Due to the Pandemic, most business professionals work from home, and many may continue to do so even as corporations and businesses reopen. Zoom and its equivalent are now the norms. Quite possibly, you attend or host three or four of these meetings every day. If you...
In the old days, managers saw their direct reports daily. They may even have eaten lunch with them or been on the same company bowling team. However, today, managers often oversee people around the globe, in places as far away as India, Kuwait or Korea. The days of...
In the old days, managers saw their direct reports daily. They may even have eaten lunch with them or been on the same company bowling team. However, today, managers often oversee people around the globe, in places as far away as India, Kuwait or Korea. The days of...
The last thing your customers want to do is take an unsolicited phone call. They are very busy people who have a million problems to solve before the day is done. Their automatic assumption is cold calls waste time. By generating interest immediately, you can...
It would be nice if we could wave a magic wand and have all workplace disagreements disappear. In the close confines of a call center or an inside sales organization, conflicts will happen. As the manager, you may be asked to assume the role of a mediator. It is...
Picture for a moment your customers on the other end of the phone line. Whether they show it or not, many of your customers are highly stressed. They feel tremendous pressure from their own management team to do things faster or cheaper. When they purchase from your...
In today’s business world, it is almost a rarity when people answer their phone. Mostly, we reach people’s voicemails. This is extremely frustrating for those of us who need information or want answers. What compounds the issue is that when we leave a voicemail,...
Think back to when you were a preschooler. Most of us had some important life messages drilled into us by our parents, our teachers or our coaches. If we use the wisdom of these messages and apply them to our most difficult callers, we will see an immediate positive...
The importance of developing long term relationships with your customers cannot be underestimated, particularly in this down economy. In the past, if a company had a terrific product, customers flocked to the company and stayed with it. Not any more. Today, despite...
A lot of us speak quickly when we are on the phone with our customers or clients. Sometimes it is because we have so many calls in the cue or because we feel pressured to get on to the next call. Whatever the case, it is a habit that can cost us business. Why? When we...
Listening is the number one skill for success in business today. Poor listening skills make people angry and make them feel you don’t value them. They affect all relationships, especially business relationships. Most people think they are good listeners. In reality,...
Customers, today are a lot more demanding and a lot savvier than they used to be. They know they have many choices. They are often in a hurry, confused, multi-tasking or have English as a second language. When they get you on the phone, their expectation is that you...
In the old days, managers saw their direct reports daily. They may even have eaten lunch with them or been on the same company bowling team. However, today, managers often oversee people around the globe, in places as far away as India, Kuwait or Korea. The days of...
Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, foreign takeover, the down economy, new technologies and the demand for information have created stress and conflict in the workplace. Your score as a business professional depends on how well you handle anger and “challenging”...
In today’s business world, it is almost a rarity when people answer their phone. Mostly, we reach people’s voicemails. This is extremely frustrating for those of us who need information or want answers. What compounds the issue is that when we leave a voicemail,...
Customers from Hell don’t start out as monsters. Something happens that makes them go ballistic. That “something” is often you. Customers have expectations about how they ought to be treated. If the treatment doesn’t measure up, they become agitated. To reduce your...
Managers of phone reps all want to see their reps exceed customer expectations each day. But, today’s worker isn’t automatically committed to excellence. John Naisbitt in Re-Inventing the Corporation said: 88% of today’s workers want to work hard and do their best on...
Nobody is born as a peak performer. Just ask Serena Williams or Simone Biles. They achieve excellence by being coached and by practicing. They never accept that they are “good enough.” They strive to get better. To coach peak performance in a call center environment,...
What’s in a voice? Plenty! It is your calling card. It reveals your confidence, your competence, and your warmth. It also establishes trust and credibility with your customer or client. Regretfully, most of us don’t spend much time thinking about how our voice sounds,...
Larry King, the famous television interviewer, once said, “I remind myself every morning that nothing I say this day will teach me anything. If I am going to learn anything, I must do it by listening.” The advantage for Larry King, of course, is that he sits across...
Success in today’s pressure-cooker workplace depends on high functioning teams. The question that befuddles many managers and supervisors today is how to motivate their inside sales or customer service teams to exceed customer expectations. Three key elements seem to...
As inside sales representatives, the way we close business is by asking questions. Often, we ask the same questions of all clients. Sometimes, these questions move people to make decisions, but at other times, they don’t, leading us to wonder “what happened?” Selling...
