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Up your sales quote and performance with these sales best practices and management advice. Train better salespeople, track metrics, convert more leads.
Advanced Call Center Technologies for Sales and Support
5th December 2019 blog, Call Center, Sales Management

Advanced Call Center Technologies for Sales and Support

Best Sales Strategy for International finance Bank
5th August 2019 blog, Sales Management

Best Sales Strategy for an International Finance Bank

Managing and Motivating a Powerful Sale Team-feature.jpg
26th July 2019 blog, Sales Management

Managing and Motivating a Powerful Sales Team

Cold calling is tough - tips
2nd July 2019 blog, Sales Management

Cold Calling is Tough – Here’s some tips that can help!

Sounding Professional When Customers Call
15th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

Sounding Professional When Customers Call Your Business

10 Things You Should Never Say During a Customer Service Call
15th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

10 Things You Should Never Say During a Customer Service Call

Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number
14th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

5 Ways to Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number

challenges international business
14th May 2019 blog, Customer Service, Sales Management

Effective Problem Solving to Build Customer Confidence

deal with rude customers
16th May 2018 blog, Sales Management

How To Deal With Rude Customers and Not Go Insane

Advanced Call Center Technologies for Sales and Support

5th December 2019 blog, Call Center, Sales Management

As 2019 comes to an end, it is time to review and explore advanced call center technologies that are becoming more popular for sales and support. These technologies and tools help centers drive traffic and work through leads and calls effectively. Some companies have already started investing in advanced tech and more relevant features. Read on for the latest advanced call center tech many companies are considering.

Technologies Used by Call Centers

Call centers assist companies in telemarketing and sales efforts, tech and customer support, and making reservations and appointments. They, therefore, require different kinds of technology to support the work they do. These technologies help centers and employees sort through calls and information, keep and maintain records, and increase customer interaction. Oftentimes, it is through call centers that customers interact with a company. Thus, it becomes important for these centers to utilize tech and tools to their advantage in order to improve customer relations. Let’s have a look at some of the advanced call center technologies available and understand why centers are gravitating toward them.

Virtual Offices With Cloud Communications

Remote call center agents and customer service agents are on the rise. Companies are hiring more and more remote agents in an effort to expand their business without increasing costs. These agents can work from across the world, making it easier for companies to tap into those consumer markets. Having remote agents and a virtual office enables seamless team communications and also ensures that customers can always reach your business.

Advanced Call Center Technologies for Sales and Support
Source: Depositphotos.com Lic#166648450 ID#92821256

How to Start Using Cloud Communication

The first step to adopting cloud communications is by getting a virtual phone number. This can be a local or international toll free number based on your requirements. Phone service providers like Global Call Forwarding can help you with a variety of virtual numbers. These include local and international virtual numbers, direct inward calling (DID) numbers, or international toll free service (ITFS) numbers. You can also benefit from additional features like rollover numbers, outbound calling, call forwarding, and so on.

Call Center Analytics

Companies are increasingly investing in various software and applications that provide call analytics and reports. These reports provide statistics about the number and types of calls made, what day/time is most preferred, etc. Likewise, such data provides insight into understanding customer preferences and the target demographic. They help predict customer engagement and improve call center quality assurance (QA). They are also used for evaluating agents’ performances by studying average speed to answer calls, hold times, customer satisfaction ratings, and call recordings. Then, if necessary, agents can be re-trained to help them perform better.

Multichannel Communication Lines

Opening more channels of communication — calls, emails, and text messages — between your business and its customers is essential. The more channels, the more likely customers will interact with your company. There seems to be a growing demand for texting or instant messaging services for call centers. Text message outreach makes it possible for agents to reach customers through yet another path. Most people prefer texting or emailing over phone calls and so, this feature will enable ease of communication on the customer’s part.

Other Innovative Features To Note

Besides the above-mentioned trends, some of the advanced call center technologies also include features and tools to improve customer service. These features help reduce agents’ workload as well as time that may be lost by prioritizing and distributing calls. Keep reading to learn more about these features and how they can be of benefit to your business.

