IMTS Marketing Management (Customer Relationship management)

I ns t i t ut eo fMa na g e me nt & Te c hni c a lSt udi e s

CUSTOMER RELATI ONSHI P MANAGEMENT

MARKETI NGMANAGEMENT

www. i mt s i ns t i t ut e . c o m

IMTS (ISO 9001-2008 Internationally Certified)

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

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CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT CONTENTS:

UNIT1: WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE?

01-13

Objectives, Introduction, What is Customer Service?, Need versus Want, Customer Expectations, Moment of truth, Customer Service or Customer Delight, Customers Internal and External, Role of a Customer Service Executive, Let us sum up, Key Words, Suggested Reading, Answers

UNIT 2: ROLE OF A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

14-23

Objectives, Introduction, Role of a Customer Service Representative (CSR), Role of a CSR in an Inbound Call Centre, Role of a CSR in an Outbound Call Centre, Essential Attributes of a CSR,let us sum up, Key Words, Suggested Reading, Answers UNIT 3: CUSTOMER SERVICE OVER THE PHONE

24-38

Objectives, Introduction, Telephone Techniques, Answering the Telephone/Greeting, Placing Customers on hold, Call Transfer, Taking Phone Messages, Answering Voice Mail, Closing the Conversation, Handling Dead Air on Calls, Structuring a Call, Opening a Call, Developing a Call, Proposing a Solution, Gaining Agreement, Closing a Call, Let us sum up, Key Words,Suggested Reading, Answers UNIT 4: KINDS OF CUSTOMERS

39-51

Objectives, Introduction, Difficult Customers, Indecisive Customers,Reluctant Customers, Demanding Customers, Rude and Inconsiderate Customers, Talkative Customers, Irate Customers, Passive Customers, Dissatisfied Customers, Let us sum up, Key words, Suggested Reading

UNIT 5: RAPPORT AND EMPATHY

52-64

Objectives, Introduction, What Is Rapport?,Why Do We Need Rapport?, Building Rapport on a Call, Empathy, Sympathy versus Empathy, Using Empathy Phrases, The “Feel/Felt/ Found” Method, Ways to Show Empathy, Let Us Sum Up, Key Words,Suggested Reading FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT US ON WWW.IMTSINSTITUTE.COM OR CALL ON +91-9999554621

UNIT 6: EFFECTIVE LISTENING

65-79

Objectives, Introduction, Difference between Listening and Hearing, Process of Listening, Different Types of Listening, Barriers to Listening, Myths about Listening, How to be an Effective Listener?, Are you a Good Listener?, Let Us Sum Up, Key Words, Suggested Reading, Answers

UNIT 7: Probing and Paraphrasing

80-91

Objectives, Introduction, What is Effective Probing?, Process of Effective Probing, Types of Questions,What is Paraphrasing?,Let Us Sum Up, Suggested Reading, Answers UNIT 8: WHAT IS TELESELLING AND UNCOVERING CUSTOMER NEEDS?

92-112

Objectives,Introduction, What is Teleselling?, Teleselling Basics, Essential Attributes of a TSR, The Steps in Teleselling, Opening a Sales Call, Attention Gaining Techniques, Concept of Need and Customer Motivation, Uncovering Customer needs,Types of Customers,The Key to Effective Prospecting,The Process of Questioning,Benefits of Questioning, The Funnel Technique,Let Us Sum Up,Key Words,Suggested Reading,Answers UNIT 9: PRODUCT PRESENTATION

113-123

Objectives,Introduction,Product Presentation, Features, Advantages, Benefits (FAB),Difference between Features, Advantages and Benefits,WIIFM – The Advantage Trap,Think FAB,Let Us Sum Up, Key Words,Suggested Reading, Answers UNIT 10: CLOSING THE SALE

124-144

Objectives,Introduction,Closing a Sale: What you need to know, Buying and NonBuying Signals: Is the prospect ready to buy?,Handling Objections,Closing Techniques,Let us sum up, Key Words,Suggested Reading

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UNIT1: WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE? Structure 1.0 Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 What is Customer Service?

1.3 Need versus Want 1.4 Customer Expectations 1.5 Moment of truth 1.6 Customer Service or Customer Delight 1.7 Customers - Internal and External 1.8 Role of a Customer Service Executive 1.9 Let us sum up 1.10 Key Words 1.11 Suggested Reading 1.12 Answers

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OBJECTIVES

The aim of this unit is to help you to • Understand what Customer Service means • Understand the differences between needs and wants • Recognize customer expectations • Identify Moment of Truth • Differentiate between Customer Service and Customer Delight • Differentiate between Internal and External Customers • Recognize your role as a Customer Service Representative 1.1 INTRODUCTION Look at a day in your life. You step out of the house to buy yourself a brand new shirt or perhaps some groceries for your mother. What happens next? You walk into the store and the salesman there wishes you pleasantly, enquires about your job and then proceeds to ask you what you would like to see. You tell him that you are looking for shirts for formal wear, preferably a darker shade of blue.

Who are you at this point? – A customer. Think of how you feel as a customer. Later in the day you are at your father’s shop, standing in for him as he had to run some errands. You get a call from Mr Jagjit, enquiring if your father is in. You say that he has stepped out.

However, you ask him whether you could be of any assistance to him. He tells you that he wants to know whether the ceiling fan that he had given for repair is ready. You tell him that you will find out and let him know. What are you doing at this point? – Assisting the customer – offering customer service. Customer service is an integral part of the present day competitive business environment.

The customer today is a well informed individual who wants value for his money. He also wants good service and is willing to pay for it. There is no business without customers, so it is essential to focus on understanding and providing everything a customer needs. Good customer service practices lead to higher gains and a distinctive advantage in today’s competitive markets. When the customer’s interaction is made into a memorable and effective one, it leads to loyalty that cannot be replaced even by short-term, price- based promotional offers by competitors. Remember customer service is governed by the rule of 10s. If it costs Rs 10000 to get a new customer, it takes only 10 seconds to lose one. Customers today are therefore the most important part of the business and one must work to retain them. Customers talk. How do you hear of a good restaurant or a shop that stocks clothes or shoes that you’ve been waiting to buy? More often than not it is by word-of-mouth -- a friend who has visited the store or an uncle who has dined at the restaurant. A satisfied customer is perhaps the most effective advertisement of the business. His satisfaction leads to recommendations that help business grow. Recollect the satisfaction experienced every time your neighbourhood storekeeperstocks on and offers you your favourite brand of chips or shampoo without you having to remind him. On the contrary, a dissatisfied customer acts as a deterrent to business success. Statistics show that a dissatisfied customer will talk about his dissatisfaction to at least 10 people. Approximately 13 percent of these will talk about it to 20 other people. This negative word–ofmouth propaganda cannot be

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overcome even with the most expensive advertising strategies. Thus it is important to remember that a customer is the most crucial link in any business- the customer is the KING. Valuable customer interactions take forward a company’s service profile miles ahead in the competition.

1.2 WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE? Customer Service is defined as the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. “Customer Service is a series of activities designed to enhance the levels of satisfaction of a customer –that is the feeling that a product or service has met or exceeded the customer’s expectation.” (Turban et al. 2002). It is a commitment to providing value added services to external and internal customers. It involves giving quality service in a timely manner and the total activity of identifying and satisfying customer needs time and again. Customer service can be provided by a person; for example, a representative or by automated means like the internet sites or pre recorded messages. Customer Service is a critical factor for success in any business. Good customer service will help an organisation maintain a competitive edge over its rivals in the same sector. It will help to generate higher profits as also cut costs thus leading to a stress free work environment. All of this adds to creating a good image for the company which will attract future customers.

