วันอาทิตย์ที่ 29 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

Improving your Phone skills with Call Center Training

By Tyson Daniel

Do you know what a dial is worth to your business? Would you like to improve your dial to scheduled ratio? Do you feel you could sell more if you could see more prospects? The telephone for most of us is where it happens. If we have difficulty selling the appointment, we may never have the opportunity to tell how great our product is for the prospect. You have a line between you and that prospect, and you better be "equipped" when a live one answers. With the appropriate Call Center Training and Customer Service Training, you can handle the obstacles and objections that are stopping your business from achieving its full potential. Here are some pointers that can improve your dialed to scheduled ratio:

Most importantly, have a purpose when you call. Know the highlights of the product, but don't delve into the minutia. Most call center training experts will tell you that the objective of any first contact should be to introduce yourself, the company, the product and ask for a follow up call. However, many businesses hear their rep's inundating callers with so much detail-oriented "stuff", it oftentimes scares them off. Just sell the next appointment. After the greeting, have a purpose. Most call center training research indicates that people lose interest after a few seconds. So, keep it brief, polite, and to the point. Anyone who has been enrolled in any customer service training of any repute knows that most any call should begin, "Hello, the purpose of my call is"

Have some sizzle in your pitch, a big fat claim. This is typically called a 30 second commercial, which is approximately 16-20 words, and it has to be compelling enough that they want to see you. In other words, start out "The purpose of my call today is to ask the opportunity to show you our new product that does this and that and saves you such and such." This is precisely that sort of advice you can expect to hear during any call center training workshop, and it usually makes the difference between a good business model and a bad one. You need only pique their interest. Of course, you'll find this difficult without a good product, so that's first and foremost. Next you'll need to supplement it with excellent customer service which comes only through rigorous customer service training.

Finish the call using an Alternate Choice Close. When requesting an appointment, call center training tells us it's best to offer alternative times, i.e., "Are mornings or afternoons usually better for you? What's better Wednesday at 9am or Thursday at 3pm?" This trick puts you in control of the call while offering options that prevent the "I'm too busy" Whatever you do, do not limit their choices. However, presenting too few choices can scare them off as well. Present a few options, then say something like "If neither of those times work for you, is there a better day?" Customer service training from professionals will help your employees present your company in the best possible light by using these time-tested techniques.

Defer the Objection and be prepared for resistance: Know how to handle objections and tell them you will take that into consideration when you get together. The prospect will give you answers to questions you did not ask! Call center training experts agree that the best way to handle objections is to present options and, in a sense, make assumptions. You are not asking for a meeting. You are assuming that you will have a meeting, and you'd like to when is best. Again, this technique follows from what most experts agree is the best way to defer objections and ultimately get the most out of the customer service training you have spent potentially hundreds if not thousands on, during on-site training. Your statement might be something like, "I understand your concern, other clients use the same system you have, and I will take that into consideration, (name) when we get together, when would be a good time to get together, Thursday at ___ or_____?"

Attitude. Is yours poor? How do customers react to your voice? Remember, they can hear when you're smiling and when you're frowning. Another important point to consider is the volume and tenor of your voice. If you're a bossa profundo, you could be intimidating customers. If you're a castrato, you could be annoying some customers. Whatever the case may be, just recognize when you need more or less bass in your voice. Good customer service training tells us to sound poised and professional. Always remember a prospect's nickname. Take good care of your voice. Call center training experts know regular phone users have frequent aches in their necks and throats, so get exercise and NO ice with drinks, as it can constrict your voice. And most importantly, BREATHE. Have you ever spoken with a telemarketer that couldn't stop to take a breath because they were too worried about you hanging up on them? And what did you do? Hang up. Use a confident pace.

And any experienced call center training professional will tell you that you must get "to" the Gatekeeper vs. "past" the Gatekeeper. Too often sales rep's try to get past the gatekeeper. Make them your ally. Get their name. Ask for that gatekeeper on the second try, and ask them when you should try back. Chances are they're more likely to remember you, and if you can leave a good impression, this can only open up the lines of communication. They may even recommend you the next time their tasked with a project by their manager. Hopefully these customer service training tips can make your calling time more productive and your bottom line results more profitable.

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