Self-Serving Troubleshooting and Solutions: Today’s customers often want to resolve their customer service issues on their own. For this reason, many companies are looking into self-serving options such as displaying problem-solving information and FAQs on websites.

Callback Features: A new feature gaining attention is the Click to Call feature for customers to request callbacks. Global Call Forwarding has a similar feature called CallMe Click, a widget placed on the business’ website. Customers who visit your website can click on the button, fill in their contact information, and automatically receive a call from your company.

Predictive Dialing: Another popular feature, predictive dialing, is programmed to automatically dial a set list of numbers. When a call is answered, it is switched to a representative. These dialers can also screen for voicemails and busy signals and use statistics to predict the best call times.

Staying Up To Date

Now that you are up to speed on the advanced call center software available, it’s time to see what you can use for your company. Get your business a phone system that helps you conduct call center QA and also make you more accessible to your customers. Check out Global Call Forwarding’s rates and plans today. Invest in an easy-to-use phone service aimed at improving your customer relations. Happy customers make for a happy business!

Best Sales Strategy for an International Finance Bank

5th August 2019 blog, Sales Management

Do you work as part of the marketing department for an international finance bank? Whether you’re employed by a national finance company or corporation bank, boosting sales through optimized advertising is key. 

In this guide, however, we won’t be talking about the typical ways of increasing the number of leads through having a well-honed sales team. Nor will we cover the in’s and out’s of crafting clever advertising that gets results. Instead, we will take a look at a relatively simple concept: how virtual phone numbers can impact the success of your international finance bank. 

How Virtual Phone Numbers can be Beneficial for your International Finance Bank

Virtual phone numbers have been evolving with the latest developments of telecom and modern computing. Thanks to their enhanced functionality over traditional communication solutions by phone, virtual phone numbers can greatly benefit your international finance bank.

Broad Access

While we live in a modern era of telecommunication, not every caller can reach your international finance company. By accommodating every customer regardless of their ability to communicate from outside of their country by phone, you exponentiate your sales results. 

The best way to remove barriers of communication is by incorporating virtual phone numbers in your business model. Virtual phone numbers enable callers to call your international finance bank without incurring long distance fees and service blockages – two factors that can influence how likely a customer is to transact with you.

Professionalism

Businesses that deal within finance can’t afford to appear out-of-step with technology – particularly if your competitors are dedicated to appearing more professional. By using toll free phone numbers, your international finance bank gains two advantages of professionalism: First, your organization pays for each call made to the number. Second, numbers with a toll free prefix immediately impart a professional aesthetic that customers associate with high-volume professional enterprises. 

Selecting Your Target Markets

Being able to directly call your leads and prospects with outbound calling is a pivotal sales strategy. However, you’re probably aware that broad cold-calling campaigns can bring less-than-stellar results. The secret lies in narrowing the scope of your intended target market by appealing directly to your potential customer. How? With local access numbers from Global Call Forwarding. 

Global Call Forwarding offers virtual phone numbers in over 140+ countries around the world, with innumerable cities and regions included. This means that your international finance bank can target hyper-specific target markets with virtual phone numbers that have the same country/area codes customers are familiar with. This aids in the localization process, particularly when your customer base may only want to do business with domestic entities – or organizations that they perceive as “local.” 

Virtual Offices

The days of having multiple branch offices spread out around the world are no longer necessary. Thanks to the advent of “virtual offices,” customers simply aren’t required to handle their business in-person. Virtual offices are simply a method of approximating the same level of service that a brick & mortar location offers by leveraging Internet-based technologies. 

This is especially true for big-name corporation banks and national finance corporations. Customers that want to open up accounts and get loans at these institutions can do so without stepping foot inside a brick & mortar location. Of course, speaking to your international finance bank’s representatives directly over the phone is still an important part of doing business. And virtual phone numbers are the key to driving sales and taking care of customer concerns, all in one solution. 