Saying “No” to a customer is difficult. If it is done in the wrong manner, it can mean escalating a problem or even losing a customer. There are two things to consider before you do say “no” – why and how. Why Are You Saying “No” Before “no” escapes from...
Customers can try your patience. It is easy to conclude that no matter what you say; they won’t listen or will become argumentative. Obviously, there are some customers that fill that bill, but most will accept your answers if they sound probable and if you seem...
In any call center organization, there are peak times when we are very busy and times when we are very slow. When it is hectic, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Don’t despair. There are some things that you can do as a manager that will help you survive. Start by...
Our voice is our calling card when we conduct business on the phone. If we want to make a positive impression, our voice should communicate warmth, friendliness, sincerity and confidence. The question is how can we do it? The source of our vocal power is breathing....
Anyone who works in a call center environment knows about stress and just how stressful it is. In fact, the U.S. Department of Statistics, an agency that categorizes jobs, notes that customer service representatives have the eighth most stressful job. They are right...
Most companies spend their training dollars on improving What Phone Reps say to their customers. While this type of training is an important piece to the puzzle, especially for new hires or when the company has changed directions, it still leaves many Reps feeling...
For many of us, the telephone is our primary vehicle for doing business. Since people make instantaneous decisions about our competence and confidence, often within the first thirty seconds, it is critical to remember the importance of making a good first impression....
Picture that you have answered the phone and the caller begins with a raised voice. Without any seeming provocation, the person on the other end of the line starts making threatening statements and even swearing. How do you defend yourself against this mad, out of...
What’s in a voice? Plenty! It is your calling card. It reveals your confidence, your competence, and your warmth. It also establishes trust and credibility with your customer or client. Regretfully, most of us don’t spend much time thinking about how our voice sounds,...
Strong listening skills are a must. Customers judge people who are trying to sell their ideas or services on the phone by how well they pay attention to them. They expect phone reps to find solutions to their business issues and to anticipate their ever- growing...
For many of us, the telephone is our primary vehicle for doing business. Since people make instantaneous decisions about our competence and confidence, often within the first thirty seconds, it is critical to remember the importance of making a good first impression....
As business professionals, we attend meetings constantly. Sometimes, many of the meetings we attend are a waste of time. Often, they are counterproductive. If you are chairing a meeting, there are a few tips to remember. Preparation Preparing ahead is important. It...
Success in today’s pressure-cooker workplace depends on high functioning teams. The question that befuddles many managers and supervisors today is how to motivate their inside sales or customer service teams to exceed customer expectations. Three key elements seem to...
Every organization aims to have exceptional customer service. The reality is that most companies only give lip service to exceeding customer expectations and continue to do as they have always done. Even with advanced technologies, many researchers actually report...
It would be nice if we could wave a magic wand and have all workplace disagreements disappear. In the close confines of a call center or an inside sales organization, conflict will happen. As the manager, you may be asked to assume the role of a mediator. It is...
“Listen to the sound of the river, and you will catch fish.” ~ Old Irish Proverb Customers judge people who are trying to sell their ideas or services on the phone by how well they pay attention to them. They expect phone reps to find solutions to their business...
An area that is vital to most organization’s success is the launch of new products. However, instead of getting the predicted initial sales, the results are often disappointing. Companies are left frustrated and wonder if their projections were realistic, if the...
Have you ever wanted to say to a caller, “Hey, let’s move this along?” Sometimes, it seems like our customers will never end the call. If there are calls in the cue, long-winded customers can make our lives very stressful. To manage calls more efficiently, pay...
Our voice is our calling card when we conduct business on the phone. If we want to make a positive impression, our voice should communicate warmth, friendliness, sincerity, and confidence. The question is how can we do it? The source of our vocal power is breathing....
A lot of us speak quickly when we are on the phone with our customers or clients. Sometimes it is because we have so many calls in cue or because we feel pressured to get on to the next call. Whatever the case, it is a habit that can cost us business. Why? When we...
A lot of us speak quickly when we are on the phone with our customers or clients. Sometimes it is because we have so many calls in cue or because we feel pressured to get on to the next call. Whatever the case, it is a habit that can cost us business. Why? When we...
There are a lot of reasons why I hate calling Customer Support. It doesn’t matter what company. The issues remain the same. If I had a wish list, these are the things I would like to see changed- immediately! The first thing that bugs me is long waits with a message...
