Let me share a secret with you. Being a trainer is a fantastic job. You stand in front of a room of people and you make a difference to their lives. You become their hero as you walk them away from difficult circumstances that they might be encountering everyday, and hopefully in the process entertain them as well. What more could you want. Well in short nothing. It is the dream job.

But, within that same secret there are times when things do not go so well. Times where just one individual in the room can shake you to the core, and make all your plans, exercises and humorous and well placed quotes seem….well…..just rubbish. Fingers crossed you may be reading this now, and thinking I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. But one day without notice you will see the light, and in a conference room or boardroom somewhere, discover what all trainers have discovered.

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Want to improve your call center’s sales results? Here are the 12 best practices of high selling call centers

Clearly communicate sales targets:

• Set expectations: Communicate sales objectives on a daily basis so your Agents know exactly what is expected of them.
• Provide feedback: Post daily sales results at each Agent’s desk or on-line so they know how they are performing versus expectations.
• Spot trends: Analyze results per Agent and, per product, to determine trends. Use these trends to coach your team to higher performance.

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Many different theories and training modules exist in Call Centers and other Sales Businesses to improve sales performance.  If you are in the business of growth, cutting edge tools and training to improve these results is critical to the success of your employees and your organization.

Over the years I have been through many training sessions to improve sales, including:

• Directional Selling:  using Customer input and feedback to guide and direct sales process
• Negotiating to YES:  turning a Customer’s pain point into a YES using Negotiation skills
• Pressure Sales:  applying pressure to Customer via assumptions and word technique
• Feature / Benefit Sales:  using features and benefits of product to sell itself

Many of these sessions concentrate on “conversational transition points” during interaction with customers; when to listen and when to talk, and when to close the sale.

Transition points in Customer Conversations are extremely important during sales efforts and can be the “make or break” point in the sales process.  Typically, customer interaction differs from one sales call to the next, so transition points can be difficult unless you have the skills to react quickly and effectively.  Below are some common transition tips used during service and sales calls to improve the outcome.

• Empathy Transition:  putting yourself in the Customers situation
• Apologetic Transition:  using, “I am so sorry for …”  to move the conversation forward
• “Lead in” Transition:  using what the customer is saying to transition to next point

All of these sales and transition techniques, theories, and tools are important to the outcome that each sales person wants… more sales and more money.  But if you could simplify the Sales pitch and use the same strategies over and over again… successfully… would you?  I think you would.

I have found during my time in Call Center Service and Sales that simplification of words and phrases used on the phone are good for the Customer and the Employee.  The most effective transitions and sales techniques I have used and seen in action are, “The 3 F transition” and the “Closing POWER of “Okay”.  Let me explain.

More often than not, Call Centers and Customer Service locations are being asked to incorporate Sales efforts into each and every call they take or make.  This is being done to improve overall growth for an organization, by taking advantage of every Customer Touch Point.

The “3 F” transition and the use of the word “Okay” can be universally used on any type of phone call handled within your organization.

The “3 F” transition is simple.

• FEEL:  “I understand how you FEEL…”
• FELT:  “Many of our happiest customers initially FELT the same way…”
• FOUND:  “What they have FOUND is that…”

Angry and happy customers alike cannot resist the FEEL, FELT, FOUND transition.  Customers appreciate the fact that you understand the feeling they are going through.  Customers also appreciate honesty, and that other customers may have felt or experienced the same thing they are going through.  Customers also like to hear what others have found to work.   This is especially effective if you can relate a specific example.

Once you have mastered the transition and re-gained control of the conversation, it is now time to lead the call to closure, and the ultimate objective… a new SALE.  Whether you are working to resolve a problem the customer has, taking a call about a new product, or just a shopping inquiry, the customer has called, and you now have the most powerful tool available to you in sales… the word “OKAY”.

People respond to “Okay” with an “Okay” over 65% of the time.  The objective of any sales pitch is to get customer agreement.  The word “okay” is agreement, or at least the start of an agreement.  Just try it…

“Mr. / Ms. Customer… thank you so much for inquiry today, I am very happy we were able to answer your questions.  With that in mind, I’d like to start your services today, Okay!?”

