There is a Lesson to be Learned from a “Bad Call”
Speaking to an upset caller can be stressful, but the more you can learn from the past, the more productive your efforts will be in the future.
Top Reasons Calls Get Escalated
Customers today seem quick to voice, “I would like to speak to a supervisor,” if they are unhappy with the service they receive.
Things Never to Say to a Customer
There are some phrases inside sales, technical support and customer service representatives use inadvertently that may sabotage building customer rapport. These should be avoided at all costs.
What is the Most Important Skill for a Customer Care Representative?
When a rep listens attentively to an upset caller, the caller feels vindicated.
Winning at Telephone Interviews
Almost every company today uses telephone interviews as a way to screen potential job candidates. Being successful in this initial screening is critical to moving to the next step in the hiring process. To insure your success, please consider the following tips. Have...
Your Tone of Voice is a Door Opener
How many times have you fantasized the face behind a voice that you hear on the radio or television? Almost all of us have. Sometimes, we picture the speaker as honest and trustworthy, like Walter Cronkite, the news broadcaster. When he died, reporters described him...
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...
The Magic Formula When Answering an Inbound Call
Within the first ten seconds of a call, customers form an impression of the organization and the person on the other end of the line. If the customer doesn’t like what he or she hears, sometimes they will disconnect or asked to be switched to another representative....
Reasons Why I Hate Calling Customer Support
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...
Surviving the Hard Times with Your Customers
Many of our existing customers are no longer able to make their usual purchases or upgrades. They can no longer provide training for their employees. The temptation is, of course, to move on to those who are able. However, ignoring our existing customers in difficult...
Motivating the Team When Times are Tough
Everywhere you go people are talking about the economy and its effect on them personally. On a recent business flight, the person sitting next to me mentioned that seven members of her family are out of work. At my aunt’s 90th birthday party last week, the...
Extraordinary Service in Extraordinary Times—What It Takes
When a sales or service center is deemed or reported world class by such organizations as JD Powers or The Association of Support Professionals, the sales or service representatives themselves attribute it three key factors. They are: Knowledgeable Committed Empowered...
Stay In Touch with Your Customers
Inside sales representatives beware! In this uncertain economy, there is a tendency to overlook existing customers who have put the skids on purchasing. Even if a customer isn’t buying today, eventually they will. If you stay in touch, your customers will remember....
Listening—A Critical Skill in Challenging Times
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...
A Difficult Economy Requires Extraordinary Communication Skills
The effects of the down economy are being felt all around the globe. The “R” word is being said out loud. Every corporation in almost every industry is feeling the pinch of the recession no matter where they are located. In tough times, the frontline people, those...
How to Improve Your Telephone Voice
Many people think they have a bad telephone voice. While it’s true that not everyone’s voice sounds like a radio announcer’s voice, very few people have a terrible voice. What they have is a badly produced voice. To sound confident and be perceived in a professional...
Your Tone of Voice Affects How People Respond to You
When customers 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 voice, chances are they will perceive you as knowledgeable and confident. If they don’t like your voice, it makes them want to...
- Listening: How to Do It When You Least Feel Like It
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 pressure to complete additional tasks related to […]
- The Grave Digger’s Shift — What to Consider When Presenting Later in the Day
Is your presentation scheduled for 3 p.m or even later? If so, you’re in the Grave Digger’s Shift. In fact, any time you speak in the afternoon, you run the risk of digging your own grave unless you are interesting and engaging. People are tired and typically have a lot to do before they end […]
- Learn the Secrets of the Pros
The key thing to adding value is know your audience and to show the link between your solution and the needs of the individuals. Listeners don’t like to work at understanding, and they don’t like to feel their issues were unnoticed. The more clearly you show value right from the get-go by reiterating known and unknown issues and by providing examples and stories to prove that your product or service solves these problems, the more likely you are to being successful.
- Tips from the Top — What One CEO Practices
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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