For many of us, the telephone is our primary vehicle for doing business. Since people make instantaneous decisions about our competence and confidence, often within the first thirty seconds, it is critical to remember the importance of making a good first impression....
In the old days, managers saw their direct reports daily. They may even have eaten lunch with them or been on the same company bowling team. However, today, managers often oversee people around the globe, in places as far away as India, Kuwait or Korea. The days of...
Customers today are a lot more demanding and a lot savvier than they used to be. They know they have many choices. They are often in a hurry, confused, multi-tasking or have English as a second language. When they get you on the phone, their expectation is that you...
People always wonder about the best way to coach phone reps so that their organization can deliver world-class customer service. If you want your reps to improve, you must understand the performance issues, know how to break down any problems into manageable steps and...
Jake was a supervisor of a call center for a large telecommunications company. He had worked for the company for four years when a consultant with Impact Communications coached the inside sales team and their supervisors. One of the things Jake religiously preached to...
Call centers are the heart and soul of an organization. Customers form an impression of you and your organization within seconds based on the person on the other end of the line. If the first impression of a call center representative is positive, customers will be...
It would be nice if we could wave a magic wand and have all workplace disagreements disappear. In the close confines of a call center or an inside sales organization, a conflict will happen. As the manager, you may be asked to assume the role of a mediator. It is...
Susan works as a technical support person for a large corporation. Her days are spent answering up to forty or fifty phone calls each day. In her annual review, Susan’s new supervisor told her, after listening to some of her calls, her voice doesn’t sound warm or...
Communicating with any team via teleconference or web session is challenging. When the team is spread across the globe, your task as a presenter requires real ‘globe smarts.’ Do not overlook the importance of adapting your message and slides to the audience...
Groucho Marks emceed a television game show in the fifties called “Who Do You Trust.” The contestant had to choose which of three people was telling the truth. On this show, contestants paid close attention to the body language of the three people as a means of...
Pausing is the most under-utilized tool that a speaker has. Most people who use the phone to conduct business only concern themselves with their message. For example, they want to explain a product, fix your software or update you on month-end results. They forget...
The number one complaint customers express about any call center representative is reps don’t listen. When asked what reps should do differently, responders say “Shut up and listen!” Listening is a critical skill for anyone in the service industry. Yet, most people...
Customers today are a lot more demanding and a lot savvier than they used to be. They know they have many choices. They are often in a hurry, confused, multi-tasking or have English as a second language. When they get you on the phone, their expectation is that you...
As business professionals, we attend meetings constantly. Sometimes, many of the meetings we attend are a waste of time. Often, they are counterproductive. If you are chairing a meeting, there are a few tips to remember. Preparation Preparing ahead is important. It...
Most of us are forced to leave voicemail messages constantly. In today’s business world, it is almost a rarity to speak to a live person. When we go to the trouble of leaving a voice message, our expectation is that we will receive a “call back.” The vexing part is...
Is there anyone that likes to make cold calls? Most of us hate them. Since they are unsolicited, often recipients find them annoying and do not respond to them. While challenging, you can increase your odds of success with strong preparation At all costs, avoid making...
When a customer, whether internal or external, has an issue, the good listener acknowledges it. By empathizing, the person feels you understand him and becomes more receptive to hearing what you have to say. He or she becomes less hostile. You build rapport. Do not...
Guest Author By Deb Kowalczyk, M.A.— Director Clearspeak Why Work on My Accent? Whether you speak with a foreign accent or regional dialect, it can impact your job performance and affect the way you are perceived by customers, co-workers, and employers. Although the...
Have you ever wanted to say to a caller, “Hey, let’s move this along?” Sometimes, it seems like our customers will never end the call. If there are calls in the cue, long-winded customers can make our lives very stressful. To manage calls more efficiently, pay...
Nobody is born a peak performer. Just ask any professional athlete. They achieve excellence by being coached and by practicing. They never accept that they are “good enough.” They strive to get better. To coach peak performance in a call center environment, the...
The health and well being of your organization depends on the service your customers receive. If they receive stellar service, then customers smile and stay loyal. If they are not impressed, they begin to look elsewhere. There are some phrases inside sales, technical...
Listening is the number one skill for success in business today. Poor listening skills make people angry and make them feel you don’t value them. They affect all relationships, especially business relationships. Most people think they are good listeners. In reality,...