Sales Strategy for International Bank
Source: Stockphoto.com – O#100204681922ID#100186088462

 The Best Virtual Phone Numbers for your International Finance Bank

As you’re probably wondering, what makes Global Call Forwarding such a great service provider for international finances banks? Especially when there are literally hundreds of companies offering what appears to be the same basic service, Global Call Forwarding sets its service apart with top-tier features and add-ons. These include:

  • Extensive Experience: For more than two decades, Global Call Forwarding has provided enterprise-level, startups, and SMBs with the best in telecommunication.
  • Instant Access: When it comes to sales, the best strategy is immediacy. Thankfully, working with Global Call Forwarding enables your business to start using virtual phone numbers quickly. The subscription process only takes a few minutes to select a business phone number for your international finance bank. 

Managing and Motivating a Powerful Sales Team

26th July 2019 blog, Sales Management

Your sales team is the engine that drives your business to success. So, if you want to maintain a great business or do more business, you need to start with your sales department. Without a properly managed and motivated sales team, your business will have problems closing sales leads and selling your products or services. And, eventually, this may lead to the collapse of your business.

If you’re a sales manager or a part of a sales management team, you know that managing a sales department, employee expectations, and a sales-driven environment can be a challenge. So, you may be looking for tips or tricks to stimulate sales motivation and keep your team driven towards success. You’re probably also aiming to provide the optimal environment for cultivating more closed sales. Fortunately, there are a few tips for managing a team of salespeople you can take advantage of. This way, you can set your team of selling professionals up for success, and your business too! Read on to learn the process of Managing and Motivating a Powerful Sales Team.

Stay Away From too Many Rules

The more you restrict your sales team, the more they may not perform. Salespeople are generally strong-willed and authoritative. So they may not take well to restricting freedom. Rather than set rules for these individuals to follow, try removing obstacles that may be in their way. For example, instead of demanding that your sales team stick to a script, allow them to develop their own verbiage by providing your team with information on creating their own unique sales pitch.

Don’t be a Dictator; Be a Team Player

Rather than demanding things from your sales team, encourage them to perform tasks. While this may be easy to accomplish for meeting daily objectives, it also means finding creative solutions to common office problems. For example, instead of providing one solution to an issue that your team feels they have no choice about, provide several options and let your team choose between them.

Managing Motivating Powerful Sale Team
Source: Stockphoto.com – O#100077798280 ID#100186088462

Recognize Your Team Success

People do best when their hard work is recognized. In fact, for many people, money isn’t even the best motivator. As a sales manager, it’s your job to find out what motivates every person on your team. This way, you can recognize each person in their own way when they’ve had success. Try to incorporate meetings in which the sole purpose is to recognize your top performers for the day, week, or month. And give respect where it’s due to keep your sales team at peace!

Have Your Team do What They Do Best

Not every person on your team of sales professionals will have the same experience, knowledge, or gift of gab. But, each person plays a role in the department to make things happen. So, find out what each person is best at, and let them do their own part. For example, if some people are better at closing incoming leads than others, let them be in charge of the incoming leads. Or, if some people are better at writing sales contracts and filing paperwork, let them do that. Whatever it is that an employee is best at, make sure they understand their role in your department and are motivated to do their tasks the way they know-how.

 Closing: Thinking of Starting Your Own Sales Department?

If you’re looking to start up your own sales-driven business, you’ll need to understand the process of managing and motivating a powerful sales seam. And while understanding these tips to better managing and motivating your team is helpful, you’ll also need the proper tools that will allow your staff to reach for success. At Global Call Forwarding, we offer a number of communication services that can equip your sales business with the technology needed to close sales efficiently and effectively.

Whether you need virtual phone numbers for each employee line, international phone numbers, number parking, outbound VoIP, or Call Me Click services, we can help set up and manage your sales communication needs. To learn more about how we can prepare your sales business for better success, contact us today.

Cold Calling is Tough – Here’s some tips that can help!

2nd July 2019 blog, Sales Management

Facing the fact that you may sound exceptionally awkward, be rejected by not-so-nice recipients, and possibly misrepresent your business interests can be enough to make you avoid cold calling altogether. However, the fact of the matter is that cold calling is a misunderstood process for businesses. In fact, those who are able to master the art of the unsolicited call may come to enjoy the power that comes with cold calling. In this article, we’ll cover a number of items that can make these cold calling tips as easy as can be, including

  • Practice Makes Perfect
  • Faking It ‘Til You Make It
  • Always Be Personable
  • Understand the Other Party’s Needs

Practice Makes Perfect

Understanding the unknown is the easiest way to eliminate fear. And the only way to understand the unknown is to encounter it time and time again to learn the parameters of it, ultimately accounting for all of the possible variables that may occur. In other words, practice makes perfect.

