Communication is a two way process

Information is a one-way process

Four important factors of Telephone Customer Service.

Customer service is essential in tele-selling.

No one likes to be sold something by someone with the ‘gift of the gab’. They may come across as flippant and uncaring. We like to feel that the sales person cares about our needs and is looking to satisfy them with their products. Our customers pay extra attention to the  four factors below, to compensate for not being able to see what’s going on:

• promptness – How quickly we can resolve the customer’s current problem; managing the customer’s expectations by giving deadlines of delivery and ease of service.

• courtesy  - Being polite and treating the caller as a valued customer; giving reasons for all actions/instructions and using courtesy language; please, thank you etc.

•  organisation – Having sufficient product knowledge to deal effectively with the customer’s questions and queries or complaint.

•  helpfulness – Showing a willingness to deal with/resolve any issues the customer voices. To quickly produce actions that satisfy not confuse. A pleasant, helpful tone of voice of voice is very important to show the customer that you wish to help them.

PLANNING THE CALL - THE FIRST CALL

Call planning prior to the sales call is more than halfway to achieving a satisfactory outcome. Never attempt to phone a client for the first time until you have spent time preparing what you are likely to say and how you will deal with them.  

When preparing for sales, if you ask yourself; “What do I want and how will I get it?” and “What do they need and what can I offer to still get what I want?”, you’ll have a great basis for your plan and strategy. The questions below are designed to give you a working checklist prior to making the phone call. Using them will prepare you for your negotiations and increase your chances of success.

PLANNING THE CALL – CALL BACKS

You’ve called the customer, presented your sales strategy, sent them some sales information and now you’re calling them back in the hope of completing the sale. Most call backs are wasted because no planning or strategy was used for the call-back.

If you’re only strategy is to call and say, “Hi, did you get the information I sent to you?” then you run the risk of not closing the sale at all. You must have something to say to the customer on every call; bland statements or closed questions will not get you far.  Forming a mental strategy allows you to take and to keep control when you are speaking to the customer. The strategy focuses around having answers to the following before you call the customer:

PLANNING THE WHOLE CALL – STRATEGIC

INTRODUCTION

(The introduction verifies you have reached the right contact and provides the customer with your name, your company name, and the purpose of the call. Try to gain the customer’s interest with an attention-grabbing statement of purpose.)

QUESTIONS

(Questions help transition from the introduction to the recommendation. Use open-ended questions to keep the conversation moving, determine needs, and involve the customer in the call.)

RECOMMENDATION

(Explain what you are presenting and how it benefits the customer. Remember, customers buy benefits, not features. Tell the customer how your product or service makes life easier/ cuts costs/ increases revenue etc.)

POTENTIAL OBJECTIONS

(Anticipate possible customer responses or objections. These help you respond quickly and move on to the close. Include as many potential objections as possible. If necessary, list them on a separate page.)

CLOSE

(Finish the call by asking for the order—whether that is a purchase or a meeting. Use one of many sales techniques, such as: assume the customer wants to order, offer alternative ways to say yes; or just be direct.)

FOLLOW UP

(Ensure you fulfil on the promises made and ensure both parties understand what they have agreed who will do what and what time scales have been established.)

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