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Selling Sales to Customer Service Agents
The Sales Stigma
Somewhere along the way sales got a bad rap. I'm sure all of us
can relate to having dealt with a salesperson that made us
uncomfortable, pressured us into making a decision, or even
mislead us about the product or service.
We have all survived a contract we didn't want or have things in
our house that we were lured into buying only to be disappointed
in their performance or usability.
However, some of us may be able to recall a good sales
experience in which a conscientious salesperson made us feel
positive about our purchase. In these instances, customer
service made all the difference. During a good sales experience,
I feel as though the salesperson really listened to me,
understood my needs and provided a solution that would satisfy
those needs. Great customer service skills really drive an
outstanding sales experience and that is an invaluable trait to
pass on to your Call Center customer service representatives.
The Customer Service Challenge
As the needs of the Call Center industry change and our customer
service representatives are required to take on more tasks and
responsibilities, they also find themselves in the position to
sell more products or services Initiating this behavior can be a
challenge for those who feel threatened buy the sales process.
Sometimes, representatives are uncomfortable with positioning
sales to customers who have called in for other issues. They
fall victim to the sales stigma - that the customer will assume
they are offering something that is not needed or that will not
be useful. But it is the manager's responsibility to help
representatives understand that great customer service includes
an additional sales offer.
Customer Service Sales
Providing great customer service is about listening to the
customer's problem, investigating the source of their problem,
offering solutions and sometimes even providing solutions the
customer did not realize were available. Let me share an example
of a great customer service sale I encountered a few weeks ago
with my cellular phone provider.
I received my cell phone bill several months ago only to be
shocked by the charges. I have exceeded my plan to the tune of
over $200. Realizing that I was probably going to continue to
overspend I called my cell phone providers customer service line
to discuss a plan change and other options. Once the agent had
listened to my complaint and pulled up my account she was able
to make several recommendations about my cell phone plan. She
noticed that I exceeded my minutes by hours and suggested that I
move to a plan that left me with more minutes than I had used at
my highest usage rate. She also noticed that a bulk of my calls
were placed between 7and 9pm and recommended that for a nominal
charge per month, I could start my free evening minutes at 7pm,
which would further save on overage fees.
The customer service representative sold me additional services
because she listened to my problem and offered a solution based
on my needs and
usage patterns. She also was able to offer
information about other products and services that the company
provided because she had built rapport by addressing my basic
needs first. My customer service sales experience with this
provider not only resulted in satisfying my needs, but also
engendered my customer loyalty. The customer service agent was
able to make the sale because she did what great customer
service agents do. She listened and provided a solution.
Customer Service Skills vs. Sales Skills
Effective customer service representatives and sale people may
not realize it, but they share several skills.
Customer Service Skills -- Sales Skills
Listening Listening
Patience Patience
Attention to detail Attention to detail
Problem solving Problem solving
Effective communication Effective communication
Empathy Empathy
Handling difficult customers Overcoming objections
Although their skills are similar, they are used in different
formats and under varying circumstances. Helping customer
service representatives understand what skills they already
possess and how to use them to navigate effective sales is an
essential step in reassuring them that sales doesn't have to be
uncomfortable, dishonest or aggressive.
Building new attitudes
Call Center managers can help representatives enhance skills and
improve comfort levels to ensure success in customer service
sales. As managers, we can adopt the following techniques when
coaching our representatives.
* Help them see that the customer service skills they already
possess are transferable to the sales process.
* Provide them with "cheat sheets" and lists that link products
and services to common problems.
* Give them opportunities to role play and practice the new
behaviors you want them to develop.
* Monitor them one on one and model effective offers for them.
* Provide consistent feedback on how they are doing.
Wow! Customer Service Sale
Helping your representatives become effective at offering
additional products and services can create Wow! Customer
Service. When representatives really listen to the customer,
they can solve their problems, offer solutions that your
customers may not be aware of and create a rapport that will
facilitate long-term customer loyalty. You will build the
confidence of your customer service agents in their customer
interactions and create a flexible workforce that will be able
to face the challenges of the changing work environment. Now
that is Wow Customer Service!
About the author:
Carole Sue Jones is a contributing writer for Interactive
Quality Solutions. She is a training and instructional design
professional with a strong focus on management development. If
you are interested in reading more of Carole's articles please
visit http://www.callcentercafe.com and
http://www.righttolead.com.
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