If this comes as a disappointment, you should realize that it is paradoxical to choose another path towards mastering cold calling. After all, how do you become better at something that you never do?

Basics of Making Those Cold Calls

However, there’s hope. Because you already have experience with making phone calls, conversing with individuals that you don’t know, and closing a sales meeting, you’ve already covered the rudiments of cold calling. The only difference is that when you’re talking to a person over the phone, establishing rapport takes a different type of approach. The tricky thing is, this approach occurs without body language, situational context, and other aspects of in-person communication. Instead, your voice and its intonation must align with your goals – something that takes practice. 

For those that have perfected a skill, such as learning a musical instrument, the process is similar. First, you’ll want to keep the stakes low. Don’t be too ambitious starting out. Even if you only make a few phone calls with mixed results, focus on areas that need improving and celebrate your successes. Next, you’ll want to gradually up the stakes beyond your current abilities. Try different approaches in pitching callers and take note of any feedback. Remember, any attempt is success and “failures“ will further hone your abilities – either way, it’s win-win.

Embracing the Thrill of the Unexpected

As you proceed, you’ll begin to gain a sense of what cold calling really is and how exciting it really is. After all, just by using your voice and knowledge, you’re able to persuade callers to align with your business objectives; a valuable skill no matter which industry you choose to work in. Even in a matter of days, you’ll consider yourself a cold calling expert!

Faking It ‘Til You Make It

Tips for cold calling is tough
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100204681926- ID#100067081677

The truth is that even the most practiced individuals still feel some sort of anxiety when calling an individual they don’t know. In order to increase your success rate, you must demonstrate confidence, even if you feel the opposite. However, there’s a simple psychological hack: Faking confidence turns into real confidence. In fact, there’s relatively no difference between believing that you are a competent cold caller than actually being a competent cold caller. When the truth of this sets in, you’ll see that “faking it” is actually just stretching your abilities beyond your current perception of yourself. 

Always Be Personable

If there’s one tip that you take away from cold calling, it is that maintaining a personable and enthusiastic demeanor over the phone is paramount to ensuring success. Under no circumstances should you ever be mean or forceful, as negative emotions instantly turn off most callers that will take their business elsewhere. Having a cheery voice and even smiling during the conversation will boost your success rate. It also helps to give the other party the benefit of the doubt – as long as they’re on the phone, you can help brighten the day of even the grouchiest of customers, just by empathizing with their stress and struggles. Powerful cold calling tips!

 Understand the Other Party’s Needs

Similar to always being personable, accommodating what the party your calling actually needs is pivotal to your success in cold calling. No matter how much you may try, selling something that someone doesn’t want or need are fruitless endeavors. Instead, you want to align what your company is selling with the needs of the caller. For instance, you may be dealing with a stressed out mother that doesn’t have time to hear the endless features of your product; instead, you want to show how it solves her problems and makes her life easier. Keeping this in mind will raise your success rate and provide real satisfaction when it comes to cold calling. 

Sounding Professional When Customers Call Your Business

15th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

How many times have you dialed the phone number to a business’ customer service department and been greeted by someone who sounded like they were less than enthused to answer your call? It happens often, unfortunately, but businesses do not realize how much this can hurt them. Just because a customer service representative is on the phone all day does not mean that they have to be bored and sound really unhappy. The proper telephone etiquette and some enthusiasm can go a long way in sounding professional when customers call your business – ultimately giving your business a reliable appearance.

Here are a few tips for sounding professional when customers call your business to help you make each phone interaction with your customers an amazing customer service experience:

Using the right phrase will start a conversation off on the right foot. Beginning a conversation with good morning, good afternoon, or a similar greeting and thanking the customer for their call is a great way to start. Stating your name and then asking them how you can help them comes next. Also, it is important to be friendly, upbeat and act like you love your job while providing the best customer service to them. This can all be heard in the tone of a customer service representative’s voice, as well as in the words that are chosen in speaking to customers.

