In order to function successfully within a Call Center it is important that callers are assisted in a pleasant and effective manner and, where possible, are prompted to (maximum) action. Communicating with insight and customer service skills using a clear conversational structure with callers, will not only prevent mistakes, but will also get the best result from the call - for the caller, as well as for your company or organization.

What exactly is a Call Center? An image of a big hall in which dozens of agents with headsets sit, springs to mind. The agent, provided with all sorts of modern automated equipment, continuously carries on conversations with callers and people being called. Large screens are located in the background on which the number of waiting calls is listed. This image is, of course, the true picture. In addition, in the case where people have been ‘freed up’ in an organization to actively phone customers, for example, they have their phone lines open the whole day for callers, these people jointly, could also be referred to as a Call Center. It is true that in the latter case, no use is made of particularly advanced switchboards, automatic calling systems, or customer information within reach on-line, but the result has to be the same - a satisfied caller, and the maximum output from these calls.

The Call Center will certainly retain its current place as a selling or information conduit, and is likely to gain even more popularity in the future.

Approach

The participants learn from practical exercises, mostly with the aid of telephone equipment. By carrying out the activities, watching, listening, carrying out the activities again, and then discussing the practical situations, they can make the theory and the skills their own in a very short time. The practical exercises and phone calls are recorded on cassettes and/or videotapes.

Topics

What do callers expect from your organization? And from you?

How do you prepare yourself for a telephone conversation?

What is a customer-oriented greeting like?

How can you take over the initiative from the client?

Determining the caller’s requirements. What are the best types of questions you can ask?

How do you win the trust of the client?

What are the important motives for the client to make a purchase?

How do you translate your product into the client’s requirements?

How do you present the price?

How do you present a positive message- what does negative look like?

How do you deal with complaints?

How do you end the telephone conversation in a way that leads to results?

How can you best carry out a follow-up to close the deal?

Training Objectives

At the end of this training you will be able to:

1. Bring effective structure to the incoming calls
2. Receive and forward information quickly and efficiently
3. Present products, services and/or information in a client desired manner
4. End calls proactively and in a sales result-orientated manner

Duration: One Day

Programme Schedule

Day One

Introduction & Welcome

Programme Objectives

Personal Objectives

Introductory round by telephone

Structure in a telephone conversation

Irritations for callers

Introduction, Inventory

Explanation Opening the call

What should be part of the opening

Learning objectives of the opening

Customer-orientated greeting and introduction

Determining caller requirements - ask questions

Explanation - open/closed questions

Exercise The Opening

Explanation, Execution, Debriefing

Advantages/Disadvantages - Call Center

Explanation - Presentation

Learning Objectives - Presentation

Summary - Needs of the Customer

Explanation and Explanation Criteria

Follow-Through

Being Receptive to Signals

Exercise: Presentation

Explanation

Execution (observation)

OPC conversation: Explanation - Closing

When to Close and How?

Positive Goodbye

Personal Action Planning