Improving Your Call Center’s Communication Skills
Your call center is the heartbeat of your entire company. If your call center doesn’t clearly represent your company in the best manner, the odds are you will struggle and fail to thrive within your industry.
When it comes to developing an inside sales strategy and effective call center, the #1 business advantage you can cultivate is communication between your calling reps and your clients. Without great communication between your call center and your customers, your sales team has no way of knowing what your customer wants – let alone how to give it to them!
The first step to building a team who specializes in communication is to stay positive. Telemarketers today are often treated nastily, which can lead them to react in a negative manner when dealing with clients and customers. Even when the customer is the one initiating the call, they expect to be treated in an upbeat and positive manner. Teach your staff how to stay positive and polite and watch your sales numbers soar!
People want to feel as if the person on the other end of the line really cares about them – and their needs – even if it is only a company representative they are talking to.
Listening too is very important, although it does seem to be a bit of a lost art these days. If you can teach your call center representatives to really listen – and care – about your callers, you’ll be at least one step ahead of your competition when it comes to building confidence with prospects. Listening can really help to make the sale, or at least keep a client interested in what you have to say; despite any concerns they may have.
Too often people think that good communication is all about the words we say – but it is much more than that. Communication is also about the tone we use when we speak; how fast or slow we talk; whether we feel rushed and make the person on the other end feel rushed; whether we seem interested; and so much more.
To help keep your staff sounding their best remind them to practice these basic communications skills:
Greeting clients and prospects warmly and enthusiastically. When manning a call center, phone representatives are faced with a lot of different personalities and problems. Maybe someone has a simple question; or maybe they are really angry about your product. Regardless of the situation. They must remain calm and level-headed, and treat the caller with warmth and enthusiasm. This will help the caller feel as if they are important to your company.
Listening with care to what is being said. Call center representatives must always be on guard not to assume they know the outcome of the call before getting all of the information they need. They may think this is the 100th call about a certain product or service, but the caller may be calling with an entirely new question or concern that needs to be addressed.
Acknowledge and Affirm what the caller is saying so that they know they are being heard and understood.
Summarize what has been said at the end of the call to avoid any misunderstandings later on.
Identify which products or services you believe can help the caller.
Communicate clearly and concisely. Operators should avoid using a lot of jargon that may make a caller feel as if you are simply making a sales pitch – even if that is exactly what you are doing.
Make Supportive Statements –they are usually better received
Apologize when necessary. Simply saying “I’m sorry…” may be all it takes to resolve an issue. Oftentimes, call center employees don’t want to admit they or the company may have been wrong, but a simple apology can make the difference between a disgruntled client and a happy one.
Provide accurate product and service information. Be sure every operator is giving out correct information and that they know where to turn should a question or concern arise that they do not know how to handle.
Be Respectful at all times. Working with a client or customer on the phone isn’t always easy, that is why it is so important to help equip your customer care representatives with the knowledge they need to represent your company in the positive way you want.
Keep your call centers working at peak capacity training your operators to handle any questions or concerns that may come along and you’ll be fast on your way to building communication and relationships with your clientele –and that will result in more business and bigger profits! For more info please Visit : www.insidesaleslab.com
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