The Power of Positivity

Positivity is also paramount. Ensuring a customer that you will work diligently to resolve whatever issue they have called about and that it will be solved as quickly as possible is important. If you are not able to resolve the issue yourself, ensuring the customer that you will then find someone who is able to is important as well. Saying something like, “I am sorry that you are dealing with this issue, but we will figure this out and resolve this for you as soon as possible” exudes positivity versus sitting on the phone and telling a customer, “I just can’t figure this out” or “I don’t know what the problem is and I am not getting anywhere with this.” Fill your conversation with positive statements, no matter how challenging the issue is to resolve.

Sounding Professional When Customers Call Your Business
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100168582646 ID#100200144052

Pay Attention to the Energy You Give Off

Displaying energy through the sound of your voice also goes a long way. Even if it is super early and you have not had your coffee yet, sound like you are excited to speak with them and be of service to them through the resolution of their issue. Even if they are agitated and possibly raising their voice, it is your job to remain calm, energetic, and positive.

Being patient is another principle part of sounding professional when customers call your business. If you happen to ask the customer a question, be patient and wait for them to give you an answer. Do not talk over a customer. Talking over a customer is not only rude, but it may also cause you to miss out on hearing something very important that they are trying to convey to you. If you talk over a customer, they will need to repeat themselves and this will not only potentially aggravate a customer, but also force things to take a longer period of time to resolve. Remember to wait patiently for their full response.

Dealing with distractions in an appropriate way is another tip to sounding professional when customers call your business. There will always be distractions. It is part of life, no matter if you are working from a call center, your own office, a home office, or some other location. How you deal with those distractions is key. Callers know if you are distracted. From the moment you answer their phone call to the moment the call has ended, your one and only focus should be on the customer you have on the phone, their explanation of their needs, and how you are going to go about resolving any issues and fulfilling their needs. It is important to be attentive and helpful and treat the caller in the same exact way that you would want to be treated.

Just as displaying energy and positivity is important, the tone of your voice in demonstrating energy and positivity is just as important. Customer service agents should examine how they sound when they answer the phone. You should sound happy. Practicing with other coworkers in training can help customer service agents to hear themselves and adjust, if needed, accordingly.

Sounding professional when customers call your business is critical to the vitality and growth of a business. Remember that the person on the other end of the call is a human being and they are calling for help, guidance, answers, and to determine if they will invest in your brand or not. Make sure conversations are kept professional, focused, and upbeat from beginning to end.

10 Things You Should Never Say During a Customer Service Call

15th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

Working in customer service can be very rewarding, but it can also be very demanding. Most customer service agents must deal with angry customers daily. Customer service representatives must be able to take these unhappy people and turn them into satisfied and loyal customers. During a customer service call, this is no easy feat when a person enters the conversation angry or upset.

When someone is already upset, it is easy for problems to snowball. One wrong word from a customer service agent could mean the loss of a customer forever. However, customer service call agents cannot just placate customers; they do have problems to solve, and some issues cannot be resolved. Customer service agents should be able to walk a fine line between being stern and being friendly. All words that are exchanged over a customer service line carry weight. If you are a good customer service agent or are training agents for your business, be careful to avoid these common verbal slip-ups that may ruin a customer’s experience.

