Connecting call centres

How integrated are your field service department and call centre? With changing customer perceptions of what a customer service department should be able to offer, a seamless solution can really enhance customer satisfaction. A recent article on the Call Centre Focus website looks at the recent history of the call centre from the legacy of unsuccessful attempts to locate overseas to high levels of diagnosis, now achieved by a simple phone call. The benefits of a seamless approach include high customer satisfaction, reduced costs and ability to measure costs and KPIs more effectively. An effective system can provide “an all-embracing and improved diagnostic process, including engineer dispatch. If required parts are available at the time the engineer is dispatched, the repair could be completed in a single visit.” For more about integrating customer service and call centres read the full article at http://www.callcentre.co.uk/page.cfm/Action=library/libID=1/listID=52/libEntryID=4392

Are you ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ in a sales deal?

Are you a natural ‘closer’? That’s the question asked by an article from the Harvard Business Review. A short test is included to find out how you approach a sales deal. The five questions consider how you interact with colleagues and groups, giving you an overall score to see whether you have a ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ approach. Although many successful sales managers would fall into the ‘direct’ approach category, this isn’t always the case. Those scoring ‘a low level of dominance’ can still being very successful, using an approach “based upon establishing your product as the focal point of the purchase before you start selling yourself.” Start with the first question before reading the full article. “You are having a hallway conversation with three colleagues. Do you a) remain silent the majority of time…b) speak an equal share of the conversation…or c) usually find yourself talking the majority of the time? More at http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/are_you_a_closer_take_the_test.html

Understanding tendering

A new contract sales role may mean you need to understand tendering in both the public and private sector. An article from the Marketing Donut website, ‘Tendering for contracts’ looks at the whole process from identifying tendering opportunities to the details of what a contract proposal should contain. Opportunities to tender can come through monitoring websites and looking out for particular government tenders that have to be published. Some opportunities may also be published in the trade press. The article cites building relationships as key to success which should mean you can ‘get involved as early in the process as possible.’ Once at the stage of writing a tender document, you need to demonstrate your strengths and experience as well as thinking of such details as a non-disclosure agreement. For more on contracts and tendering read the full article at http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/marketing/sales/tendering-for-contracts

The John Lewis approach to retail

The John Lewis partnership style of company structure and employee involvement is often held up as a model to follow even cited by government ministers. So how does the company approach the retail market and what initiatives are proving successful? In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, chairman, Charlie Mayfield, reviews their current position. One area he points out is how the success of online sales does not necessarily take away from the importance of physical stores. He estimates that in 60% of online sales the actual shops still played a role, such as their ‘Click and Collect’ service. He plans to expand the physical presence of John Lewis but not necessarily with larger stores. A new store is planned for Exeter and a new Waitrose in Warminster, filling in between Salisbury and Bath. To learn more about this successful retail name, read the full interview with accompanying video http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9247940/John-Lewis-chairman-Charlie-Mayfield-theres-still-so-much-to-do-in-the-UK.html

The Art of the Presentation

Confidence, a clear voice and well-crafted PowerPoint slides – what more do you need before you present your next sales pitch? These areas and many others are covered by the ‘Six Minutes’ website – a guide to ‘becoming a confident and effective speaker’. Whether your sales role involves impromptu speaking to a potential new customer or a formal presentation to a group of buyers, the website has detailed advice on getting your message across. Categories include ‘PowerPoint and Visuals’ – have you heard of the 10-20-30 rule for using PowerPoint? Take a look online to find out more. Before a large event, prior research is suggested, even to the extent of contacting a few potential members of the audience to check that you’re delivering the information that they’re expecting. It also suggests that you take more opportunities to speak at work and elsewhere, boosting your confidence and improving your skills. For more advice, visit the website at http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/

Talking Technical

If you sell to engineers and technical departments, shouldn’t you know a little more about how engineers think, talk and make decisions? The answer is a definite ‘yes’ according to an article on the salestrainingadvice website by Babette Ten Haken. So what aspects of your sales communication should you concentrate on? Firstly words need to be used precisely – ideas and proposals will be carefully scrutinised to understand the exact nature of what is being said. The article acknowledges that sales professionals and engineers can come from very different starting points which can lead to frustrations. The article describes engineers as ‘risk-averse’ and ‘extremely rational’ – worth considering but may not apply to every engineer. Get specific and take the advice to talk often to your own technical department to understand how they talk and think about your company’s product range. For more advice on selling to engineers, read the whole article here http://www.salestrainingadvice.com/2012/01/selling-to-technical-people-how-well-do-you-work-with-engineers-by-babette-ten-haken.html

Are you a good listener?

Sales is communication. Whether face to face or over the phone, you need to listen effectively yet it may not be as easy as it seems. ‘Top 10 tips to improve your sales listening skills’ from Jeremy Ulmer’s ‘Sales Coaching Habits’ website offers a number of things to try in order to listen effectively – things that you may not do instinctively.  Firstly give the speaker time and space. “Take 2 full breaths before responding. It will ensure the speaker is finished and give them space to share more.” On a similar theme he urges you to ignore distractions and ‘never talk over anyone’. Concentrate on what they’re saying but also how they’re saying it. He advises ‘noticing the speaker’s tone, pace, and energy. There is a lot of information to be gathered and the more you pay attention to your intuition, the more effective your listening will be.” See the whole article on Jeremy’s website http://www.salescoachinghabits.com/tips-to-improve-sales-listening-skills