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3c-online.co.uk | Issue 1 | Autumn 2015
Experience, ambition and pride
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ondon is an exciting place, full of ambitious people who are hungry for success, fun and a good salary. After 20-odd years in the telemarketing industry in Sweden, I knew when I met Thomas that this was a great chance to challenge people’s perception of what a call centre is. He knew London and had a great track record of running an international business with sales staff working towards Scandinavia and northern Europe, and I really wanted to think bigger than Sweden. We now have 25 employees in an office right next to the Shard in central London, and that figure is about to more than double. Our thing is not to be in the lowwage countries where it is all about sun and beer. London may offer plenty of fun and great pubs too, but more than anything it is full to the brim with ambition. We attract driven people who are proud to work in sales and will work really hard to provide great service in order to reach and exceed their targets. We are convinced that we are onto a winner. Read on to find out why.
Urban StĂĽhl, VD/CEO
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Full of energy, full of life TAKE YOUNG SALES PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS AND ADD STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY STRAIGHT FROM SWEDEN AND A MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY BASED ON MORE THAN 30 YEARS’ COMBINED EXPERIENCE IN DISTANCE SELLING, AND YOU GET A YOUNG, HARD-WORKING TEAM THAT CAN DELIVER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SALES TO ANY MARKET.
Make no mistake: the fact that our experience goes back decades says nothing of our state of mind. We are a young company with a youthful mentality. We know that we are nothing without our team of ambitious sales and customer service representatives, so we put them at the heart of what we do. The people who work for 3C Online like to have fun, and they like a good challenge. The buzz in our office is a lot like that of a night out in London: exciting, fun and electric. It is a work hard, play hard kind of thing, and that
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drive and ambition permeates everything we do. We believe that service and sales are two sides of the same coin when it comes to customer communication, and our promise to our clients is to bring more to the table than just end results. We offer combined outsourcing services in customer service and telemarketing, and by reporting back to you on the conversations we have with your customers, we can help you improve. Put simply, we make it our business to know your business.
“3C Online was created by people with an entrepreneurial spirit and personal drive. When you work with us, you will notice.”
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‘A bit like LEGO’ A PASSION FOR SALES, A DESIRE TO BUILD AND AN URGE TO PUT OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS TO THE TEST OF SCALE WERE WHAT BROUGHT THE TWO 3C ONLINE FOUNDERS TOGETHER. ONE YEAR ON, THE FRUIT OF THEIR LABOUR TAKES THE SHAPE OF A MODERN-DAY CALL CENTRE THAT BREATHES ENERGY, CREATIVITY AND OPTIMISM. Urban Ståhl, one of 3C Online’s two CEOs, started at Online Fulfillment in Sweden in 1996, just a few years after the company’s inception. Fast-forward to today, and he has dedicated the bones of two decades to building up the business to make it what it is today. “It’s a bit like with LEGO, it’s about the building process – that’s what I enjoy,” he says.
A few meetings later, the two entrepreneurs decided to join forces. “We realised early on that we had very similar thoughts on how to run a business,” says Winther. “A joint venture seemed like the best way forward, and it’s worked extremely well so far. So well, in fact, that we’ve decided to open up another office just around the corner with space for 60 staff.”
Ståhl met London-based Dane Thomas Winther, former PricewaterhouseCoopers economist turned sales entrepreneur, in 2014 and quickly realised that this would be the beginning of a fruitful partnership. “We wanted to scale up our systems and business cultureand look beyond Sweden, and Thomas not only had really valuable experince but also knew the London scene very well,” he says.
The London location gives the company an edge that is hard to come by in smaller university towns: whatever skills you need, you can find them here. Need sales staff with Scandinavian languages and an interest in fashion? No problem. Mature customer service representatives to help out a pensioner’s association? That too can be arranged. In addition, it makes for an inspiring, motivating place of work.“ People asso-
ciate call centres with huge, anonymous spaces with flourescent lighting where staff are like robots on minimum wage,” says Ståhl. “We’re the opposite of that. We’re not trying to be flashy or anything, but there’s a great chance for our employees to make a really good living, and our spaces breathe energy, creativity and optimism.” Distancing themselves from the idea of a call centre as a place for part-time work for students has been important to the CEOs. “That’s a whole different ball game,” says Winther. “You’re talking students who probably still live at home and turn up to do a few hours of work in the late afternoon. There’s nothing wrong with that, but being in London means that we can attract fantastic sales candidates who are here to make a career and who are passionate about sales.”
Where to from here? Read about the plans for the future on pp. 14-15.