Thus the nature of the interaction between the customer and the service provider is an important part of the image of the company in the market. Good customer service leads to repeated business interactions and therefore growth in market share.

Check your Progress 1 1. List two instances of GOOD customer service that you have experienced and explain how you felt after these interactions? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................

Having listed out your experiences read through the checklist and compare your list: � Warmly greeted customer � Made customer feel valued and important � Was pleasant and willing to help

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� Listened actively to the customer � Understood the needs or requirements of the customer � Did not make false promises to the customer 2. Now list two instances of BAD customer service that you have experienced as a customer and explain how you felt after those interactions. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................

Once again match your experience with the list below. � Made the customer feel unwelcome � Was rude and curt with the customer � Ignored the customer � Imposed personal preferences on the customer � Was unresponsive and did not clarify the customer’s doubts � Wasted the customer’s time

1.3 NEED VERSUS WANT A need is something we should have; something we can't do without. It is a basic necessity. A good example is water; if we don’t drink water, we won't survive for long. We may not want to spend on water all the time, but we will need it at least for drinking. Have you heard or read about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – a theory he proposed in his paper –A Theory of Human Motivation (1943).

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is often shown as a pyramid consisting of five levels: the four lower levels are grouped together as being associated with needs that are basic for existence and need to be met. These are items that are necessary to sustain life; for example, food, shelter, clothing, water and air. The top level is termed growth needs and is associated with psychological needs or needs

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which relate to personal growth. The higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus when the lower needs in the pyramid are satisfied.

A want is something we would like to have but not necessarily need. A good example is when one may want to buy a new bag or the latest mobile phone that one sees in the store window on display.

The person may not really be in need of a new bag since there is already an existing one or need a new phone as the current phone is in good working condition; however, he/she may stillhave an urge to buy it.

Similarly, a car is a want. We don't really need a car to survive. We might want to travel by car to save time, to avoid the crowd, to avoid stopping at every public stop and perhaps to avoid walking, but other means of transport like buses and cycles can help us in getting to our destination. Commuting could be a need, but commuting by car and not by bus is a want. Apart from these two, we also need to understand the third, and yet critical, concept of customer service – Demand. Demand is a customer’s want coupled with his/her buying power. So if we were to look at the earlier example, the customer who already has a bag of phone and still wants a new one has a demand if he also has the money to pay for the new bag or phone. Needs are therefore things that a customer feels or believes are necessary. It will also vary from one customer to the other. Wants are desired objects that the customer would like to have, which though may not be absolutely necessary, may bring the individual personal satisfaction, happiness or appreciation.

1.4 CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS Customer interaction can be mutually beneficial if both the service provider and the customer participate in understanding each other. A customer is always happy to define his needs and wants.

Knowing what the customer expects, wants and needs allows the service provider to structure his or her offer better. Usually companies find out what their customers want through polls, surveys and questionnaires. Every customer has certain basic expectations in terms of service from the service provider. Listed below are some of the basic expectations: • Respect and recognition • Help • Comfort, compassion and support • To be listened to with empathy • Satisfaction • Trust and trustworthiness • A friendly smiling face • Understanding • To be made to feel important • A quality or product or service at a fair price Customer expectations are constantly evolving and changing. Your standards of customer service must always be pitched on these evolving needs. Aim to not just meet expectations but exceed them.

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Check your progress 2 You have booked a table at the restaurant and when you reach there you are told that you would need to wait for at least fifteen minutes. You are hungry and upset as well, but decide against walking out as there is no other restaurant close by. What would your needs or expectation be in this situation? ………………………........................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................………………………......... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .....................................................................………………………...................................................... ........................................................

1.5 MOMENT OF TRUTH What is a moment of truth? A moment of truth is the interaction between the customer and the customer service provider which leaves a lasting impression on the customer...positive or negative!

“A Moment of Truth is any opportunity to create a lasting perception in our customer’s mind.”(Jan Carlzon1986) Service organizations especially have to face the moment of truth over and over again.

Meeting a customer for the first time is also a moment of truth. There are several moments of truth right through the chain of customer service. It makes the difference between your success and failure.

A moment of truth adds to the total experience of the customer.

Let us understand this through an example. For instance, a young couple, recently married, has arrived in Bangalore from Delhi after the husband got a new job. They are eager to find a nice house close to their place of work. They are full of enthusiasm and want to quickly settle in. They contact a real estate agent, Harshika. She knows that she has to get them a house with a reasonable rent as they would need to budget their money for their purchases in their new house. Harshika knows that her moment of truth is in the first meeting that she has with them and in the way she is able to get an affordable rental for them. She will need to manage the couple’s expectations. She could lose their loyalty and in a service organisation this is crucial. Did you know that at Disneyland the employees are to acknowledge the customers or the guestsnm when they are within 10 feet distance, and if they are within five feet of the guests they are to acknowledge them verbally? Small instances like this add up to the overall expectation of the customer’s satisfaction. Or take the example of a restaurant where the waiter on seeing you coming in with a five year old , comes up to you, smiles and offers the child a coloring book and crayons. Remember a moment of truth is an opportunity to prove the worth of your organization. It is important to manage your moments of truth. They go a long way in long term customer loyalty.

1.6 CUSTOMER SERVICE OR CUSTOMER DELIGHT Prem lost his mobile phone. The telephone company told him to file a police report and then come down to their office to buy a new phone. When he arrived at the office, the counter staff member was helpful and understanding. She gave him a discount on his new phone purchase and a free replacement SIM card holding all his personal account details. He was pleased and grateful. In this case study what did the customer Prem experience? Was this Service or Delight?

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............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................

A delighted customer will stay loyal to your business for life. They will tell 17 to 20 people about their delightful experience. Up to 90% become even more loyal after recovery than before the problem.

Let us look at another example Kshitij, CEO, Offspring Limited, dropped his Nexton mobile onto the stone floor of his office lobby. The outer case of the phone was chipped in one corner, but the software and the system still worked. He called Nexton to purchase a replacement cover. “Nothing doing,” replied the Nexton customer service representative. They insisted that he needed a completely new piece. “No way!” Kshitij retorted. “Why should I buy a new mobile phone and pay all over again when all I need is to replace a plastic part worth fifty rupees at the most?” “Oh no,” the representative assured him. “The new phone won’t cost you a penny. Your current phone is still under warranty.”

The representative promised to courier a brand new phone to him immediately, and then explained that Kshitij could courier the old unit back in the very same box. She apologized that the deadline had passed for the next day’s delivery, so the new phone would arrive in two days instead. Two days later, as promised, a small package arrived for Kshitij at the office. Inside was a brand new phone – with complete instructions on how to transfer data from the old phone into the new one, as well as a preaddressed courier delivery slip. All Kshitij had to do was transfer his data, put the old phone with the chipped cover into the box, apply the pre-printed label and then call the toll-free number to arrange an immediate courier pickup. Kshitij was overwhelmed. This is truly delightful service. So you see we can define delightful as something completely beyond the expected, something that brings joy to the customer. We discussed earlier that effective customer service requires the service provider to meet the customer’s expectation aptly. How does one do that? Informal questioning in a conversational way is one such way of getting an insight into the customer’s needs. It can be done in a more formal manner through interviews, focus groups, polls or telephone surveys. The technique of questioning is however very important. Listed below are five sample questions.

Put yourself in the place of the service provider and answer them. a) What benefits will the customer receive from my business? b) What is the customer’s need level for my products or services? c) Does my product or service satisfy the wants and need of the particular customer? d) What are the perceived risks and costs the customer has in doing business with me?

NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS = DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS MEETING EXPECTATIONS = SATISFIED CUSTOMERS EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS = DELIGHTED CUSTOMERS

e) What do I need to do to keep the customer’s loyalty to my business?

