Tips on winning customers over the phone.
How to always leave a good impression.
The goal for every phone (this includes phone, google hangout/skype/screenhero/etc) conversation should be to win customers over. This is absolute. This is the goal for every single conversation if we can actually hear voices at the other end. This is also why we don’t regularly offer customer service over the phone. Let me explain.
Every conversation over the phone should end in customer satisfaction. Delivering customer support over the phone can be hit or miss at best and you won’t be able satisfy every customer or fulfill every request. However, if a phone conversation is required, have absolute certainty that you can deliver a set of ideas and solutions that will win customers over and make a long lasting impression. This does not mean you should cherry-pick your conversations and make yourself look good but you should formulate recipes for customer success so you can execute it every time for maximum customer happiness.
Prepare. Do research. Offer feedback.
Enough said, really. You need to know who the customer is, what their business does, what market they’re in, potential solutions they’re currently looking at, key personnel, background on the people you’ll be talking to, use their service/product, etc, etc. The list goes on. Table stakes. And since you’re not doing it all the time, more reasons to do a good job at researching. More importantly, be prepared to give valuable and thoughtful feedback. You’ll need practice to know exactly when but here are 3 general best practices:
- In the beginning of the conversation as an ice breaker. This is a good strategy because it allows you to drive the conversation and set the tone. Talking more in the beginning also eases your mind into the meatier points.
- After the customer talks about his/her own service/product. Capitalize on that extra credit!
- When there is correlation with your service/product.
Be nice but not too nice. Know your hard limits.
Many customer service etiquette training programs call for “sincerity”, “courtesy”, “trustworthy” and many other buzzwords for phone conversations. Don’t listen to them. If you hire the right people, these so called “etiquette” profiles are innate. Instead, focus on teaching them how to control levels of etiquette. Just look at Brad Pitt. Does he look like he needs to learn “sincerity” or “courtesy”? Overly courteous can easily come off as patronizing. Learning to control your level of etiquette will make you sound more professional and give customers an impression of confidence.
Speak and ask hard questions first.
Newcomers to phone conversations always shy away from speaking up first. Many are also afraid to ask questions and instead get cornered into answering questions. This is the wrong approach. Speaking first relieves your nervousness and will make you feel much more authoritative. Customers will appreciate this too. Asking tough questions is not only a good strategy for collecting vital information but gives you control over the direction of the conversation. When pitching a product or resolving an issue over the phone, it’s always advantageous to alert the customer that they’re in good hands and you’ll be able to solve their issues through competence and trust. Tough questions will also carry the conversation right to the point so you’re not wasting time anyone’s time.
A good story is always appreciated.
When in doubt, tell a story. Stories work remarkably well during phone conversations because they’re memorable and oftentimes leave great impressions with customers. If you’re going to tell a story maybe about how you founded the company or how a feature was innovated during a team outing, keep it short, sweet, and concise. Stories are also great bridges when you need to connect two disparate ideas or cross over to different ideas. Harsh jumps from one topic to another can be awkward and jarring. Stories help blend the topics so customers have easier access to relevant content. They can also chime in and share their own stories.
Know when to redirect.
Redirection is a common strategy when you don’t want to talk about something or answer a specific question. When you can’t answer something well, it will not leave a good impression with the customer. There’s real experience required here but my recommendation is to think about the length of your answers. It’s not uncommon to hear inexperienced sales or customer service people drone on and on when answering a question they’re unsure about. Focus on shortening your answer and moving on to something else. Alternatively, if you do have knowledge depth on a topic, feel free to elaborate. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help motivate customers and drive far better conversion rates.
Interested in what else we have to say? Make sure to recommend this article and follow us for more stories about startup life, customer service, and tips on treating customers right.
You can also find our multi-brand, multi-channel customer service platform at https://www.reamaze.com. Follow @reamaze.
