Global giants call on North East contact centre thanks to Touchstone Leads

7th September, 2011

A telemarketing firm which specialises in delivering potentially lucrative leads to its clients has helped to bring a surge of corporate heavyweights – including companies in the travel, leisure, automotive and retail sectors – to the doorstep of a fellow North East firm.

Touchstone Leads, based in Shildon, County Durham, was enlisted by Sunderland company 2Touch to help the call centre operator grow its portfolio of clients.

Within the first few weeks of working with Touchstone, the Wearside firm was inundated with leads and enquiries from some of the most high-profile firms on the planet.

Touchstone secured over 80 leads for the company, with several being successfully used to set up meetings and potential new contracts for the Sunderland group.

Touchstone sets up key appointments which are likely to boost the sales of its clients but is somewhat unique in the marketplace given that it only bills clients for appointments on a pay by results basis.

Kevin Ireson, a former sales director of a large UK corporation, launched the business last year and it is already on target to reach annual turnover of £800,000 by the end of 2012.

He said: "We helped 2Touch secure appointments with a number of large blue-chip firms that were looking to outsource some of their call centre activity.

"We are continuing to experience a surge in demand for our services as more and more companies realise the value of leads with key decision makers that we can provide."

Steven Dole, sales manager of 2Touch, added: "We worked with Touchstone for two months - in that period they generated over 80 leads and we will be in discussions with a number of companies in the next few months as they prepare to place their work out to tender.

"All of the appointments were with decision makers that weren't necessarily aware of 2Touch previously, but now we're on their radar and we're looking forward to securing some big contracts."

Alongside 2Touch, Touchstone also counts HSBC, Santander, Ward Hadaway and Durham Business Group among its former and current clients.

Durham Business Group called in the services of Touchstone to help it place young apprentices into local employment and, after generating 20 leads, helped deliver a 50% conversion of meetings into placements.

For more information on Touchstone please visit: www.touchstoneleads.co.uk

Touchstone makes call on next stage of its growth

 A TELEMARKETING firm is on target to triple the size of its workforce and double turnover in the New Year after landing a string of contracts with corporate giants in its first 12 months in business.

Touchstone Leads, based in Shildon, County Durham, was launched almost a year ago by Kevin Ireson who decided to go it alone after spending over a decade working as head of sales at a large UK corporation.

The company was set up to generate key appointments for companies with potential clients that could help boost their sales.

It operates from the unique standpoint that it only bills clients for leads that meet their criteria – a factor which has proved popular with a number of heavyweight UK businesses.

In its first year the company has already won contracts with financial groups HSBC and Santander and northern legal giant Ward Hadaway, amongst other large firms.

The company currently employs five members of staff, but plans to take this up to 15 next year as it moves into larger premises to facilitate its expansion.

Meanwhile, annual turnover at the fast-growing firm is expected to climb from £250,000 this year to £500,000 by the end of 2011, reaching £800,000 in its third year in business.

Mr Ireson said: "One of the biggest frustrations I had in my former role as a head of new business sales was in finding a telemarketing company that was willing to back itself and only get paid on results so I needed to buck the trend.

"We specialise in making appointments that are guaranteed to meet client requirements and help get them in front of the right businesses.

"In the next five years I hope to become a large employer in the North East that is focused on helping businesses grow their sales and deliver results that will give an instant return."

Touchstone is a business-to-business telemarketing company which specialises in qualified appointment making with a combined 20 years of experience in the field within its workforce.

For more information go to www.touchstoneleads.co.uk.