Published December 2004

Customer service over
the phone is an opportunity
to make the sale

Q. We have discovered that only 15 percent of calls received by our customer sales representatives conclude with a sale. That means that more than eight in 10 people voluntarily calling, presumably with the intention of buying, don’t. What circumstances might explain this troubling statistic, and what can we do about it?

A. Strange as it may seem, many customer sales representatives see their job as primarily to answer the phone, not make sales. Like many in business, they take the telephone and the customer on the line for granted. They glibly assume that since the customer phoned in, that the sale is all but done. They forget that their primary job is to sell, not take orders.

Call it anything you want — customer service, customer support, sales prospecting — it’s amazing how important the telephone is to keeping businesses and organizations growing and functioning.

Here are some recommendations on how to better use the telephone for positive results, whether making or taking a call.

• Avoid beginning a conversation with a pointless question. Don’t you find it annoying when a business representative’s first words are, “How are ya?” Instead, start the conversation by identifying where you are and the observation that “the sun’s just come out here.” Or, “I hope you’re having a great day” or, “I’m sure happy we connected.”
• Have an agenda for every call you receive or make. If you are in customer support, first, listen carefully to the problem or question the customer will have, then summarize it to make sure you understand. If making an outgoing call, consider drafting a script. The script will help you compose a perfect voicemail message in case your party is unavailable.
• Slow down. As you speak, picture the other person taking notes. You won’t impress anybody talking like the radio announcer reading the legal disclaimers. Whether talking live or leaving a voicemail, speak so that your message won’t have to be repeated. At the end of the conversation, sincerely thank the person for calling or taking the time to listen to you.
• Be aware of your voice tone and volume. If using a cell phone, resist the temptation to shout. Pretend you’re talking into your hand held about 8 inches from your mouth. Headsets are great for keeping voices modulated. When speaking, be aware that your voice can transmit your human condition. Avoid sounding out of breath, stressed, tired or bored.
• Remember when the phone rings to say to yourself, “This is my paycheck calling.” When someone takes the time to look up your number and call, they’re saying, “I’m prepared to do business with you.” For customer support representatives, delivering a seamless solution over the phone only enhances the reputation of both the product and your company in the customer’s mind.

Finally, these suggestions are not merely for use when talking to people outside your organization. Your internal customers — co-workers, vendors and especially your superiors — should be shown the same courtesies.

Eric Zoeckler operates The Scribe, a business writing service with many Snohomish County-based clients. He also writes a column on workplace issues that appears in The Herald on Mondays. He can be reached at 206-284-9566 or by e-mail to mrscribe@aol.com.

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