Turning a Service Call into a Sales Call
Posted: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
by Kimberly King
InterWeave
Customer Service is not just customer service any longer! Customer Service Representatives now must also sell. "But I'm not a sales person!", you may be shrieking. Don't panic. Before you worry that you're not a sales person, remember that the first step to being an awesome sales person, is to be the ultimate Customer Service Representative. Here are the specific behaviors that will help you make a successful transition from being an awesome Customer Service Representative to being an incredible Sales AND Service Representative.
Be sure to meet the need that your customers have before you begin offering other products and services that they did not call for. If they called for new service, make sure you fulfill that need. If they called to have a service technician, be sure to get that request handled. Before you can even think of selling, be sure to service what the customer's original need is.
2. Transition to other solutions.
The transition from service to sales is critical. This transition statement will many times make or break any additional sales. Effective transition statements sound like this:
"Now that I have successfully changed your address on your account, may I take an opportunity to explain our online services that will enable you to do this quickly and easily in the future?"
"I'm glad that I was able to provide service to your new home. Now that you have moved into your new home, there are other services we can assist you with that will save you time and even more money. Can I review a few of those with you?"
3. Now you have successfully transitioned from the service portion to the sales portion of the call, asking questions is a critical way to show interest and understand more of your customer's needs. Examples include:
"Are you looking for additional ways to save money?"
"What are some other things that are important to you right now?"
"Have you considered...?"
4. Now that you know a little more about your customer, you can accurately offer alternative solutions. Again, be sure that these alternatives are relevant to the customer. Lack of relevance will turn off your customers. Choose your solutions carefully.
5. So the alternative solutions are on the table. Now you can ask your closing question:
"Which one of these sounds like the best solution?"
"Can I place your order now?"
It is so critical that you position yourself as a caring and concerned advocate to your customers. If they feel that you are reliable, knowledgeable, caring and genuinely concerned for their needs, they will ask you questions and they will value your alternative solutions. Remember that your tone, pace, word choice and acknowledging statements are the behaviors that will build that trust with your customers. If through your tone, pace or word choice, you sound bored, disinterested or irritated, they will be sure to take their business somewhere else. Focus on all the behaviors that will help you be a WOW Sales AND Service Representative.
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