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YOU REACH THE COBBLED STREETS OF BERMONDSEY BY TRAIN OR UNDERGROUND TO LONDON BRIDGE, WITH THE JUBILEE LINE TO BERMONDSEY’S OWN UNDERGROUND STATION, OR BY TRAIN TO SOUTH BERMONDSEY STATION. BERMONDSEY IS ONLY A SHORT STROLL AWAY FROM THE RIVER THAMES, TOWER BRIDGE, CITY HALL, BOROUGH MARKET AND MANY MORE OF LONDON’S RIVERSIDE SIGHTS.
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Bermondsey –
where artistic and commercial activity meet Boasting everything from antiques markets to Europe’s tallest skyscraper, The Shard, Bermondsey is an area steeped in history but full of promise. The old warehouses once used for riverside trading are one by one being transformed, giving the neighbourhood an undeniably chic yet edgy feel. Property prices have seen a steep increase in recent years and boutique hotels and gastro pubs are popping up everywhere. From the respected Monmouth Coffee House to the hip Brick Lane Coffee, there are more places than you could wish for serving up perfectly crafted flat whites along with freshly baked pastries and paleo treats. Perhaps more importantly, the area was recently described by the Guardian as a ‘foodie mecca’, and for good reason: many a restaurant award has been delivered to Bermondsey Street of late, with places such as Bermondsey Kitchen and José being popular with locals.
Bermondsey was recently described by The Guardian as a ‘foodie mecca’
On the days when the farmers’ markets and antiques markets are taking a rest, the Fashion and Textiles Museum provides a perfectly cool pastime, unless of course you opt to pop into one of the independent art galleries instead. Much like many of London’s other hip and increasingly affluent areas on the borders of less well-off neighbourhoods, Bermondsey is a place where artistic and commercial activity meet, making it a great place to work and an even better place to fraternise. 3C ONLINE | MAGAZINE
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Building bridges RIGHT AT THE POINT WHERE SERVICE MEETS SALES, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MAGIC TO HAPPEN. BY CREATING A FRUITFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR REAL DIALOGUE TO TAKE PLACE, WE BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN BRANDS AND THEIR CLIENTS AND HELP CREATE A RELATIONSHIP WHERE EVERYBODY WINS.
We have 20 years’ experience in the distance selling industry, and we know that sales and customer service are two sides of the same coin. When we say that we supply combined outsourcing services in customer service and telemarketing, developed from a unique combination of service and sales rhetoric and technology, what we mean is that we look after
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your customers in a way that is meaningful not just to you but also to them. How we do it? We get to know you just as well as we know ourselves to find the true benefits of your products and services for your customers. From there on in, the best customer service and the most profitable sale go hand in hand.
Customer service – because without them, you are nothing
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO AND HOW WELL YOU DO IT, YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS. WE LOOK AFTER THOSE WHO LOVE YOUR BRAND, TO ALLOW YOUR BUSINESS TO FLOURISH. The most important thing for a customer is to feel important and looked after. This means more than an email response or a person at the other endof the phone line. With 20 years’industry experience, we know how to meet customers’ expectations and build loyalty, making your existing customers more receptive to additional sales and likely to spread the word about your brand to their friends. As believers in dialogue, we look at customer service not just as a job to be done but as a crucial part of the journey to success. We make sure that every point of contact with your customers adds to their experience and reinforces your brand. This is why our customer service department is full of nothing but sales professionals: because when we build real relationships with your customers, your balance sheet will show.
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Online B2B –
support when you need it SOMETIMES LOOKING AFTER ESTABLISHED CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS WHILE SIMULTANOUSLY ATTENDING TO NEW ONES MAKES FOR A DIFFICULT TASK. WE ARE EXPERTS IN EVERY PART OF THE SALES PROCESS AND CAN GIVE YOU A HELPING HAND WITH WHATEVER YOU NEED, WHENEVER YOU NEED IT. When it comes to your products and services, you are the expert. When it comes to all aspects of the sales process, we are. Our vast experience of telemarketing and customer service, in addition to an ability to adapt to your strategic needs, means that we can provide support to maintain a seamless customer experience with maximised sales as a result.
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When you are busy working to improve the relationships with a few important established clients, our dedicated teams can take the initial sales process and targeted marketing campaigns off your hands to ease the load. From initial sales prospecting to closing, our uniquely designed sales methods based on scientific observations, years of experience and a sound understanding of complex B2B sales processes will make a world of difference, not least when it comes to sales margins.