  1. I can’t help you with that
    Sometimes a customer service call agent has to follow a specific protocol, and some things will be outside of their jurisdiction. When you realize that you cannot help the person over the phone, it is best to forward them to a more senior person on the team or management. The answer should never be that they can’t be helped.
  2. That’s just our policy
    Telling your customers that you can’t help them is terrible, but not giving them a reason for why you can’t help them is even worse. Saying, “sorry, that’s our policy” is basically you shrugging your shoulders at them and tossing their inquiries away. It isn’t an acceptable answer to an angry or confused customer. This customer is only interested in the problem being resolved. To be that short with a customer gives the impression that your company doesn’t care about its customers.
  3. Unfortunately, no
    No is negative; it does not matter how its phrased. Saying, unfortunately, might make you think that you are mitigating the severity of the word, no, but you are not. Do not lead with a negative when speaking to an angry customer. If you are unable to help them in the way that they want you to, use a different phrase such as, “here’s what we can do for you.”
  4. Interrupting a rant
    If you are a customer service representative, you have probably had to sit through a rant or two in your time. The critical thing to remember when dealing with an angry customer is to let them get it all out. When they come up for air, that is when you can start talking to them. Never interrupt and never tell a customer they are unreasonable, even if they are.
  5. What not to say say during a customer service call.
    Source: Stockphoto.com O#100168438628 ID#100200144052

    I don’t know
    A call center agent should always have an answer to a customer’s issues. Answering with I don’t know is unacceptable and should never be uttered by an agent. Customers call companies and speak to representatives because they want to be helped, and an incompetent agent cannot help them.

  6. Give me a second
    A second is a vague measurement of time that should not be given on the phone. If you are looking into something for a customer, it’s better to be honest about how long they will be waiting for you to look things up.
  7. Actually, it’s this
    Don’t even bother correcting a customer on a name or pronunciation or anything. It will be taken as condescending, and you will put the customer off or make them feel embarrassed.
  8. I’m sorry
    Don’t get me wrong, it is important to apologize to upset customers, but it is best to avoid it if you don’t mean it. It won’t carry the same significance if you actually do not care and are just repeating this overused phrase.
  9. I have to put you on hold
    A customer does not want to be placed on hold, and this should be avoided at all costs. However, sometimes it is unavoidable, and in those cases, you must ask the customer if it is okay that you put them on hold and be sure to explain your reasons for doing so.
  10. I don’t see your account information here
    Never announce this to the person that you are helping on the other line. More than likely you are missing their name in the database or you input the wrong information. Humans make errors, and you should never assume that the customer called you by mistake. It certainly happens, but until you’ve exhausted every possible way to find their information, they do not need to hear this phrase uttered.

Related: 23 Incredible Customer Service Tips

5 Ways to Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number

14th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

Communication is critical in all relationships across the board; not only does that include your mom, your coworker, and your spouse; it also includes your customers. How is your business communicating with your customers? Are you offering your customers multiple ways to get in contact with you? Do you think that an email address is sufficient? Learn five different ways to increase your sales with a business phone number.

Businesses have been changing a lot in recent years in order to keep up with the ever-evolving digital landscape. One thing that hasn’t changed is the need for a business phone number. Nothing will ever replace speaking one-on-one with another human being who knows your business, in and out. If your company does not have its own phone number, then you may be missing out.

  1. Uphold your brand’s image
    When customers stumble upon your website, before purchasing they will often look to see if there is a contact number on the site. This ensures that if there is a problem with the order or product, they will be able to get in contact with someone who can solve their issue. Email addresses are okay, but having a phone number is much better because it lets your customers know that they can get in contact with you at any time of the day that may be convenient for them. Think of your friends; the ones that are the easiest to get a hold of are the ones that you are going to spend the most time with. As you would build a relationship with a friend, you can also create a relationship with your customers.
  2. Use your business number as a marketing tool
    A business phone number can not only be used as a tool to communicate and make a sales call, but you can also use it to track your marketing efforts. Wherever you advertise your business phone number, whether it is on your website or business cards, you can track where the phone calls are coming from. If you decide to use more than one number or change the extensions, you can place different numbers across each marketing effort. For example, if you were to create a billboard with one of your business numbers, you could track all the phone traffic from that particular number and compare it to the business phone number that is advertised on a flyer.
  3. 5 Ways to Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number
    Source: Stockphoto.com O#100179306428 – ID#10020014405

    Use it to solve complex problems
    The best way to solve a customer’s problem is in person or over the phone. It is easy when you have this voice-to-voice interaction because a customer can explain their problem in detail. They also will not have to endure long wait times during a chat space or over email. One phone call can solve many issues in a short period of time.

