achieving telesales-success

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All rights reserved.

TELESALES REP TRAINING

ASSOCIATION OF

ALTERNATIVE NEWSWEEKLIESHilton Minneapolis - November 3, 2001

Mitchell LieberPresident - Lieber & Associates

Chicago, Illinois773-325-9400 [email protected]

Free TeleSales KnowledgeBurst Newsletter atwww.LieberAndAssociates.com

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Train the Trainer Session

• Make This Your Own

• The Big Picture

• Inbound Calls

• Outbound Calls

• Telephone Techniques for Both

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Section IThe Big Picture

WE’LL COVER...

• Call Center Mission

• How Should Callers Feel After They Have Called?

• Attitude

• Changing Your Mood to a Good One

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Call Center MissionOne Example

• Calls answered promptly and directly (no bouncing around)

• Knowledgeable and courteous

• Most requests handled in 1 call to 1 person

• No request requires follow-up calls from customers -- we call them with status reports on pending items

• Responsive to customer’s needs and requests

• Follow-up

• Teamwork

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How Should Callers Feel After

They Have Called?

• Valued• Helped• Better informed• Happier - having a better day

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Attitude

• Why is attitude so important?

• Positive attitude– Creator of sales, voice sound, word choice– Effect on customers, work enjoyment

• Can you hear a smile?

• Positive words - “can do”

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Changing Your Mood to a Good One

• Cure for a bad day• Brain chemistry• How to visualize your way to a

positive attitude• How to smile your way to a

positive attitude

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Section IIParts of An Inbound Call

WE’LL COVER...• Greeting

• Active Listening

• “Can Do” Attitude

• What to Say While Checking or Waiting for the Computer

• When You Don’t Know—How to Answer Anyway

• Entering a Call

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Greeting

• Smile happily

• Good Morning/Afternoon

• Your Paper Classifieds

• This is __, how may I help you?

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Active Listening

• What is it?

• What to say?– Uh….– M….– Yes…or I understand

• What it isn’t.

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“Can Do” Attitude

• Positive approach

• Half full cup of water

• NOT, “we can’t…”

• Here’s what we can do for you...

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What to Say While Checking or Waiting for the Computer

• The impact of silence on the caller

• I’m just entering this into the computer…

• “I’m checking for that now…it may take a moment”

• “I am making some notes…”

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When You Don’t Know -- How to Answer Anyway

• That’s a good question +

• Let me get the answer to that for you…

or

I will connect you with someone who should be able to get you that answer.

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Entering a Call

• Standards

• Reason

• Fields

• Calls requiring follow-up

• Once and Done Calls– TARP research

• Close & Up-Sell/Cross-Sell

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Section III Telephone Techniques

• WHAT WE’LL COVER• Courtesy• Verifying• Mirroring• Vocal Strength• Vocal Expressiveness• Irate Caller Technique • Statement-Question Technique

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Courtesy

• Tone of voice

• May I…

• Please tell me…

• Thank you

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Verifying

• Repeat information received

• Field by field method

• Summary method

• At end of ad

• Demonstrates diligence – a service

• Minimizes errors – Minimizes credits and make goods

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Mirroring

• Rate of speed of speech• Adjusting

– Need not be all of the way

• Other types of mirroring

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Vocal Strength Exercise

• Theatre exercise• Read or speak in a stage whisper

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Vocal Expressiveness Exercise

• Theatre exercise

• Sing what you will read or say – Or use the newspaper – Or any written document

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Irate Caller Technique

• Invite them to tell you what happened”

• Listen - actively• Empathize

– Different from agreeing

• Feedback • Tell them what you will do for them• Follow-up• Deliver on your promises

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Statement-Question Technique

• Judy McKee

• Make a statement, then ask a question

• Sales technique

• Objection-responses

• Questions control the call

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Section IVParts of An Outbound Call

WE’LL COVER...• Greeting & Getting Through to the Right Contact• Building Rapport• Purpose of the Call – Create Intrigue• Active Listening • Objection-Responses & “Can Do” Attitude• Closing

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Greeting & Getting Through to the Right Contact

• Secretary or office manager • Gatekeeper• Can say “no” but not “yes”• May be influencer• They are your contact!

– Make them your friend– Acknowledge their importance at their firm– Sell them first – on putting you through

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Building Rapport

• Occurs quickly and throughout call

• Mirroring helps

• Use their name (note B2B vs. B2C)

• Relationship first

• Jerry Hope approach – find commonalities

• Be sincere, be yourself

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Purpose of the Call -- Create Intrigue

• I am calling about classified advertising OR I have potential buyers for some of the houses you have listed.

• I am calling about the rental section in our classifieds OR 50 building managers have used our paper to rent hundreds of apartments in the last 6 months. We believe we can help you fill vacancies too. Our rental advertisers want to avoid a vacancy -- for even 2 weeks or a month. Do you feel the same way?

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Objection-Responses and Can-Do Attitude

• Objection responses – not rebuttals– Few sales are made by debating the prospect

• Be conversational – shouldn’t sound “read” • Be positive – say what you “can do”• Respond and then return to the call guide• Script, role play and practice• Use easel binder and indexes

(or telemarketing software)

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Closing

• Listen for “buying” questions• Start with trial closes - suspend judgment

– If you were to decide to place an ad, would it be for rental property or homes for sale?

– If you did advertise, would you be most interested in classified or display classifieds?

– If you were to advertise, what do you think would be the most important feature of the property for readers?

• Transition into a close– If you were to go ahead, would you want to run in this Thursday’s issue

or next Thursday’s? …

•

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Section VDealing with Rejection & Stress

WHAT WE’LL COVER

• Dealing with Rejection

• Stressors

• Post Call Stress Reduction Technique

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Post Call Stress Reduction --3 Steps

1. Muscular release

• Stretch or wring towel

2. Put it aside - don’t focus on it

3. Psych yourself positive for the next call

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