When selling over the phone many telemarketers focus solely on the products and services they have been tasked to pitch. They take a deep breath and then rush through the cost, perceived quality and added efficiencies they offer as quickly as possible, trying to fit everything in before they get hung up on! Often times, to the annoyance of the person on the other end of the line.
People do business with people they like. Building a relationship with a customer is the foundation for sales success, and a great relationship starts with building rapport. Rapport enables communication to flow as it allows people to lower their initial resistance to your outbound efforts. This is not an easy task when one communicates via phone versus being in somebody’s office where one can read body language, comment on personal photos, etc. However, with the correct training, a telesales agent can indeed build rapport effectively and transition a call from cold and unexpected, to warm and needs-based within the first minutes of the interaction.
For outbound sales agents, the process of building rapport begins with how the initial ‘’hello’’ is handled and strategically progresses throughout the call as they walk the prospect through the buying decision process. While rapport building comes naturally to some, it is something that can also be taught and developed over time through proper coaching and continuous feedback.
Generally speaking, telesales success begins with hiring for attitude, providing effective actionable training, following a tried and true contact management strategy, investing in the right technology, and ongoing coaching and development.
Here at The Office Gurus, we have implemented a sales training methodology and intraday sales management playbook that hones in on consultative selling and agent development with every prospect interaction. We subscribe to a sales strategy that truly mirrors the customer’s buying decision process, based upon Duane Sparks’ Action Selling strategies.
Even prior to training, the site selection, agent profile, and hiring selection process is crucial. We consultatively discuss which of our call center locations is the best fit for each sales channel and develop an agent profile that ensures we become an extension of our client’s culture, mission and values. Learn more about The Office Gurus.