In the old days, managers saw their direct reports daily. They may even have eaten lunch with them or been on the same company bowling team. However, today, managers often oversee people around the globe, in places as far away as India, Kuwait or Korea. The days of...
Picture that you have answered the phone and the caller begins with a raised voice. Without any seeming provocation, the person on the other end of the line starts making threatening statements and even swearing. How do you defend yourself against this mad, out of...
George Bernard Shaw said the problem with communication is the illusion that what has been said has been understood and accepted. People are often given “suggestions” on how to do their jobs faster, better, or cheaper. Yet, many of those suggestions fall on deaf ears....
As inside sales representatives, the way we close business is by asking questions. Often, we ask the same questions of each customer. Sometimes, these questions move people to make decisions, but at other times, they don’t, leading us to wonder “what happened?”...
It isn’t easy to do business by phone. Those that are successful have a clear understanding of their customer and the person’s issues or needs. Extra Sensory Perception or ESP concerning our customers comes from being an observant listener. By listening to the...
Saying “No” to a customer is difficult. If it is done in the wrong manner, it can mean escalating a problem or even losing a customer. There are two things to consider before you do say “no” – why and how. Why Before “no” escapes from your lips, examine why saying...
When callers hear your voice on the other end of the line, they imagine the person behind the voice. If they like what they hear in the tone of your voice, chances are they will perceive you as knowledgeable and confident. If they don’t like your tone, they may want...
People who rave about the service they receive from an organization expect more than the resolution of a problem. They want to “feel” valued as a customer and to be given special treatment. For customers to conclude the service has been excellent, phone reps need to...
Our voice is our calling card when we conduct business on the phone. If we want to make a positive impression, our voice should communicate warmth, friendliness, sincerity, and confidence. The question is how can we do it? The source of our vocal power is breathing....
Picture for a moment your customers on the other end of the phone line. Whether they show it or not, many of your customers are highly stressed. They feel tremendous pressure from their own management team to do things faster or cheaper. When they purchase from your...
Guest Author Deb Kowalczyk, M.A.—Director, Clearspeak Why Work on My Accent? Whether you speak with a foreign accent or regional dialect, it can impact your job performance and affect the way you are perceived by customers, co-workers, and employers. Although the...
In any call center organization, there are times when we are very busy and times when we are very slow. When it is hectic, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Don’t despair. There are some things that you can do as a manager that will help you survive peak periods. Start...
When callers hear your voice on the other end of the line, they imagine the person behind the voice. If they like what they hear in the tone of your voice, chances are they will perceive you as knowledgeable and confident. If they don’t like your tone, they may want...
The number one complaint customers express about any call center representative is reps don’t listen. When asked what reps should do differently, responders say “Shut up and listen!” Listening is a critical skill for anyone in the service industry. Yet, most people...
Listeners on a call or web session make instantaneous decisions about the speaker’s trustworthiness. In fact, they often feel they have a clear read within seconds. Be aware the following missteps can be costly and can inadvertently “bust” your credibility. Sounding...
For many of us, the telephone is our primary vehicle for doing business. Since people make instantaneous decisions about our competence and confidence, often within the first thirty seconds, it is critical to remember the importance of making a good first impression....
In the old days, managers saw their direct reports daily. They may even have eaten lunch with them or been on the same company bowling team. However, today, managers often oversee people around the globe, in places as far away as India, Kuwait or Korea. The days of...
One bad phone call with an emotional customer risks losing a valuable account. While intuitively, every call center representative knows the importance of protecting the relationship with a customer, it is very difficult being warm and friendly to a customer who is...
Have you ever wanted to say to a caller, “Hey, let’s move this along?” Sometimes, it seems like our customers will never end the call. If there are calls in the cue, long-winded customers can make our lives very stressful. To manage calls more efficiently, pay...
A tough economy puts a lot of pressure on everyone. Clients are more and more demanding, especially when doing business over the phone. Good listening skills are essential. Yet, most people do not excel at listening. Researchers tell us that people listen effectively...
Communicating with any team via teleconference or web session is challenging. When the team is spread across the globe, your task as a presenter requires real ‘globe smarts.’ Do not overlook the importance of adapting your message and slides to the audience...
A good portion of anyone’s day is spent on the telephone. Everyone wants to make a good impression, but it’s the first few words out of your mouth that determine whether people will perceive you in a positive or negative manner or whether they will trust and believe...
