Leading a Remote Team
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...
Your Job Includes Being a Coach
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...
How to Mold Outstanding Reps
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,...
From Conflict to Cooperation
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...
How to Coach for Results
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...
Winning at Hiring
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...
Key Vocal Issues – Rx
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...
Tips For Managers On Surviving Peak Periods
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...
Do Your Customers Hate You?
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...Making Training Stick
Customer service organizations spend thousands of dollars each year on training. The hope is to improve skill sets, increase productivity, close more business or create customer loyalty. While typically there is a “bump” in improvement after any class, over time, the...Here’s How to Slash Motivation or Things Managers Should Never Say
Now more than ever, managers and supervisors need to motivate their inside salespeople or their customer service representatives. Obviously, the more motivated people are the better sales and approval ratings will be. What managers and supervisors don’t often remember...- What Counts in the Influence Game
Influencing others can seem daunting, but when you pay attention to these key principles, it is easier than you think.
- Acknowledging the Inside Scoop
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 worry that this will lengthen the call. It will actually […]
- Fast Talker? It’s Not Okay
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 is […]
- What Influential Speakers Routinely Do
Everyone wants to be influential when in front of a client, a boss or even peers. For many of us, being persuasive is a crap shoot, where sometimes things go great, but, at other times, we wish for a “do-over.” Those who are known as powerful, motivating communicators do a number of things- and they […]
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