Putting some structure around the inbound phone call... Recently, a client of mine in New Jersey asked me to improve the process of booking inbound service calls. The first thing we did was start recording calls, listening to each one and measuring the conversion rate. I discovered that there was no structure, we were rambling and our conversion rate was low. Here’s a warning: if you decide to record calls, make sure that you let your employees know about it. Explain to them that it is about improving the process, not judging individuals. In this case, the manager failed to communicate this with one person who is valuable to the organization and we had to do some damage control. She felt violated and not trusted because she was not aware of the recording. The manager took responsibility for his mistake, apologized and we were able to get past it. Make sure that you are upfront and make the focus about improvement. Regarding the structure Show gratitude and be sincere about it. Our clients Roger Daviston President The Daviston Group www.rogerdaviston.com @RogerDaviston write our paychecks. Without them, we do not have a job. We should be grateful for every phone call. This can be stated by a simple, “Thank you for calling.” Be yourself and be sincere. No one likes to be patronized and people can hear insincerity in your voice. Show some empathy; have an intellectual understanding of what they are going through but do not take on their emotions. You have to use your own words, but empathize with them at some point when it seems natural. Whatever they say after you answer the phone and listen to them, always respond with “I can help you with that.” Don’t get nervous about anything. If they ask how much a water heater is, just say, “I can help you with that.” After that, transition into a conversation and determine who they are and what level of relationship you have with them. A good question is, “Have we been to your home before?” If not, the next great question is, “Wow, we really appreciate you picking us. How did you hear about us?” This is where we start qualifying the call. Each call should be given a level of priority based on the likelihood of doing business and some other things. Don’t put shoppers in front of good clients who never complain. For example, if I’m really busy and a new customer who found me on Google calls in because his regular guy was busy and could not make it out, there is no trust and a high probability that he would shop us. If I’ve got nothing else to do, I go quickly. If I’m busy, I may push this person to the next day. After getting their name, address and phone number, transition into building value in the service fee. On the next page, you’ll find a script that will take you through this entire process. Please feel free to use it and adapt it to your personality. 14 C M / S e p t / O c t 2 I015
ICM September-October 2015
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