  4. Build a relationship
    Outbound calls aren’t the easiest way to make a sale, but it is still possible to do so today. When you make a sales call to a customer, you are able to listen to them directly. You hear what they have to say, how they say it, and you clearly can decipher what they want and what they need from your business. When you can gauge your customers on this personal level, you are able to create a better product to suit your customers’ needs. You will need to invest your time into making these outbound calls and forging these relationships, but it will be worth it to create a better product and see it sold to your original customers and the customers you gain through word of mouth.
  5. Easy to remember
    When choosing a business phone number, it is better to choose something easy to remember. A phone number that sticks in the mind of your customers will ensure that you have a steady stream of calls from customers. You can make your phone number easier to remember by purchasing a toll free number or a vanity number, or if you already have a number, think about adding a jingle to the number in commercials and web ads. Adding a business phone number will help you increase your sales.

Effective Problem Solving to Build Customer Confidence

14th May 2019 blog, Customer Service, Sales Management

Having your own business is a competitive environment. One wrong move and you could be losing customers to your competition. That’s why it is essential that your business focuses on problem-solving to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. But what happens when your company makes a mistake, such as not allowing a customer to return a damaged product or putting your customer on hold for a lengthy amount of time? Your customers may take that very personally.

Building Confidence while Problem Solving for Customer Satisfaction

Your business should be focused on keeping the customers’ confidence because once you lose the confidence of a customer, you can lose everything that you’ve worked for. According to marketwatch.com, Comcast, Wells Fargo, American Airlines are the companies with the worst reputations. How did they get placed on that list? The reasons range from poor customer service, cutting employees’ salaries, cutting jobs, and in the case of BP, it is still reeling from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, which tarnished their reputation beyond repair. If you have found that your business is suffering from poor customer service reviews, public relations, or consistency, you could be in danger of losing your customers. When you lose your customer’s confidence, it can cost you everything. If you think you may be at risk of losing customers, you need to inject trust back into the relationship.

Loyal customers can make or break a business because returning customers account for much of your profits. Additionally, they are great for word-of-mouth marketing. Losing the trust of a customer who pays money for your product or service means that you could permanently damage the reputation of your company. If you’ve made a single mistake or just suffered a miscommunication, there may be a way to win your customers’ trust back. If you don’t want to see the end of your business, here are some key tactics to execute to regain that trust.

1. Effective problem-solving techniques

To begin problem-solving, you must find out where the leak is. Once you have figured out the source of your issues, you can take steps to rectify the problems. Sometimes you will get customers that are open about the issues that they have and will voice their opinions directly to you. However, many customers will simply switch to your competitor without saying a thing. You can find out feedback from these customers by asking customers to fill out surveys, following up with your customers after a purchase, scanning Yelp for reviews, and reaching out to once-regular customers who haven’t purchased in a while.

2. Take responsibility

Once you’ve found out where you’ve gone wrong with a customer, it’s time to own up to your mistake. Never get defensive with a customer or blame the issue on something else. Apologize so you and the customer can move on. Think about it, if you were the unsatisfied customer, would you want to the company you’re giving your money to, to get defensive when you contact them with a problem? Absolutely not. Apologizing is always the best solution.

3. Remedy the situation

While an apology is the first step to begin to remedy a situation, the next task is to rebuild the trust. Be sure that you do this by ensuring the problem never happens again. There might be a flaw in one aspect of your business, and if you do not fix this issue, you may have future problems with other customers. Retain feedback while you source out the issues and make the appropriate changes, that way you know that your business is on the right track.

4. Offer the customer something for their troubles

Problem-solving issues, so it never happens again may help you to retain other customers and help you offer excellent customer service. But if the problem was very bad, then you may have to do more to regain the customer’s confidence. Provide the customer a gift along with your apologies such as a discount or a free sample. This little act of giving shows to your customers that your business will go above and beyond for their customers’ happiness.

How To Deal With Rude Customers and Not Go Insane

16th May 2018 blog, Sales Management

If you work in customer service, at some point or another you will eventually have to deal with some angry and rude customers. It is important for your job and your own sanity to be able to handle these people correctly. If you fight with every customer that comes your way with an attitude, then you probably will not have a job in the near future. Take a look at these 10 tips to learn new and creative ways to turn that customers’ day around and more importantly to make sure that your day does not get ruined in the process.

