Effective Telephone Sales Techniques

‘Increase sales and build customer relationships over the telephone’

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

A practical and interactive one day workshop, the course is designed for all sales staff who takes incoming sales calls and enquiries from customers as well as those who make outgoing calls.

AIM

The aim of this workshop is to help sales staff achieve a greater understanding of what motivates people to buy and become more effective in their ability to influence and communicate with customers using the telephone in order to grow sales. The participants will gain a greater awareness of customer’s expectations, learning to develop the necessary skills and techniques in using the telephone to confidentially increase sales whilst building valuable customer relations.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• After completing the workshop, each participant will be able to:
• Apply highly developed communications skills for improved customer relations
• Be motivated to recognize the importance in presenting a professional image at all times
• Understand why people buy, what are the customers’ expectations and needs
• Improve their efficiency on the telephone through better preparation and planning
• Overcome reluctance, build confidence, knowing how and when to control the call
• Understand what it means to have the right attitude and really listen to customers
• Become more assertive in the day to day communications by phone
• Learn how to handle both incoming and outgoing calls in a confident and professional manner
• Make the most of enquiries, generate new leads through cold calling
• Know how to ask the right questions in order to qualify sales and get customer feedback
• Build a case, handle objections effectively and qualify the price
• Recognise buying signals and know when to ask for the order
• Recognise and build opportunities for generating additional sales
• Build personalised communications with clients generating happier customers
• Build trust and loyalty with the customer, whilst portraying a helpful and friendly impression
• Apply adaptable skills to deal with difficult situations in a confident and competent manner
• Understand the importance in handling and managing customer complaints

COURSE CONTENT

• Top frustrations of a caller and the reasons why people buy by telephone
• The importance of first impressions and having the right attitude on the telephone
• Preparation and planning of calls, overcoming reluctance and building confidence
• Learning to communicate properly and control the call
• Dealing with humour – when it’s appropriate and when its not
• Using empathy rather than sympathy
• The importance of a tone of voice
• Working the numbers in sales, generating leads and cold calling
• Talking in the customer’s language, features and benefits and proving your product or service
• The use of open ended questions versus closed questions in qualifying leads
• Understanding the customer’s needs  - ask the right questions and verify
• Matching the customer’s needs with your product or service offering
• Handling objections and qualifying the price and dealing with rejection
• How to avoid overselling, recognising verbal buying signals and asking for the order
• Taking detailed notes and analysing calls
• Working to a schedule
• Understanding why people complain, dealing with complaints turning them in business

TRAINING METHOD

The training will take the form of a one-day workshop, with group discussions and feedback based on individual/group needs.  Each participant will receive a course workshop manual.