Telemarketing –
adapting to how you work AFTER MORE THAN 40 MILLION CALLS, WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD TELEMARKETING CAMPAIGN AND A BAD ONE. MOST OFTEN, IT IS IN THE MESSAGE. WE WORK WITH YOU TO FINE-TUNE THE SALES MESSAGES THAT SUIT YOUR STRATEGY. THEN WE ADAPT. AND THEN WE PICK UP THE PHONE. Whether we are helping you with data selection, reporting or sales, we know that communication is key. We are flexible and agile enough to work your messages into our processes in order to deliver great results at the times and
in the cultural context required by each market. A carefully designed five-step strategy, based on our extensive experience, ensures that the right campaign can be carried out at the right time, every time.
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“The idea of scaling the business to apply our systems and methodologies to other countries and areas was always part of what excited me.” –
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URBAN STÅHL
The world is our OYSTER FROM THE MOMENT THE IDEA OF 3C ONLINE WAS BORN, THINKING BIG HAS BEEN AN INHERENT PART OF ITS VERY CREATURE. WITH EXPERIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FROM SWEDEN AND AN IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD IN LONDON, THE HORIZON IS ONE OF ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES. In just a year, 3C Online has gone from the ideas stage to a fully-fledged sales and telemarketing business, the number of employees more than doubling in early 2016. What the next step will be depends on what business opportunities arise, but the joint CEOs are keeping a keen eye on Germany. “The idea of scaling the business to apply our systems and methodologies to other countries and areas was always part of what excited me,” says Urban Ståhl. “London offers an abundance of advantages, and we’ve been able to operate with a turnover from day one here, but we’re absolutely open to the idea of doing the same thing all over again someplace else. If we get a handful of German clients, we’d simply recruit German speakers,
set up shop in Berlin and apply our expertise to that market.” That said, with the benefits of London including an almost unlimited pool of talented professionals who, in addition to having sales experience, speak any number of languages, moving the bricks-and-mortar office might not be necessary. Localisation as such is unimportant as long as you can find the right person for the job. “What’s great about the new London office is that it enables increased capacity development and opens the door to even more exciting contracts,” says Thomas Winther. “Whether those contracts take us to other parts of Europe and will eventually lead to further growth here in London, only time will tell.”
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‘It’s all about the journey that takes us there’ 3C ONLINE’S SALES MANAGER, MIKAEL SVENSSON, SHARES HIS TWO CENTS ON THE COMPANY’S SUCCESS. “We’re a young company that believes in having fun while performing. The buzz is competitive, focused and ambitious while at the same time leaving plenty of room for people to socialise. This is where you start a band and build relationships that will last even outside of the four walls of the office. Whether you’re looking to make friends for life or jumpstart your career, 3C Online is perfect for you. “What sets us apart is that we look more at performance than results – it’s about the journey that takes us there. Sales is a complex thing, and you can’t achieve great things if you don’t understand why the results sometimes aren’t as expected. We put a lot of time and effort into making sure that
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our staff are involved in their own development and get to follow it through loads of little details which then make up the full picture. “We’re young but hungry, and we are passionate about creating businessrelationships where both parties feel that the work is worthwhile. It is our mission to create added value for our clients, and years of experience in the telemarketing and customer service industry helps us help clients to create profitable campaigns. “The secret? A thriving, prosperous sales force that performs well over and over and over again.”
“We are passionate about creating business relationships where both parties feel that the work is worthwhile.” –
MIKAEL SVENSSON
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Hello Jonatan Isaksson – a word from the sales coach HOW’S LONDON, AND HOW IS 3C ONLINE SETTLING INTO THE BIG CITY?
We’ve managed to create a really good environment in the office – I think all employees would agree. Working with sales here is fun and interesting. We work with people who are used to helping themselves and be sociable, as they’ve actually taken the step to move to London, often on their own. This gives the whole company a feeling of ambition and gravitas that’s perhaps not associated with a traditional telemarketing place. WHAT DOES A SALES COACH DO, AND WHAT IMPORTANCE DOES THE JOB HAVE FOR AN ORGANISATION?
A sales coach has many roles. I can be anything from teaching simple sales techniques to inspiring people to think outside the box. At the heart of it, it’s all about teaching others to help themselves while always being there as a mainstay for the staff when they need it. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE 3C ONLINE’S STRENGTHS, FROM A SALES COACH’S POINT OF VIEW?
