Every telemarketing merchant account holder knows that operating a telemarketing business is not only a high risk business, but a notch more demanding than the average profit-oriented endeavor. You've got to make the most intelligent in your entire life in choosing who'll be on the front lines, the inbound telemarketers.
The keys
More than any other customer service tool, listening spells all the difference in the world. Listening in the inbound telemarketing arena is is affected by by a lot of factors. Your inbound telemarketers are bounded by time pressure. Time is money, right? But this also puts pressure on the way they handle the calls. Also, the metrics that you, as a telemarketing merchant account holder, have set also add to the competitive atmosphere on the floor. So, it will be beneficial train your agents on how to be effective listeners so that all the goals are met. Knowing the key points in listening will definitely make them be up to the challenge of inbound telemarketing.Train them to..
> Make Up Their Minds
Tell each and every one of them to decide to be a better listener. Mushy as it may sound, but taking calls eight hours a day must be fueled by passion as well. Why is this so? The job can become boring for your agents, for it will turn as a routine to them. So, the passion should be in them, when they are passionate 'bout their job, they will decide that they will to every call.
>Use Welcome Words
As an owner of a telemarketing merchant account you know in your veins that words being spoken over the phone make or break your bond with the customer. Making the customer feel the welcoming mood can be done by saying “thank you” at the beginning of the call. This makes them feel that you appreciate that they took time to call. But this should be used in the right cues.
> Concentrate
Make them remember to don't interrupt the customer. Let the caller finish what they want to say. But, there is an exception, if they are already saying foul words and they have already aired their concern, then you can interject. Also, in order to concentrate, make your agents take note of what the customers are saying.
> Be Objective
Some customers, especially the frustrated ones, tend to talk a lot and end up saying other matters that are part of the other universe of the main concern. So, a substantial product knowledge of your agents is imperative so that they won't be swayed by other irrelevant issues.
> Let 'Em Hear You Listening
Since everything is done over the phone, customers will take whatever they hear. They won't see the agents' facial expressions, so tone and the choice of words are everything. Give feedback clues to signals that you're listening and use a variety of verbal clues to avoid sounding robot-like.
> Put In Their Hearts That Every Call is Note-Worthy
Make it a point that every inbound telemarketer has a paper and pen by every phone. Or better to have a NOTES tab on the system to make note-taking easier and more effective. Lastly, to make them feel that they were truly and fully understood, include in your call flow a step of repeating back to the customer a summary of the concern.
It isn't the easiest job to run a telemarketing business, but it can't be that hard as well. Learn how listening can make a great deal of positive difference by reading the whole article:
Telemarketing Merchant Account Offshore Alert: Six Key Points in Listening for Inbound Calls