Do Not Mirror Their Emotions

It is important that you remain calm and polite during the entirety of the conversation with an angry customer. Do not smile or laugh in an effort to get them to change their emotional state. Smiling at an angry customer might enrage the person more as it seems like you are not taking their problem seriously. Make sure that you stand your ground and try your best to not escalate the situation. It is your duty to try your best to resolve their issue.

Actively Listen and Ask Questions

Be sure to portray to the customer that their problem is valid and that you care. Ask them questions to fully understand what happened and why there is a problem. If you take the time to listen to what they are trying to say, then you might just agree with them. Perhaps you wouldn’t choose to react the same way, but you can still take the time to understand where they are coming from.

Remind Yourself That This Is Their Bad Day, Not Yours.

Try to understand that this person is mad at a situation and taking it out on you. They are not angry at you as a person. Relax and remind yourself that this person chose to react in this way, while you can offer compassion instead.

Breathe

Take a deep breath and try to relax. Focusing on your breathing when you become angry can help you to calm yourself down. Breathing from your stomach is a helpful way to naturally relax your entire body. With a calm and reenergized mindset, you will be able to approach the situation with a fresh take.

Apologize and Empathize

Since you have now found out what the problem is through asking questions, you can properly apologize to the customer. One way to make the apology seem sincere is to empathize with what they are going through. Once you have actively listened to the issue at hand and ignored their outburst, you can now understand how they may be feeling. If you do not think that the customer deserves an apology, still offer one anyway. It is the quickest way to start resolving the conflict and getting the customer what they need. Extinguishing the flames is the most important thing; not fanning them.

Be Informed

It is important that you are aware of how the business you work in runs. If you are on your first or second day, then you should direct the person to someone who is more informed. Not knowing what is going on in the business that you are in will only make the customer angrier. For example, if you work in a restaurant and a customer has an issue with the food, knowing what is in the dish is vital to solving their problem.

Control Your Tone of Voice

Raising your voice at a customer is the quickest way to never work for that company again. There are some tricks available to you that will help you with any conflict you may find yourself involved in. Speaking in a lower voice at a slower speed will put the other person at ease during the conversation. Do not give an angry customer a reason to get even angrier by firing back at them. Lowering your voice will make you sound more professional and that will portray to the customer that they are dealing with someone who is not only competent, but able to maintain control in an uncomfortable situation. Slowing your voice down can also have a natural soothing effect on the recipient.

Solve The Problem Or Don’t

If there is a solution to the problem, offer that solution right away. If there is absolutely no solution then be upfront about that. There are many situations you may find yourself in where there is no solution. If you work at a franchise that shares a corporation with other businesses but often partakes in separate promotions from other franchises, you may run into many issues. For example, if someone comes in with a coupon for another store that your store is not equipped to honor then it will not be possible for you to solve that particular issue. The customer may get even angrier, but once they have realized nothing can be done for them they will have no choice but to leave.

Get Help From A Supervisor

It is best to send an angry customer to the proper management or division right away. If you know immediately that you cannot be of service to them once you have heard their problem, then let them know politely that you are going to direct them to the person that can help. Apologize first and politely excuse yourself to find management. For example, “I’m so sorry to hear about that, let me get my supervisor so we can get that issue resolved for you right away.”

Let It Go

Once the problem has been resolved you may be feeling a bit on edge. Dealing with rude, angry, and insulting people can put a damper on your entire day. Go back to your breathing exercises or simply take a timeout. If you can, take a walk around the block, grab some chamomile tea, or simply head to the restroom to compose yourself. Try not to take the issue home with you, or take it personally. When you feel yourself being reminded of the angry, rude customer, switch your thoughts to something positive. Think positive things about yourself or fantasize about how much fun you’re going to have this weekend. Remind yourself that this angry customer did not come into your life to wage a personal attack on you. They were simply unhappy about an issue and were unable to contain their emotions. You, however, were able to contain your emotions to get through a conflict while maintaining your professionalism. That is something to be proud of.