participate in the progress of your project.

If the idea of talking about outsourcing to your teams intimidates you, keep in mind that silence risks losing their trust and loyalty to you, the employer, and therefore directly to the company.

Contact us!

Outsourcing has become a tangible and concrete business strategy for company development and ProContact is one of the major players in this sector in the region. Outsourcing is our business: count on us to help you plan, set your objectives and targets! At ProContact, we work closely with you to include this solution in your business strategy. We can offer you an unprecedented adaptation of your way of working thanks to the arrival of resources located elsewhere, without losing time, money or quality.

To find out more about our services, click on our contact form, send us an e-mail or call us on (+33) 1 77 75 04 50.

Customer service. What is it all about? How important is it to the development and success of a company? How can outsourcing help your company deliver modern customer service in line with the expectations of our times? Below are our answers to all these essential questions.

What is customer service?

The term “customer service” covers all direct and individual interaction between the company and a customer, both before and after the purchase. The company is supposed to offer each customer the assistance they need to buy from them with confidence and ensure they get full value from their purchase.

Customer service completes the customer experience!

The customer experience is the result of the interactions between a person and a company, its brand. It starts from awareness to purchase and every step in between. In short, the customer experience, or CX in the jargon, expresses the global perception that customers have towards a company and its brand.

Customer experience is made up of a myriad of small, interconnected elements:

• Customer service quality;
• The advertising;
• Packaging;
• Product and service features;
• Ease of use and reliability;
• Website navigation.

All of these factors have an inevitable impact on the customer’s perception and decision to return…or not. It is therefore vital for the company to be careful about the customer experience it wants to offer, in order to convert and build loyalty.

How can you do this, when you know that customer service is expensive and difficult to manage? Thanks to outsourcing! With ProContact!

As specialists in customer service outsourcing, we have concrete solutions for finding new customers:

• Multi-channel prospecting,
• Market research,
• Lead generation,
• Quotation management,
• Order taking,
• Remote sales in B2B or B2C

But also to develop the loyalty of your current customers:

• Regular and multi-channel contact
• Quality service
• Active listening

Choose outsourcing if you are looking for a solution to improve your reputation and your employer image. With a better employer brand, your customers will be more loyal and your prospects will find it easier to trust you.

A portrait of the modern customer

In a blog post entitled “7 characteristics of the modern customer”, Oracle, the world’s largest database company, paints a picture of today’s customers. In a nutshell, they have some very specific characteristics:

• Customers want the top treatment. They control the experience they want; they search, explore and share.
• Customers are ALWAYS connected, 24/7, on any internet-enabled device.
• Customers expect personal interactions. 3 out of 5 consumers are likely to buy from a company that has personalized their experience. (Movable Ink)
• Customers don’t like to wait for the items they want. When U.S. consumers were faced with an out-of-stock situation, only 13% waited for the item to be back in stock, while 39% switched brands or products and 32% switched retailers altogether. (McKinsey)
• Customers trust influencers over brands. 43% of Gen Z consumers rely on influencers more than brands to learn how to use a product or service. (Oracle and CRM Essentials)
• -Customers care about sustainability. 65% of consumers want brands that are environmentally friendly and invest in sustainability. (Accenture)
• Customers have a very strong opinion. And they are 5.1 times more likely to recommend a brand after having a positive customer experience. (Qualtrics)

Let’s add to that:

• That they take the time to learn about the companies they are interested in, the industry and their events;
• They want to find solutions first and foremost;
• They are acquainted with other customers;
• They are connected to various devices and communication channels;
• They always have an opinion, usually very strong;
• They show a real desire for self-sufficiency;
• They don’t hesitate to criticize competitors’ customer experiences;
• They expect companies to be proactive.

Portrait of the modern customer service sector

Reading the many points above, it is in a company’s best interest to take care of its customer service, which can be difficult when skills, expertise, tools and resources are lacking internally. This is where outsourcing becomes a concrete solution, a powerful business strategy, provided that it is in line with customer expectations. How do you do this?

By having all the expected problem-solving skills

The customer service department must ensure that each customer is satisfied, which requires dealing with a complex set of questions and problems to find a satisfactory and concrete solution.

By having clear communication

How to communicate clearly and what is clear communication? It is the ability to put yourself in the client’s shoes and use concise explanations to reach a solution as quickly as possible. And more importantly, this applies to internal communication as well!

Displaying a friendly attitude

The modern customer does not like to talk to a robot and be a mere reference! Authenticity is the secret to show the customer that he really matters to the company.

By showing empathy

The customer service department must understand the frustrations of its customers in order to offer them the right solutions. Empathy helps to alleviate frustration and preserve the brand’s reputation.

By having a good business acumen

Of course, customer service doesn’t have to do the work of the sales department, but the reality is a bit more complex than that! By solving a customer’s problem and being their advocate, customer service is at the same time representing the commercial interests of your company.

By having a genuine knowledge of the product/service

Customer service must know the ins and outs of any product or service they represent. How can you reassure a customer who finds himself on the phone with an interlocutor unable to identify his problem?

By having good time management

A customer service department must naturally deal with several customers at the same time. For a concrete result, it must be organized and have excellent time management skills.