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a) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ b) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ c) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ d) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ e) ____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Now switch roles, put yourself in the shoes of the customer and answer the following questions. a) How were you greeted? b) How prompt was the service? c) Did the product meet your expectations? d) How did you feel about the way you were treated? e) Would you like to recommend this provider to anyone else? a) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ b) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ c) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ d) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ e) ____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

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Once these questions have been answered by both the customer and you, you will have a good idea as to how to meet or satisfy your customers’ needs. Customer satisfaction alone cannot be the differentiating factor that gives your company the edge over competitors. Today to be successful and stay ahead you have to go the extra mile – exceed customer expectation, create the WOW factor.Creating the WOW factor requires paying attention to small details. As a sales person at a bookstore, remembering a customer’s favourite author and giving him a call to tell him that the latest book by the author is now at the store is a fine example of going the extra mile.

Check your progress 3 Think of an occasion in the last six months when you have received excellent customer service and answer the following questions to review your experience.

1. Were you greeted warmly and pleasantly? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………..........................................

2. Were you attended to as soon as you entered the store? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………..........................................

3. How would you qualify your interaction with the person serving you? Enjoyable, memorable, participative. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………..........................................

4. Did the service exceed your expectation? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………..........................................

1.7 CUSTOMERS - INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL A customer is the lifeblood of any business. As part of any business organization you work for the customer. The customer is a person with feelings and emotions just like you. He has needs, wants and expectations, sometimes fears and complaints too. The best way to satisfy customers is to know as much about them as possible. What do customers want? They expect respect and recognition, comfort and compassion, support and trust, understanding and a feeling of importance. Customers can be external and internal. External customers are individuals or organizations that receive products or services from the company. These customers are the company’s clients and the most important people to your organisation. Without these people coming into your shop and buying

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your products your business would not succeed. If a customer feels like she is interrupting your staff she will shop elsewhere in the future, which will only result in a lost sale for your organisation.

Companies focus their efforts on creating a dynamic relationship with external customers with exciting offers and solutions and often forget about their service to internal benefactors within thecompanythe staff. Has it ever occurred to you that customer service occurs within an organization as well?

Internal customers are those that interact within the organisation. An organization comprises several departments and these departments depend on each other for various services. Everybody is accountable to somebody. In the workplace, this means that every one of us, regardless of what we

Internal Customer External Customer do, is responsible for delivering something to somebody. Maybe it is getting your timesheets into the payroll department, or sharing your productivity information with management. It is helpful to think of your customer service network as consisting of a series of inputs and outputs. Various things such as information, queries and tasks are passed on to you and you in turn pass the communication or work to others in the chain. For example, a human resources executive becomes a customer for the administrative department when he approaches them for logistic support. Similarly if an administrative executive approaches the accounts in charge for details of employee salaries, the former is a customer and the latter the service provider.

Note: ME here could be a co-ordinator for any of the departments mentioned above.

Using this chart list the names of the people in your internal customer network- identify where you are the customer and where the service provider. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………......

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WHO INPUTS TO ME WHO GETS MY OUTPUTS Operations Manager Manpower request Human Resources Manpower Vacancy Training Co-ordinator Trainee Transport Requirement Administrative Transport Allocation Company’s Electricity Release of payment Administrative Dept. Finance Department MIS Dept. Finance Dept.

Requisition for work Purchase Order

1.8 ROLE OF A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE As a Customer Service Representative, you are the brand ambassador of the company and a direct point of contact for the company’s customers. All customer service representatives interact with customers to provide information in response to enquiries about products or services or to handle and resolve complaints. They communicate with customers through a variety of means—by telephone, by e-mail, fax, or in person. Most customer service representatives use computers and telephones extensively in their work. Listed below are some of the responsibilities that a Customer Service Representative takes on: � Confers with customers to provide information about products and services � Takes orders or cancels orders � Obtains details of complaints � Keeps records of customer interactions and transactions � Records details of enquiries and action taken � Resolves customers' complaints � Contacts customers to respond to inquiries � Refers unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation

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� Prepares change of address records � Solicits sale of new or additional services or products � Assists a customer to solve technical problems related to the products/services To be an effective Customer Service Representative you would need to be a good communicator with good interpersonal skills. A positive attitude and a commitment to help can take a customer service representative very far. Efficient and memorable customer care requires credibility, accessibility, reliability and excellence (CARE) in service. A thorough knowledge of the product and systems in your organisation helps you address the concerns and queries of the customers. The bottom line is that as a Customer Service Representative you represent the organisation and are responsible for helping the customer satisfy his wants or needs efficiently and in a timely manner. We will look at the role of Customer Service Representative in BPO and related industries in the following unit.

Check your progress 4 Fill in a word that best defines the corresponding statement.

An individual or organization that receives products or services from the company. The brand ambassador of the company and a direct point of contact for the company’s customers. Going the extra mile and exceeding the customer’s expectation An opportunity to create a lasting perception in our customer’s mind. The provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.

1.9 LET US SUM UP In this unit we have learnt: i) Customer Service means the provision of service , before , during and after purchase of a product ii) To differentiate between needs and wants iii) To recognize customer expectations iv) What it means to delight a customer v) Ways to delight a customer vi) Who is an internal customer vii) Your role and responsibilities as a Customer Service Representative

1.10 KEY WORDS �Credibility-The quality of being trustworthy so that your customer can believe what you say �Reliability- Capable of being relied or depended upon �Accessibility- Easily approachable ,easy to talk to and get along with �Brand ambassador- A person who represents the face of the company and is in the frontline

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1.11 REFERENCE AND SUGGESTED READING • Customer Service Omnibus – Customer Service Pocketbook - 2nd edition by Tony Newby & Sean Mc Manus • Beyond Customer Service by Richard F Gerson

1.12 ANSWERS Check your Progress 4 1. External Customers 2. Customer Service Representative 3. Customer Delight 4. Moment of Truth 5. Customer Service

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UNIT 2: ROLE OF A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

Structure 2.0 Objectives 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Role of a Customer Service Representative (CSR) 2.2.1 Role of a CSR in an Inbound Call Centre 2.2.2 Role of a CSR in an Outbound Call Centre 2.3 Essential Attributes of a CSR 2.4 let us sum up 2.5 Key Words 2.6 Suggested Reading 2.7 Answers

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2.0 OBJECTIVES After studying this material carefully, you will be able to: • Learn about the role a CSR plays in a call centre • Know about the basic differences in the skills required for CSRs in an Inbound and Outbound Call Centre.

• Get an insight into the essential attributes and Customer Service skills required by a CSR in a call centre 2.1 INTRODUCTION Customers are delighted when they are handled with ‘CARE’, i.e., their expectations are met and exceeded every single time they call an organization for the support or service they need. It is in the interest of any organization to ensure its customers are happy with the service they receive, irrespective of the solutions being provided at that very moment the customers call. Though every CEO of a company might want to personally take care of his/her customers by providing solutions, it is, by far, difficult to imagine the CEO handling 500 calls (average) in a day. The bridge that connects the customer and the management of most organizations today is called Customer Relationship Management (CRM), also called the Call Center Unit of an organization. A team of members with good communication skills, designated as Customer Service Representatives (CSR), form a part of the CRM team. Let us understand the role of a CSR in detail.

2.2 ROLE OF A CSR A CSR, at a call centre, is someone who has been trained to handle customer concerns and queries.

It is expected of the CSRs to provide service to their customers, and give immediate action to their issues. CSRs are employed by different types of companies to serve as a direct point of contact for customers. They are responsible for ensuring that their company’s customers receive an adequate level of service or help with their queries and concerns. These customers may be individual consumers or other companies, and their service needs can vary considerably.