Our strength, first and foremost, is our amazing staff. Without them, we would be nowhere; they’re all demonstrating such 18 3C ONLINE | MAGAZINE
drive and commitment to helping the business move forward. If it wasn’t such a cliché, I’d describe us as one big family. AND WHAT ABOUT THE BENEFITS, FROM THE CLIENTS’ AND THE STAFF’S PERSPECTIVES RESPECTIVELY?
Our flexibility is definitely a key benefit to our clients We’re still a reasonably young company which means that we can work a lot with each client on creating a tailor-made approach to work that suits their needs. Rather than using fixed routines and schedules for everyone, we work whatever way suits each client best. That goes for our staff as well: we can adapt to each individual employee so that they get to work with what they do best, as opposed to entering a rigid system where everyone works exactly the same way. WHAT ELSE IS GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT 3C ONLINE?
Were incredibly straight-talking. As long as that is mutual and honesty makes the foundation for everything we do, we can collectively come up with great solutions to anything.
Work with us: what clients say
WE DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT BY REFLECTING, ASKING QUESTIONS AND PLACING TASKS IN A WIDER CONTEXT. HOW DOES IT SHOW? IN HAPPY CUSTOMERS.
“3C Online are great. They are professional, backed up by solid systems and quick to respond. They invest in training their people and are happy to do business in both Swedish and English. I’ve been particularly impressed that they are willing to also invest in a business area if at first the results are not as expected. If they believe they can make it work in the long-run, they will keep going.”
“Professional, backed up by solid systems and quick to respond.”
– GERRY KINGHAM, CEO AND PARTNER AT ÅRSTIDERNE
“They are dedicated to our collaboration and have an urge to succeed.”
“3C Online are dedicated to our collaboration. They have an urge to succeed and are always open to change and further development.” – KIM HAGLIND, SCANDINAVIAN SALES MANAGER AT SANA PHARMA
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Work for us:
what our staff say “When I moved to London with my boyfriend, I started working at 3C Online because I was missing that competitive environment of the sales office I used to work in during my studies in Sweden. Working at 3C Online is a mix of laughs, competition and togetherness, every day. Shared goals and rewards make for a unique team spirit, and being a part of the team here entails huge personal development as you really get to know yourself and subsequently learn how to deal with people from all walks of life.” - JOHANNA TANINGER
“If you’re young, sociable and ambitious, 3C Online a great place to work. Telemarketing is fun because your paycheck depends how much effort you put into it. A lot of people who come to London end up working in pubs and restaurants, often for minimum wage, but at 3C Online you earn more while also getting the opportunity to really build a career.” -
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MALTE NILSSON
“I started working in customer support for different call centres when I first moved to London, having worked for Online in Sweden previously, but I didn’t really like the atmosphere at the British companies. So when I heard that 3C Online was setting up a London office, I quit my job and went for it. In my experience, working at 3C Online is a lot less stressful and strict than other work places in the same industry where it’s all about deadlines and dresscodes and you are expected to work overtime a lot.” - JOAKIM DIDRICKSSON
“There’s a great atmosphere in the office. You start every day with a positive attitude, because no two days are the same and there are always new challenges and possibilities. This is a place where you grow both professionally and as a person.” - MARLENE BLOMWALL
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Our magic numbers
205,255
20
years of experience in developing telemarketing and customer service technology
customer dialogues had since day one
15
years of experience of coaching sales teams
16
number of restaurants and pubs on Bermondsey Street
10
number of sellers per sales coach
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1,460
100
distance in meters from the office to The Shard
average number of sunshine hours every year in London
14,085 sales made since the first call on 11 March 2015
All for one, one for all NO MAN IS AN ISLAND. WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT HERE AT 3C ONLINE. THAT IS WHY SOLIDARITY, LOYALTY AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY MAKE UP THE BACKBONE OF OUR OFFICE, ALONGSIDE PLENTY OF AMBITION AND A GOOD DOSE OF COMPETITIVENESS, OF COURSE.
3C Online was created by people with an entrepreneurial spirit and personal drive. We recognise these traits in our staff too and do everything we can to nurture them, but we are also keen believers in shared responsibility and a fun work environment as important ingredients of a successful sales effort. Much like we work in partnership with our clients, we work as a team in
the office – a team of hungry individuals who believe in themselves as much as they believe in what we do. The 3C Online team is young, outgoing and incredibly hardworking. This is the place for people who want to have fun while kickstarting their career in one of the world’s most exciting cities.
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3C ONLINE LTD WWW.3C-ONLINE.CO.UK 147 SNOWFIELDS, SE1 3TF LONDON E-MAIL: INFO@3C-ONLINE.CO.UK PHONE: +44 (0)870 933 0423