Confidence is crucial when it comes to conducting a quality phone call and locking down an appointment. Your business’s professional image starts with the folks handling the phones.
Customers demand representatives who know what they’re talking about — ones who understand the home services issue at hand, offer up sensible solutions and make things happen quickly.
Here’s a checklist for staff to keep in mind as they build confidence and start to master phone calls.
Attitude is everything
Customers call your business to be taken care of and reassured. Make them feel comfortable straight away by encouraging staff to be upbeat. Depending on the severity of the issue, some callers may be stressed out.
Customers feel overwhelmed because they can’t fix a home issue themselves, and are scrambling to find someone who can. Train your agents to balance out customer stress with composure, as 70% of buying experiences are based on how customers feel.
Have your staff think positively and speak purposefully. Encourage them to take ownership of calls and steer things along.
Practice makes perfect
If your agents tend to stumble during certain parts of a conversation, encourage them to practice, practice, practice.
Whether you’re giving a book report or an inaugural address, it pays to put in some work and preparation beforehand. Here are some tips for your staff to employ:
•Have a staff member ring the front desk and act like a customer; simulation is the best way for an agent to get the practice and experience they need
•Set aside time during business hours each day for phone agents to partner up, and practice with one another.
•Tell staff to write out how they would respond to certain customer questions; not only do they now have notes ready to go, but writing things down helps with memory retention
•If your staff wants bonus points, tell them to practice in front of the mirror at home
Don't depend a script
Scripts don’t allow much wiggle room, and if somebody gets off track in the middle, that person may lose his or her composure. Instead, tell phone handlers to outline key points that'll help guide them through calls. Staff should only memorize particular parts of a standard script that suit their style, and would be easy to use with any customer.
Knowledge is power
When agents know the business’s service inside and out, they’ll feel better equipped to address each caller’s needs. Have them spend some time brushing up on product knowledge, pricing, scheduling policy and even the history of the business. Encourage them to ask questions whenever necessary.
When an agent is prepared, they can work through a call continuously. He or she won’t have to put a customer on hold to go discover information, and this means it’s more likely that the appointment will be secured.
Confidence helps not just with inbound, but outbound calls too. Read how your team can master the customer callback and save appointment opportunities.
Ross Wingo is a Content Marketer for Service Hook.