All CSRs interact with customers to provide information in response to inquiries about products or services and to handle and resolve complaints. They communicate with customers through avariety of means—by telephone or e-mail. Some CSRs handle general queries and complaints, whereas others specialize in a particular area. Some of the forms through which CSR reach out to customers are: • E-mail • Telephone In some call centres, CSRs spend their entire day on the telephone. In others, they may spend part of their day answering e-mails and the remainder of the day taking calls. CSRs need to remain aware of the amount of time spent with each customer so that they can fairly distribute their time among the people who require their assistance. This is particularly important for those whose primary activities are answering telephone calls and whose conversations are required to be kept within a set time limit (Average Handling Time called as AHT). For those working in call centres,

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there is usually very little time between telephone calls. When working in call centres, CSRs are likely to be under close supervision. Telephone calls may be taped and reviewed by supervisors to ensure that company policies and procedures are being followed. Most CSRs use computers and telephones extensively in their work. CSRs frequently enter information into a computer as they speak to customers. Often, organizations have large amounts of data, such as account information. This is pulled-up on a computer screen while the representative is talking to a customer so one can answer specific questions. CSRs also usually have answers to the most common customer questions, or guidelines for dealing with complaints. In the event that they encounter a question or situation to which they do not know how to respond, CSRs consult with a supervisor to determine the best course of action. They generally use multiline telephone systems, which may route calls directly to the most appropriate representative. However, at times, they must transfer calls to someone who may be better equipped to respond to the customer’s needs.

Job responsibilities also can differ, depending on the industry in which a CSR is employed. For example, those working in the branch office of a bank may assume the responsibilities of other workers, such as teller or new account clerk, as needed. In insurance agencies, a CSR interacts with agents, insurance companies, and policyholders. These workers handle much of the paperwork related to insurance policies, such as policy applications and changes and renewals of existing policies. They answer questions regarding policy coverage, help with reporting claims, and do anything else that may need to be done. Although they must have similar credentials and knowledge of insurance products as insurance agents, the duties of a CSR differ from those of an agent as they are not responsible for seeking potential customers.

CSRs employed by utilities and communications companies assist individuals interested in opening accounts for various utilities such as electricity and gas, or for communication services such as cable television and telephone. They explain various options and receive orders for services to be installed, turned on, turned off, or changed. They also may look into and resolve complaints about billing and other service. The outsourcing industry has evolved in the last decade and is expected to grow steadily in the future as well. There are essentially two types of call centres - inbound and outbound.

A CSR’s role varies in an inbound and an outbound call centre.

Check your Progress 1 1) In your own words, describe a Customer Service Representative (CSR). ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

2.2.1 ROLE OF A CSR IN INBOUND CALL CENTERS When a customer calls the Call Centre, it is an inbound call. Many customer inquiries involve routine questions and requests. For example, CSRs may be asked to provide a customer with their credit card balance, or to check on the status of an order. However, other questions are moreinvolved, and may require additional research or further explanation on the part of the CSR. In handling customers’ complaints, they must attempt to resolve the problem according to guidelines established by the company. These procedures may involve asking questions to determine the validity of a complaint; offering possible solutions; or providing customers with refunds, exchanges, or other offers, like discounts or coupons. In some cases, representatives in a

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call centre are required to follow-up with an individual customer until a question is answered or an issue is resolved. Some CSRs help people decide what types of products or services would best suit their needs. They may even aid customers in completing purchases or transactions. Although the primary function of CSRs in such cases may not be sales, some may spend time encouraging customers to purchase additional products or services. For example, when a customer calls the contact centre of an insurance company for details, the CSR may not have to “hard” sell a policy; however, the customer may, by the end of the call, decide to buy a policy based on the service/information provided. A simple call for information can be converted into a sale. CSRs may also make changes or updates to a customer’s profile or account information. They may keep records of transactions and update and maintain databases of information.

A CSR’s function in any Inbound Call Centre is to communicate with the customers and gather information as to their concerns. This information will enable a CSR to provide answers or facilitate the processing of their request. The CSRs are in charge of managing and finding solutions to the customers’ complaints.

Common transactions that are brought to the CSR in an Inbound Call Centre are the availing of services, complaints, procedural inquiries, technical problems, order status or check of balances. To provide answers to these transactions, a CSR solves them by looking-up the information over the computer. A CSR follows established guidelines as to the line of questions that would have to be asked from customers. The guidelines should include validating complaints through questions. They should also check from customers if it is a recurring incident.

Check your Progress 2 Fill in the Blanks a) CSRs may be asked to provide a customer with their ………………. balance, or to check on the ………………. of an order. b) The CSRs are in charge of ………………. and ………………. solutions to the customer’s complaints. c) In handling customers’ complaints, they must attempt to resolve the problem according to ………………. established by the company. d) Common transactions that are brought to the CSR in an Inbound call centre are the availing of services, ………………., procedural ………………., ………………. problems, ………………. status or ………………. balances.

2.2.2 ROLE OF A CSR IN OUTBOUND CALL CENTERS When the call goes out to a customer from a CSR, it is an outbound call. Typically, this type of Call Center is involved in Tele-Marketing, Tele-Selling or Collections. It could be, for example, a call center for a credit card company or a financial institution, or any company that wishes to survey the market or sell its products over the phone. For example, those working in the call centre unit of an insurance company handle calls related to insurance policies, such as policy applications and changes and renewals to existing policies. They answer questions regarding policy coverage, help with reporting claims, and offer services relevant to Insurance Company requirements that may need to be done.

Although they must have similar credentials and knowledge of insurance products as insurance agents, the duties of a CSR differ from those of an agent as they are not responsible for seeking potential customers. CSRs employed by utilities and communications companies assist individuals

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interested in opening accounts for various utilities such as electricity and gas, or for communication services such as cable television (Example- Direct to Home) and telephone. They explain various options and receive orders for services to be installed, turned on, turned off, or changed. They may also look into and resolve complaints about billing (Example- Mobile phone companies) and other services. A CSR’s other functions in an Outbound Call Centre include assisting customers in their purchasing decisions (Example- CSRs in the call centre unit of an insurance company, a credit card company, a cable television, etc.). They may advise consumers on the products suitable for them.

Check your Progress 3 Fill in the Blanks: a) An Outbound Call Center is involved in……………., tele-selling or …………….. b) CSRs employed by utilities and communications companies assist individuals interested in opening accounts for various utilities such as ………………. and ………………. or for communication services such as ………………. and ………………. c) CSRs employed by mobile phone companies may look into and resolve complaints about ………………. and other………………. .

2.3 ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF A CSR International call centres have clients based across the globe, in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Australia; so the CSRs are physically sitting in India while they attend to calls that are routed to India from another country. This is the reason for an emphasis on CSRs possessing good spoken English skills. A CSR is required to have good communication skills as his / her work involves communicating and handling global customers. Computer knowledge is likewise required as most information is drawn over the computer. But to top it all, one should have good interpersonal skills as one is dealing with customers’ problems and concerns. As a CSR, one will have to converse with callers who could have various accents and it is one’s responsibility to not only listen to and understand what their concern is, but also to communicate effectively and provide a comprehensive and suitable solution.

What we are focusing on in this Unit is a list of qualities that is essential in high performing CSRs, regardless of the organization they work for. These qualities include: � Positive Attitude � Desire to Help � Organizational Skills � Ability to Multi-task � High Attention to Detail � Ability to Prioritize Effectively � Follow-up Skills

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� Relationship-Building Skills � Effective Communication � Teamwork

Positive Attitude: Helen Keller says it best about positive attitudes. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you can’t see the shadows.” In other words, positive attitudes allow those in problem-solving situations to see the issues as opportunities, not problems. A positive attitude helps the CSR to explore and create workable solutions for customers.

