Sunday, March 29, 2009

Advice from Call Center Training Consultants

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 a snappy and catchy slogan or claim. Speak for thirty seconds on the product benefits and then ask the caller to respond in some way. This keeps them involved, not just zoned out. Start the call with "Have you heard about the Widget from any of your friends yet? We were mentioned in the news recently and I just wondered if you had seen usThe purpose of my call is basically to familiarize you with this new widget and see if it might be a good fit for you.." This is exactly what you will hear during call center training workshops. The biggest task is piquing their interest without giving away too much. If a customer is really interested right away, he or she may drill you for hours on the minutia that ultimately never sells anything. But if you know this customer's social style, which is probably highly analytic, you'll know that by appealing to this person's intellect and pride, in some cases, is usually the best approach to closing any deal, according to most customer service training experts.

Presenting alternative choices always gets better results, so always wrap up every call with an Alternate Choice Close. To ask for an appointment, say something to the effect of , "What's better for you, morning or mid-day? And would Thursday or Friday be good?" This prevents them from simply saying "NO". This is why call center training consultants recommend we always use open-ended questions, because limiting one's choices tends to aggravate most people. Show that you are considerate of their time and you appreciate the thought they are giving the matter by assuming that they are, in fact, giving the matter some thought. Customer service training from the pro's will help your personnel drastically improve the firm's top-line results.

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_____?"

Also, know what kind of aura you give off during a call. Good customer service training would have us sound professional and poised. Remember the caller's first name, surname and any nickname they like to be called. Don't forget to take good care of your throat. Call center training experts agree that regular phone usage at work and home can damage the neck, so exercise your neck regularly. Drink water with no ice, (as cold water can constrict the vocal chords), breath from your diaphragm, avoid dairy and heavy meals before calling, and most importantly, be sure to smile. Be positive and speak tad louder than normal, more clearly and a bit faster. Prospects will welcome enthusiasm, energy and positivity.

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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