3rd
2007
Call Center Sales Training
Outbound call center sales is one of the biggest call center markets. Whether the call center is working as an affiliate for a company and taking a commission or if they’re working directly for a company selling on their behalf, outbound sales is a huge market. Since call center sales is such a large market, call center sales training is vital for any company looking to sell more product and have a higher closing ratio in the call center. Don’t be confused, not all outbound call centers are telemarketing call centers. Many of them call upon clients who have already showed interest in the product or service. These don’t have to be cold call centers.
Call center sales training should be conducted just like any other sales training, just with an emphasis on the differences in a call center compared to another sales training session or seminar.
New call center agents should instantly (before they pick up a phone) be immersed in sales training. Sales training teaches them what words to use and what words to avoid. Call center sales training should also focus on overcoming objections. Objections and overcoming them are one of the first skills a call center sales agent should know and master. Not only should this be trained, it should be so well memorized that you can do it without looking at your cheat sheet.
While there are many call center experts that claim to be the greatest outbound sales call center salesman in the world, I would consult the advice of some of the sales legends such as Joe Girard before I hired anyone who claims to be the best. Not only is Joe Girard the best, but the Guinness Book of World Records calls him the greatest salesman ever!
Call center sales training should also include training on different lines to start with. Opening lines are the most important words a call center sales person will say. With the opening line you set the tone of the conversation, tell the prospect how good you are at your job and how much you believe in the product. If you give off the wrong impression you’re not going to find a buyer, no matter how many sales calls you make.
If you’re looking for a professional sales trainer to come to your organization and speak to your call center sales people about sales, make sure the professional brings handouts and other training materials that you can keep after the class or seminar is complete. With the amount of turnover in the call center industry, you’ll have no trouble finding more call center agents, but if you want to train call center agents you’ll need the materials. Likewise, if you’re on the other side and you’re the call center agent, you’ll want to keep these training materials in case you’re ever on the lookout for a new call center job.
Just like call center customer service training, call center sales takes a lot of practice. Practice will make perfect, but it might take a lot of practice depending on the sales experience of the call center agent.  If the agent has sales experience and sales training, he or she might be ready to work the phones right away with a script. If the agent has little or no experience selling anything, give them some practice calls and time to get comfortable with the script before putting them in front of live calls.
Good luck with your call center sales training!
Posted by Admin in Call Center Basics, In The Office with one comment.