Desire to Help: The second characteristic of highly qualified CSRs, at a call centre, is their desire to help that gives them the greatest sense of satisfaction; and makes them better at this profession than those who are motivated by other factors.

Organizational Skills: In trying to rate the characteristics of the CSR, organizational skills is the third quality and an absolute necessity for the role. This skill helps one to organize his/her routine and workload so all the important things get done in priority. Becoming organized means “having place for everything and everything in its place.” Organizational skills are the keystone to having a more balanced life.

They work hand in glove with Conscious Prioritization and Time Management to help you design a more fulfilling life!

Ability to Multi-task: Most customer service roles require its representatives to be able to deal with a wide range of information and tasks that basically require general knowledge about all aspects of the business.

Many different types of issues, tasks, and priorities need to be dealt with in a given amount of time.

(Example- The members of the helpdesk (call centres) of a credit card company should be skilled at the use of computers as they might be dealing with multiple screens at the same time.)

High Attention to Detail: This crucial skill can mean the difference between getting the products and services the customer has requested or not. Even the tiniest missed detail can have a catastrophic impact on the bottom line if you have not met the client’s request. Either the customer leaves, or the company is forced

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to save the situation by giving away products and services due to errors.

Ability to Prioritize Effectively: Due to the nature of the job, CSRs typically deal with a multitude of tasks and responsibilities, most of which are time sensitive. Strong CSRs prioritize, based on the possible negative or positive impact to the customer. They find a way to balance that with the impact on the revenues or costs associated with their own organization.

Follow-up Skills: CSRs with follow-up skills are vital to the long-term existence of any business today. The business world evaluates the strength and quality of its people on their ability to follow up. For instance, a follow up call by a CSR to check if the customer’s mobile connection has been activated or if he has received his PIN or if the laptops have been delivered in good condition, etc., boosts the reputation of the organization the CSR works for and also helps one build good rapport with the same customer. Following up with the customer on his requests, suggestions, queries or complaints is a sure shot way of delighting the customer.

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lationship-Building Skills: Building relationships that transpire into friendships is the gift of the highly skilled CSR. People naturally want to deal with their friends, and these warm relationships that develop can significantly impact the problem-solving process. Friends working together to solve problems can more easily lead to a win-win situation for both parties than a strictly business relationship whereby both parties look for a “me only” solution. These warm, yet professional relationships lead to repeat business and long-term solid partnerships. Many people are not very technically sound and when these people call in an internet service provider with their problems, a CSR who makes them feel comfortable and provides a solution in a friendly manner will help not only boost one’s own career prospects but also the organization’s success.

Effective Communication: Customer Service Representatives play a critical role in providing an interface between customers and companies. As a result, employers seek out people who are friendly and possess a professional manner. The ability to deal patiently with problems and complaints and to remain courteous when

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faced with difficult or angry people is very important. Workers should have a clear and pleasant speaking voice and be fluent in English.

Teamwork: The key to success for many businesses today is the existence of a team culture. The team concept has been widely researched and in the true sense of the word: TEAM = Together Everyone Accomplishes More: The CSR is typically the liaison between all internal departments and the customer. Information needs to flow smoothly throughout these departments to ensure that the customer’s needs are being met. If customer satisfaction is the goal, CSRs are ultimately responsible for ensuring that a high level of communication is maintained throughout the process.

Check your Progress 4 1. List the qualities that are essential to a CSR for high performance. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………..........................................

2. The word TEAM stands for: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………..........................................

3. What does Helen Keller say about positive attitude? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………..........................................

2.4 LET US SUM UP In this unit we have learnt: The key role of a CSR is to provide service to its customers, and give immediate action to their issues. Job responsibilities can differ, depending on the industry in which a CSR is employed. A CSR’s role varies in an inbound and an outbound call centre. When a customer calls the Call Centre, it is an inbound call and when the call goes out from the customer, it is an outbound call.

Deliverability of quality results are of the utmost importance to both these kinds of centers and it is the responsibility of every CSR to ensure high performance to achieve quality results.

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All this is possible when a CSR hones these qualities: • Positive Attitude • Desire to Help • Organizational Skills • Ability to Multi-task • High Attention to Detail • Ability to Prioritize Effectively • Follow-up Skills • Relationship-Building Skills • Effective Communication • Teamwork Customer service and quick responsiveness are held in very high regard when it comes to building a positive image of a company, and a CSR with the above qualities can achieve it with ease.

2.5 KEY WORDS Validate: to prove something is true or correct Prioritize: to put several jobs, problems etc. in order of importance, so that you can deal with the most important ones first Liaison: communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation Credentials: Someone’s education, achievements, experience that prove they have the ability to do something.

Courteous: having good manners and respect for other people. �

to improve your skill at doing something

2.6 REFERENCE AND SUGGESTED READING • Customer Service Omnibus – Customer Service Pocketbook - 2nd edition by Tony Newby & Sean Mc Manus • Beyond Customer Service by Richard F Gerson

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2.7 ANSWERS Check your progress 1 1) A CSR is someone who has been trained to handle customer concerns and queries. The key role of CSR is to provide service to its customers, and give immediate action to their issues.

Check your Progress 2 Fill in the Blanks a) Credit card, status b) Managing, finding c) Guidelines d) Complaints, inquiries, technical, order, check of Check your Progress 3 Fill in the Blanks a) Telemarketing, collections b) Cable television , telephone c) Billing, services

Check your Progress 4 1. Positive Attitude, Desire to Help, Organizational Skills, Ability to Multi-task, High Attention to Detail, Ability to Prioritize Effectively, Follow-up Skills, Relationship-Building Skills, Effective Communication, Teamwork 2. TEAM = Together Everyone Accomplishes More 3. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you can’t see the shadows.”

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UNIT 3: CUSTOMER SERVICE OVER THE PHONE Structure 3.0 Objectives 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Telephone Techniques 3.2.1 Answering the Telephone/Greeting 3.2.2 Placing Customers on hold 3.2.3 Call Transfer 3.2.4 Taking Phone Messages 3.2.5 Answering Voice Mail 3.2.6 Closing the Conversation 3.3 Handling Dead Air on Calls 3.4 Structuring a Call 3.4.1 Opening a Call 3.4.2 Developing a Call 3.4.3 Proposing a Solution 3.4.4 Gaining Agreement 3.4.5 Closing a Call 3.5 Let us sum up 3.6 Key Words 3.7 Suggested Reading 3.8 Answers 3.0 OBJECTIVES In this unit we shall look at telephone techniques and understand why the telephone is an important tool in communication especially in the field of Customer Service. We shall also understand the flow of a typical Customer Call. After you complete this unit you should be able to: • Efficiently handle Customer Calls • Learn techniques to answer the phone with an appropriate greeting.

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• Learn to place a customer on hold • Recognize the steps involved in transferring a call from a customer to another department • Learn to handle dead air on calls • Answer voice messages and take phone messages • Understand the structure and sequence of a call which are: 

Opening a call



Developing a call



Proposing a solution



Gaining agreement



Closing the call

3.1 INTRODUCTION Effective communication is a vital part of the success or failure of any business, and while email is a popular way of keeping in touch, the good old telephone still has an important role to play. It is our link to the outside world. In fact the telephone is the first point of contact a customer has with any company, so it is very important that you make a good impression when you’re answering the phone. Telephone calls are live, and there is no going back once you have picked up the receiver and said your lines. Unfortunately, you cannot edit your comments or erase something inappropriate in favour of something better. Just like a face to face meeting, a telephone conversation should follow certain rules of etiquette.

