Although talking on the phone comes naturally to many people (especially teenage girls), many people discount the fact that this is often the initial point of contact. What you say, and more importantly how you say it, can mean the difference between whether a customer places a future order with you or not. Nobody wants to reach someone on the other end of the line who is flat, indecisive, negative, or who lacks enthusiasm. When I first entered the work force as an inside sales representative, many of my associates told me that I instead should have looked for work as a disk jockey for a soft jazz radio station. My deep, soothing voice could quickly calm even the tensest listener. What I realized is that it wasn’t my voice that was calming people at all. Instead, it was my reaction to my customer’s reaction that dictated their ensuing mood. Even if a customer was calling me to yell about a problem that they were having, I was always sure to put myself in their position. By empathizing with their situation, I showed that I cared about the challenge that had been presented. I let them know that I was sorry for whatever was bothering them and that I would do anything within my power to rectify the situation. It is important that you are able to portray your competence, empathy, dedication, and product knowledge. Your customers want to know that when they call in with questions or problems, that they will be taken care of in a thorough and expeditious manner. In order to serve your customers with optimal efficiency, it is a good idea to plan ahead to prepare for specific scenarios. For example, when my customers would call for a quotation on some stainless steel, I was prepared with the following list of questions :
- Is it just a quote or is it a buy?
- If it is a buy, when is the order ultimately expected to be placed?
- Are there any special production requirements / specifications?
- Is my price competitive?
- What is the final use for this product / who is the end user?
- Who else are you considering for quotations?
- Who are you competing against for the job?
- Is the end user more concerned about quality or price?
- How would you like material released (all in one shot or broken into several shipments)?
- Is this a new job for your customer? If not, who is currently holding the business?
I had a similar line of questions prepared when customers would call about non-conforming product that they received or when new customers were interested in distributing our products. The key is to be prepared for whatever may come across. Customers will typically only call about a limited number of issues. Having scripted responses prepared for certain touchy subjects makes those difficult calls much easier to work through. It is not necessary to memorize every one of your company’s capabilities or to know everything about your products. However, it is important to have the appropriate reference materials available to quickly answer any questions that may arise.
Why do we have conversation? Sometimes we talk simply to hear our own lovely voices. Most of the time, however, we speak with intent. If you stop to consider the words that you choose within a conversation, you will see that different ways of phrasing your content results in varying responses from your target audience. The first thing I would recommend is to try smiling while you talk. Although customers typically do not see your facial expressions as you talk to them on the telephone, your energy, enthusiasm, and positive affect all contribute to your target audience’s interpretation of your discussion.
- Replace No Problem with My Pleasure
- Framing – Customer’s Interest
- Be Excited about Orders
- Smile – Show energy