More and more companies are relying on call center agents to communicate with customers on their behalf. Call center agents with a persuasion power are critical for every company’s success. However, customers are becoming more informed, and traditional selling approaches are no longer much effect on them. Nowadays, agents are taught selling techniques that they should adopt.
Have All the Knowledge About the Product/Service
Salespeople should have all the information about a service or product on their fingertips. They should be a powerhouse where customers can get all the answers to their queries. Spend time training your agents to have a deep understanding of the product or service and what to say when selling it.
They should grasp the technical aspects of the service or product and how to use it effectively. Agents should also be in constant communication with the support teams from the companies they represent to get updates on current features.
Start All Sales Calls in Style
Every time you make a sales call as a call centers agent, start with a bang. For instance, in a hotel, waiters welcome guests with positive comments like, “Good afternoon? It looks calm today. I’m at your service!”
Never start your sales calls complaining about the traffic, the weather and how busy you are. It turns off the customer. Begin with a positive comment. Talk about the good weather, or ask them their favorite game and say something interesting.
Identify Your Customer’s Needs
Call center agents that understand the needs of their customers can interact better with them than those who have no idea. The more information you gather about your callers, the better.
Such info includes purchasing history, past call records, demographics, voicemails, emails, and what they post on social media. Agents with this kind of information can provide personalized service.
Adapt to Customers’ Communication Styles
Some customers might use a strong language, while others have a commanding tone. The key is to accept them the way they are and adapt to their communication styles. Doing so will help win their trust and build a relationship.
Agents should build a relationship with their customers and assure them that they will be collaborating to solve their issues and find them the service or product of their choice.
Don’t Speak Ill About Competitors
The biggest mistake you can ever make on a sales call is bad-mouthing a competitor. Most people have spontaneous trait transference which whenever you speak ill of someone else, the person you are talking to will put that trait on you.
If you say that your competitor provides low quality and unreliable services, your potential client will assume you are talking about yourself even though you are sure it’s the third party. So, whenever a caller asks you about a competitor simply say, “I don’t know” or say, “No Comment.”
Effectively Select Course of Action
The primary objective of every call center is to attract sales, and based on the information provided, the agent should be capable of leading the customer to action and close the deal.
What happens? The performance support comes to help you by analyzing the data on the customer while the call is in progress to drive cross-sells and up-sells.
Emphasize with The Customer
The salesperson should have a clear understanding of the customer’s needs and show empathy for the person. This will help in solving issues, selling, and upselling.
Train your agent to put themselves in the shoes of the customers to understand their needs and feelings.
Conclusion
The art of persuasion is the reason many couples exist, and companies are attracting customers. As a call center agent, you should be able to persuade a customer to take action. You only have to do the right things.