It is easy to forget your manners when you speak on the phone. There are plenty of distractions around you. Remember every telephone conversation is also a measure of how your business is understood by others, so it’s important to make sure you give the right impression every time you pick up the receiver. As a customer service representative you must work hard to make every encounter on the telephone, a pleasant and productive one so that the customer chooses your company.

3.2 TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES � Telephone techniques are built from a few basic rules and principles. Proper phone technique can make or break deals or relationships. In fact, telephone etiquette can be summarized in one word: COURTESY. Let us see how we can use the telephone as a

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power tool. 

Always speak directly into the mouthpiece and if you are using other equipment like a

computer while on the phone, use a headset so that your hands are free. 

Speak a little slower on the phone than you would if you were having a general face-to-face

conversation. Important details can get overlooked if you speak too quickly and it also saves you from having to repeat yourself. 

Remember always to sound friendly and helpful. Let us look at this step by step.

3.2.1 ANSWERING THE TELEPHONE/GREETING When answering the phone for business, be sure to identify yourself and your company whenever possible and try to answer the phone within two to three rings. Business telephone calls usually lead to some action, so make sure your vocal impression is pleasant and professional. There are a number of ways to identify yourself and the company you work for. � “Thank you for calling GNR .How may I help you.” � “GNR, Deepak Rao”, or “GNR, Deepak Rao, how may I help you today?” � "This is Deepak Rao, accounts receivable department. How may I help you?"

If answering someone else’s line, be sure to include their name in your greeting, so that the other party does not think they have reached a wrong number. For example, if you are answering your colleague Rajesh Desai’s line, Deepak Rao would answer the phone in this manner: “Rajesh Desai’s line, Deepak Rao speaking,” and then take a message or handle the call.

While communicating over the phone, your message is communicated 18% by what you say and 82 % by how you say it. Your voice quality plays a very important role here. The voice quality is affected by factors such as the tone, pitch, speed and volume. Keep your tone enthusiastic and interesting, your pitch low so that you sound confident and responsible, your speed medium ranging between 100 and 140 words a minute, and your volume audible, neither too soft nor too loud.

Although we tell our callers a lot through our voice tone, the words and phrases we use convey a message. Unfortunately, sometimes we send a negative message to our caller through our choice of words. Be aware of the language you are using. Instead of saying, “You have to…”, “You need to…”, “Why didn’t you?”, try to use “Will you please…Would you please?”.

Negative phrases like “Your problem” or “Your complaint,” would sound better phrased as “Your

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question,” “Your concern,” or “this situation.” Many people use phrases like “I can’t do that” or “It’s not my job.” Instead, tell the caller what you can do, “While I’m not able to establish policy on this matter, I will speak to my manager about your concern.”

Check your progress 1 Rephrase the following negative statements that a bored and impatient Customer Service Representative used on a call to a customer Find out how these responses can be improved. Choose the most appropriate answers.

A. “I can see you’ve been charged, but I’m sorry, there is nothing I can do about it now.”

1. “You’ll be fine. Just take it up with your branch. Okay?”

2. “If you like, I’d be happy to talk to the branch for you, or I could transfer you directly.”

3. “It’s obvious you’ve been overcharged. I’ll transfer you to the accounts department but I don’t really think they can help.”

B. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do…”

1. “What do you expect me to do? I don’t have the time to follow this up.”

2. “I’m more than happy to assist you” 3. “I will personally make sure this is followed up. I will call you back in the evening at 4 p.m. and confirm the course of action that you would need to take.”

3.2.2 PLACING CUSTOMERS ON HOLD Sometimes when you are on a call with a customer, you may be required to provide additional information which is not immediately available on your computer screen or you may need to look for it in a register or ledger. At such times you would need to put your customer on hold. Being put on hold means to keep the customers waiting, while you check for the necessary information. Being placed on hold is perhaps the biggest frustration of any caller. Calls abruptly put on hold for minutes on end leave a customer wondering if the person on the other side is really concerned about him. A short period of a minute on hold can seem extremely long and tiresome to the caller. When you do have to put a customer on hold remember to ask your caller: � “May I put you on hold?” or � “May I place you on hold?, ”before doing so.

If you take the time to ask your caller to hold, be sure to listen to the response. After placing your customer on hold, check back periodically (between 30-45 seconds) and reassure the customer that you are still on the line and explain what you are currently doing. If someone expresses reservation about being put on hold, calmly explain why it is necessary. Perhaps the person they want to

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address their question to has stepped out of the office and needs to be tracked down, or is on another call. Alternately, give them the option to continue to hold if it will take longer to find information or offer to call them back. Tell your caller, “Mr Rao, I am working on pulling up your records. This may take a little longer. Please continue to stay on the line”. It is also advisable to offer a reason for the delay. Callers like an explanation for their inconveniences. When returning to your caller, remember to thank them for waiting. � “Mr. Rao, thank you for your patience.” � “Mr. Rao, thank you for being on hold” If your caller cannot hold, offer to take a message, transfer to another party, or arrange for them to return the call at a specific time.

Check your Progress 2 Mr. Johnson, your customer, has called in to find out what is the balance in his account. As luck would have it, there is a temporary power failure and it would take a couple of minutes to switch on the generator. You now have to place him on hold. What would you say?

[Hint: Remember to mention the period of time and the reason for which you’ll be placing him on hold] ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.2.3 CALL TRANSFER A call can be transferred from one agent to another or from one department to another department.

This is done when the caller requires specific information and a colleague from another department is better equipped to provide that information. Tell the customer the reason you are transferring the call before you do so. Then ask if it is all right to transfer the call. � “Mr. Rao, I would need to transfer this call to the marketing department. Would you please stay on the line while I transfer the call?”

Call the department or person to whom you are transferring a call and make sure that they can take the call. If they are able to take the call, give them the person’s name, their request, and any other relevant information.

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� “Hello, this is Rajesh calling from Customer Service. Ajith, I have a customer, Mr Rao who needs additional information about the availability of our products in the North Eastern States of India. May I transfer the call to you?”

Then, return to your caller and give them the name of the person they are being transferred to, the department and the telephone number if possible. � “Thank you for being on hold. I appreciate your patience Mr. Rao. I have a representative from Marketing who will answer your questions. His name is Ajith. I am now transferring your call, please stay on the line.”

Having learnt how to transfer a call between departments you can also use a similar process to transfer a call to your supervisor when a customer requests it or when you are not in a position to provide suitable answers. Remember to first explain to the customer why you are escalating their call to someone more senior.

Check your Progress 3 Let us look at this case of a customer – Mr. Alfred Thomas “Mr. Thomas, I would need to escalate this call to my Supervisor, Ms. Rawat, as she would be better equipped to answer your questions with regard to the discounts available for the coming month.”

Now ask for permission to transfer the call. In the space below compose the text for transferring the call. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Introduce the call to your supervisor Ms. Rawat. Give her the name of the customer and a brief description of why you are transferring the call. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Close the call by letting the customer, Mr. Thomas know you are putting him through. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3.2.4 TAKING PHONE MESSAGES Keep a pencil and pad near you and jot notes during phone conversations. This will help you “actively listen” and have a reference for later. Use active listening phrases such as “yes” or “I see” or “Great“ during the conversation so that the other person knows that you care about what they have to say.

Using your notes, repeat any resolutions or commitments on either side to be sure that both of you have understood. Sometimes you may be required to call back your customer. When calling someone, establish specific call-back times. Ask “When is the best time for me to call again?” or “Could you suggest a suitable time when I could call you back?”

3.2.5 ANSWERING VOICE MAIL If you reach an answering device, for example, an answering machine or voice mail, wait to hear the beep and then leave the following information: • Your name, including the correct spelling, if necessary • Your department and telephone number • Date and time • Message, including a good time to reach the customer Make the voice message short and to the point. Remember to say your name and number at the beginning and the end of the message.