Now, try it all together…

“Certainly, Mr. / Ms. Customer… I understand how you FEEL about that… Believe it or not, many of our happiest and most satisfied Customers initially FELT the same way.  Many of them have FOUND that …. Explanation / Resolution / Feature / Benefit … so, with that said, I believe you will be extremely satisfied with our services.  Let’s get your services started today, Okay!?”

By using the transition, acknowledging the issue or question, affirming the customers understanding, fear, or hesitation, and leading yourself to call closure can be used in this format over and over again… for any situation.  The key is not to sound robotic and give the transition a personal touch.

When used correctly, the “3 F” transition and the “closing POWER of Okay” are powerful tools.  Organizations are all looking for ways to grow effectively and efficiently.  The power of words, is a key part of getting customers on board with your product and your pitch!

Always remember, the delivery of such words must be practiced!  Using words and phrases you may not be comfortable with initially may seem awkward and intimidating.  Practice on a friend or family member, practice in the mirror at home, or a coworker / supervisor.

Your ability to transition and close will make all the difference in your sales performance!

Most likely your center has changed their model to this or are moving in this direction.  No matter the case, this article falls under the Call Center Best Practices category.

Please comment at the end of this article with your thoughts…

Call Center Sales – Best Practices
By Mike Aoki

Want to improve your call center’s sales results? Here are the 12 best practices of high selling call centers

Clearly communicate sales targets:

• Set expectations: Communicate sales objectives on a daily basis so your Agents know exactly what is expected of them.
• Provide feedback: Post daily sales results at each Agent’s desk or on-line so they know how they are performing versus expectations.
• Spot trends: Analyze results per Agent and, per product, to determine trends. Use these trends to coach your team to higher performance.

Train your call center Agents on how to sell:

• Hold sales skills workshops: Having good customer service skills isn’t enough. They need to attend a call center sales workshop so they can learn how to upsell and right size client accounts.
• Conduct product knowledge training: During team meetings, have each call center Agent take turns doing a five minute presentation on the key selling benefits of a product.
• Distribute current competitive information: Train your Agents on how your products and services compare to your competitors. Provide them with solid answers they can use when a client says, “But your competitor offers…”

Provide a “big picture” perspective for your Agents:

• Key Business Indicators: Ensure your Agents understand how their performance impacts your department, your company and its customers.

Motivate your call center Agents:

• Rewards and recognition: Give out out prizes for “Most Improved Performer” or “Top Ten Salespeople.” The rewards can be food, movie passes or company branded items like mugs or caps.
• Motivational ideas: Use one idea per week from an employee motivation book like “1,001 Ways to Reward Employees” by Bob Nelson and Ken Blanchard to encourage your team.
• Post a “Wall of Fame”: Show photos of the top sales Agent for each product. Beneath each photo, have that Agent share their best sales tips on how to sell that particular product.

Constantly reinforce your team’s sales performance:

• Share best practices: Discuss sales tips at every team meeting, shift huddle and one-on-one coaching session.
• Send out a “Sales Tip of the Day” to your Agents: Ask your top-selling Agents to write the tips so they get public recognition.

Use these 12 tips to improve your call center’s up-selling and rightsizing performance. Ensure your Agents understand how their performance impacts your department, your company and its customers.

© 2008 Reflective Keynotes Inc., Toronto, Canada

Mike Aoki is a corporate trainer and motivational speaker with 20 years of experience in the telecom industry. For more free tips on public speaking, sales and call center techniques, visit http://www.reflectivekeynotes.com/articles.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Aoki
http://EzineArticles.com/?Call-Center-Sales—Best-Practices&id=1147689

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Customers don’t buy features – they buy BENEFITS. A FEATURE is something the product has, or a function it performs. A BENEFIT is what it does for the customer.

Customers buy BENEFITS – so try to to SELL them, because it’s BENEFITS that justify expenditure (of time, money, and effort).

For example: The handle on that mug on your desk is a FEATURE.

The BENEFIT is the ability to enjoy hot coffee without burning your hand.

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A now retired but well-respected sales trainer once said the three most important things to ensure a successful sale are: close,close, close.

There are numerous closing techniques with great names such as the Half Nelson, the Full Nelson, Puppy Dog Close and the Last Ditch Close. While it helps to have a catalogue of techniques to use in different situations knowing three basic methods will get you started.

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