Being a good listener is the most important tool anyone who works on the phone can have. The problem is that there are many times that listening is a challenge. We daydream. We get distracted by others or feel preoccupied with things in our personal lives. We feel...
Remember the old song by the Beatles, “All We Need Is Love?” Well, that’s the tune your customers are singing. If you don’t show you “love” them, someone else surely will. In fact, your competitors are eager to do just that. In today’s day and age, there are a lot of...
Before you start worrying about building brand identity through marketing and public relations campaigns, you might start thinking about the image you and other employees are projecting when making or taking a phone call. Obviously, when customers can’t see you, the...
When a customer, whether internal or external, has an issue, the good listener acknowledges it. By empathizing, the person feels you understand him and becomes more receptive to hearing what you have to say. He or she becomes less hostile. You build rapport. Do not...
Wouldn’t it be great if when we called a business person, we would actually get him/her on the other end of the line? The reality is that nine times out of ten, we end up talking to the person’s voicemail or the administrative assistant. Decision-makers are busy and...
Groucho Marks emceed a television game show in the fifties called “Who Do You Trust.” The contestant had to choose which of three people was telling the truth. On this show, contestants paid close attention to the body language of the three people as a means of...
Do people ask you to repeat a lot? Do they tell you to slow down? If so, you are a fast talker. It might be alright to be a fast talker at home or with friends and family, but it is definitely not okay on the job, especially if your primary communication with others...
There are a lot of reasons why I hate calling Customer Support. It doesn’t matter what company. The issues remain the same. If I had a wish list, these are the things I would like to see changed- immediately! The first thing that bugs me is long waits with a message...
In one month, Impact Communications received 17 requests for help in achieving an American accent. We heard from actors and actresses living outside of the U.S. who want to expand their career options. We also heard from inside sales and call center representatives in...
Does this sound familiar? You pick up a call in the cue in your normal professional manner and the caller on the other end of the line explodes. The person has been in cue for ten minutes, and when he does get a live person—you, he starts ranting and raving about his...
Call centers are the heart and soul of an organization. Customers form an impression of you and your organization within seconds based on the person on the other end of the line. If the first impression of a call center representative is positive, customers will be...
How many times have you had customers who seem like they are on a rampage? They won’t let you talk or try to resolve the problem. They seem to repeat the same story over and over. Understanding why that happens is the first step to dealing with the issue. Typically,...
Larry King, the famous television interviewer, once said, “I remind myself every morning that nothing I say this day will teach me anything. If I am going to learn anything, I must do it by listening.” The advantage for Larry King, of course, is that he sits across the table when interviewing his guests for […]
Listeners on a call or web session make instantaneous decisions about the speaker’s trustworthiness. In fact, they often feel they have a clear read within seconds. Be aware the following missteps can be costly and can inadvertently “bust” your credibility.
What is the difference between your audience and an elephant? An elephant never forgets; an audience occasionally remembers.
You go to a lot of trouble to prepare for a large group presentation. You want it to be a success and people to feel their time was well spent. If you can put a check in front of the following guidelines, you will likely score a big hit.
What do people remember? As a coach, you hope people embrace your suggestions and remember the issues they found challenging after the engagement ends. Periodically, I like to touch base with these business leaders as a double check. I had the pleasure of reconnecting with the CEO of large international company last week after not seeing him for a few years. From the start of our coaching, this executive was very open and willing to try the tools and tips being suggested, even though they were out of his comfort zone. His goal was to be known as a strong, engaging leader with excellent communication skills. He excelled because he practiced a lot and kept the endgame in mind. Every time he got up in front of an audience in his role as CEO, he consciously practiced one or two things. I asked him what he remembers from our work together when he speaks to people, whether one to one or one to 1001. I am sharing his top five because I think they are relevant to all of us.
What do people remember? As a coach, you hope people embrace your suggestions and remember the issues they found challenging after the engagement ends. Periodically, I like to touch base with these business leaders as a double check. I had the pleasure of reconnecting with the CEO of large international company last week after not seeing him for a few years. From the start of our coaching, this executive was very open and willing to try the tools and tips being suggested, even though they were out of his comfort zone. His goal was to be known as a strong, engaging leader with excellent communication skills. He excelled because he practiced a lot and kept the endgame in mind. Every time he got up in front of an audience in his role as CEO, he consciously practiced one or two things. I asked him what he remembers from our work together when he speaks to people, whether one to one or one to 1001. I am sharing his top five because I think they are relevant to all of us.
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