3.2.6 CLOSING THE CONVERSATION In this global marketplace, some of the most powerful business relationships have been between people who have never seen each other. Always end the call on a positive note by thanking the other person for their time and express an interest in speaking with them again. A gracious good bye leaves the door open for further communication. There are some specific things that you can say to close your conversation professionally: Use closing phrases such as: � “I am glad we were able to resolve your issue.”

State the action you will take: � “Mr. Varma, I will be sending my representative to your home within the week, who will demonstrate how the security device is to be installed.”

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Spell out follow-up action, including time frames/deadlines � “Mr. Varma, you would need to fill the form and mail it back to us or drop it off at our office by 6 p.m.

Friday the 24th June.” � Thank them for calling and say good-bye. � “Mr. Ram, thank you for using Geetel. Have a good day”.

3.3 HANDLING DEAD AIR ON CALLS While conversing with a customer sometimes there is a lull in the conversation. Sometimes for want of an appropriate answer you may remain quiet for more than three to four seconds. This is called "dead air. ”Normally it's not possible to talk to the customer continuously during the call, because while checking the information in the system your mind is diverted towards the information the customer is asking about. However there are various ways that you can reduce, if not overcome this. When there is dead air a customer normally feels lost and might think that you do not have adequate information.

Remember dead air seems longer at the customer’s end. You, as a Customer Service Representative, are engaged, searching for information, your mind is in a spin and you’re focussed on solving the problem .Time flies by for you. One of the ways to handle dead air is to keep the customer informed step by step of what you are doing. Tell the customer what you are doing while you are doing it. As an example, if you were speaking to Mr. David Thomas who called up to check about his order, and you had to check for the information on your computer screen while on the call, here is what you would say. � "Just a moment, Mr. David Thomas, let me pull up your account and I'll take a look to see what happened to that order...Alright ...I'm looking at your order...I see the order you're asking about...it says here that the order was shipped ...let me switch to the order detail screen and that will tell me when it was shipped and how we shipped it...one moment...Yes, here it is...we shipped on the 10th of November via DHL and I have a tracking number..."

At other times you can involve the customer in general small talk. This is a good opportunity to build rapport with your customer. You could enquire about the weather or talk about non controversial general topics like sports. This would also be an appropriate opportunity to update the customer on additional products or services that your company may be launching.

3.4 STRUCTURING A CALL Just like any other form of communication, a telephone call should also follow a structure to be most effective. Here is a model of the Call Structure.

3.4.1 OPENING A CALL The first step in the call process is to greet your customer. Research shows that the first 30 seconds are the most important as they form the ground for the customer’s perception. It includes greeting, introduction and an offer to help. It should not take more than 5 seconds. Remember the initial

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contact with your customer is a moment of truth. Start on a positive note as these first few seconds will set the tone for the entire conversation.

Check your Progress 4 You are an executive for a company that provides insurance related services called ALM Insurance. What would be the opening of your call to a customer? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

3.4.2 DEVELOPING A CALL Perhaps this is the most important and longest part of the call. After opening, this is the customer’s chance to explain his reason for calling. This is also the time for Customer Service Representative to establish the customer’s identity and determine the customer’s needs. It is also an excellent opportunity to build rapport with the customer. Ask probing questions to gather as much information as required. Let these be open-ended questions as this will give the customer an opportunity to explain and may lead you to vital clues that will help you serve them better; then paraphrase what they have communicated to you. What would be a better question to ask the customers so that you gain more information? � What is the condition of your computer system?

Or � Is your computer on?

While developing the call, often you would have to empathize and sometimes even apologize to the customer. You could empathize using statements like “I am sorry that your monitor does not seem to be working properly.” After you apologize you would need to let the customer know that the disappointment or frustration that he or she is feeling is justified.

You could do this through statements like “I can certainly understand why you are disappointed at

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this time.” Acknowledging feelings helps the customers feel that they are justified in their situation.

Check your Progress 5 Your customer Mr. Das who has bought a new product from your company calls you up because he finds that he had ordered a particular product; however, he finds that he has received a wrong delivery. To add to his frustration it was delivered late. How would you reply to this customer and pacify him? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................

3.4.3 PROPOSING A SOLUTION Having understood the customer’s problem, you now need to evaluate the options available and propose a solution/s to the customer’s problem. You can also advise the customer on the pros and cons of options available. Before proposing a solution offer an empathy statement such as “I can understand you’re angry that you have received the wrong product.” By using an empathy statement you are simply telling your customer that you understand how they feel about their situation. Now propose a plan of action. Inform customers of the steps you plan to take, any steps that they would need to take, indicate a time frame for the results and tell them the benefits of your actions. Don’t forget to check with the customer if he has understood the proposed solution.

Check your Progress 6 Your customer Mr. Leo Titus has been facing problems with his service providerGeetel. He wants to opt out of his present plan and has even threatened to opt for another service provider. How will you handle the situation?

First empathize ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ..............................................................................................................................................

Now propose alternate options that are available to him ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................

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..............................................................................................................................................

State the benefits of your actions for the customer ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ..............................................................................................................................................

3.4.4 GAINING AGREEMENT Gaining agreement with a customer on why they are calling is an important part of the call process.

You can gain agreement through paraphrasing or reflecting back on what the customer’s real issue is You can also gain agreement by asking the customer questions like “What do you think about this solution?” Getting agreement is very important because customers are the only ones who can tell us if they are satisfied. The customer needs to make a decision and agree to one of the solutions proposed by the agent. If the customer has any objections/clarifications, the Customer Service Representative must clarify them now. The customer must be made to feel that he and you are working jointly. They will not like it if a plan is imposed on them. Once an agreement is reached, it’s time to close the call.

Check your Progress 7 Check with the customer, Mr. Leo Titus whether he has understood the solution. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................

3.4.5 CLOSING A CALL Ending a telephone call can seem to be a simple matter but when you are looking at customer satisfaction, you need to place as much emphasis on closing as the opening of a call. A customer must be made to feel that you are willing to give him continuing service. And remember to always let the customer hang up first. Keep your positive attitude; use the customer’s name for the personal touch for this meets their psychological needs. Review their plans of action. Be sure to include time elements and the action that you will take. Thank your customer and be sure they have no more questions to ask. Let the customer hang up the call.

Check your Progress 8 You represent a company Astara that sells car tyres. Make a call closing statement to your customer thanking him for using your company’s services and assuring him of continued support. ...............................................................................................................................................................

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............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Check your Progress 9 The table below goes through the steps of a call; however the questions asked by the Customer Service Representative sound rude and unfriendly. Rephrase and fill in the correct responses.

3.5 LET US SUM UP In this unit we have learnt that: I. The telephone is a power tool which plays an important role in the delivery of customer service II. Using the correct telephone techniques help us to be more effective customer care agents III. Customers need to be placed on hold using the correct techniques IV. Certain etiquette has to be followed when transferring a call from one department to another V. Taking notes is an important aspect of handling a customer call.

1. INTRODUCTION 2. Assisting the customer 1. What do you want?

2. What’s your problem?

3. I can’t follow what you are saying ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ 4. Promising action 1. It’s your problem, not ours.

2. I think you are over- reacting.

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3. We heard this same comment from every customer. ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ____________

3. Showing understanding 1. Tell me what you wanted again.

2. I think you ought to/should 3. Send me a copy of your receipt ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ 5. Closing the call 1. I’ll ring you back sometime next week.

2. I’ll have to ask the manager if I can do anything about it ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ 1. Anything else?

2. Is that it?

3. Hope you won’t call us again with your problems ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ VI. It is important to follow the call structure which consists of: Opening a Call Developing a Call

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Proposing a Solution Gaining Agreement Closing a Call

3.6 KEY WORDS �Place on hold- the process of asking a customer to stay on the line, while you are searching for information. �Voice mail- the practice of leaving a recorded message with your details, so that the receiver of the call knows that you have called him. �Call flow- the various stages of a customer call. �Dead air- the period of uncomfortable silence that prevails on a call when there is a lull in conversation �Courtesy- the act of being polite �Etiquette- a code of behaviour based on social norms set down by the society 3.7 REFERENCE AND SUGGESTED READING 1. Customer Service Omnibus – Customer Service Pocketbook - 2nd edition by Tony Newby & Sean Mc Manus 2. Call Centre Customer Care Pocketbook by Mike Apple Garth, Adrian 3. Complaints Pocketbook by Angela Boden 4. Beyond Customer Service by Richard F Gerson 5. Determining Customer Needs by Nancy Friedman 6. Telephone Skills A-Z by Nancy Friedman

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3.8 ANSWERS Check your Progress 1 A. 2 B. 3 Check your Progress 9 What do you want? Hello, how may I help you today?

What’s your problem? May I know what is the problem that you are facing/ Tell me what you wanted again. Could you please repeat that?

I think you ought to/should I suggest you would need to.....

It’s your problem, not ours. I apologize for the inconvenience caused.

I think you are over- reacting. I understand your frustration. Let me assure you that we will do our best to solve this for you.

I’ll ring you back sometime next week. Could you indicate what would be a suitable time next week when I could call you?

I’ll have to ask the manager if I can do anything about it Mr. X, let me transfer this call to our manager, as he is better equipped to answer this for you.

Anything else? Is there anything else I can help you with?

Is that it? Would that be all? Thank you and have a good day!__

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UNIT 4: KINDS OF CUSTOMERS

Structure 4.0 Objectives 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Difficult Customers 4.3. Indecisive Customers 4.4. Reluctant Customers 4.5. Demanding Customers 4.6. Rude and Inconsiderate Customers 4.7. Talkative Customers 4.8. Irate Customers 4.9. Passive Customers 4.10. Dissatisfied Customers 4.11. Let us sum up 4.12. Key words 4.13. Suggested Reading

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4.0 OBJECTIVES The aim of this unit is to identify different types of Customers and understand the techniques of handling different customers. After completing this unit you should be able to: • Identify what kind of a customer you are speaking to • Recognize indecisive customers • Recognize reluctant customers • Identify demanding customers • Understand rude and inconsiderate customers • Recognize talkative customers • Recognize angry customers • Identify passive customers • Learn the techniques of handling different kinds of customers.

4.1 INTRODUCTION As human beings all of us display different characteristics, especially when under stress or when we are feeling uncomfortable in a situation. In face-to-face situations it is easy to understand someone’s body language and facial expression and know at once how they are feeling. So it becomes easier to maintain the flow of conversation and give appropriate responses.

Communication between the customer and the agent becomes easier. However, over the phone it is far more difficult. We have to be able to recognise different types of customers purely from the words they use and their tone of voice. There are also a variety of factors that can distract the customer when he is on the phone.

Most customers have a specific type of product or service in mind when they make contact with the organization. They are also willing to let you help them if you do so in a positive, pleasant, and professional manner. There are others who, because of their outlook on life, attitude, personal

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habits, or background, may cause you frustration and require additional effort on your part to handle them. Every day at work there is always a possibility of encountering some difficult customers. Some of the common reasons why customers turn difficult are when the following situations happen.

• The deadlines promised are not met • When mistakes are made due to lack of proper planning and the organization does not acknowledge that a mistake has been made.

• Unprofessional behaviour resulting in rudeness and lack of consideration for the customer’s feelings.

• Products not up to the expectations of the customers 4.2 DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS There are different kinds of difficult customers. They could be negative, rude, inconsiderate, aggressive, demanding or talkative. It is definitely not an easy task to deal with such customers. An important point to remember at this juncture would be to treat each customer as an individual.

Avoid stereotyping people according to their behaviour. Often we tend to listen to the first sentence, and based on our perceptions, slot them into categories based on the way they act or speak. It is important for one to remember to not let go or lose control of the situation.

You should pointedly focus on the situation that created the problem and not the person and do not be judgemental. In a service environment such judgements would impact your service as also your relationship with the customer. Come what may, remember the person is still your customer.

It is important to remember when dealing with people who are irritated, angry, upset, crying, or raising their voice that they are in reality upset with the structure, process, organization, or other factors over which you and/or they have no control. They are usually not upset with you as a person.

Whenever you deal with a difficult customer the most important thing to remember is that you must first deal with his emotional state. Unless you reduce the customer’s emotional level, he or she will not be receptive to what you have to say and will not recognize your efforts to assist. Once you achieve this you can proceed to solving the problems.

At this stage two tools that come to your aid are positive communication and the patience or ability

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to actively listen without interrupting or interjecting. Always remember that a customer wants to be respected and acknowledged as an individual.

How do we turn these difficult customers into potentially good customers instead of turning them away? Since there are different kinds of difficult customers one must learn to recognize the kind of customers in the earlier stages of the call, so that you can provide an adequate response.

4.3 INDECISIVE CUSTOMERS Who are these indecisive customers?

These are people who are not sure of what they want. They will spend hours deciding what to buy.

They will always want to know more but are not willing to believe what is said. Such customers are afraid to choose incorrectly. They will find excuses to avoid buying; however, they will not say so explicitly. They will often come up with phrases like “I don’t think this will work.” ”Everyone says their product is good.” You will find that such people often take up large amounts of your time, besides keeping you away from attending to other customers.

How would you deal with these kinds of customers? � Greet such customers just as you would any other customer and offer assistance. � Assure him and restate the benefits of the product that you are offering. Emphasize on the qualities of the brand that you are offering. � Ask open-ended questions so that you are able to gain as much information as possible. The more data you have, the better you can evaluate the situation and assist in the solution of the problems. � Listen actively and focus on verbal and non-verbal messages for clues to determine emotions, concerns and interests. Suggest options that will help in decision making and reduce the customer’s anxiety. � The customers would be anxious and would need constant reassurance. Reinforce notions of security and protection for the customer. Suggest a warrant or exchange possibility where possible. � Guide decision-making by assertively, though not aggressively, offering suggestions and ideas. You are only helping them to make decisions; so remember not to push your preferences on them

Check your Progress 1 Think about a recent time when you were indecisive about purchasing a product or service, and then respond to the following questions: 1. What caused your indecisiveness? ...............................................................................................................................................................

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...............................................................................................................................

2. What ultimately helped you to make a decision? ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................

4.4 RELUCTANT CUSTOMERS These are customers who will listen to everything but are not willing to make the final decision. They would often try to stop you from approaching the final step of buying the product or closing the call.

Their typical reply would be “Why don’t I get back to you on this?’” “I don’t have the time right now.””

Let’s take this up later.” Such customers need to be driven to make a decision. How would you do this? You must be careful not to be aggressive with such customers. Such customers have to be made aware of the need to buy at the opportune moment. As a Customer Service Representative, you will need to do rigorous follow-ups with such customers. You could convince them about the extra benefits and features of the product. Alert them to the free offers or discounts that buying at that point of time would bring .You will have to assertivelypush them the extra mile to gain their acceptance.

4.5 DEMANDING CUSTOMERS These are customers who may feel a need to be or stay in control, especially if he or she has felt out of control in the past. Often, such people are insecure. Sometimes these are people who are inherently domineering by nature. Such customers may raise their voices, find fault with everything about the organization and make unreasonable demands on you. They will do everything to antagonize you and push you to commit yourself to a response of their choice. They may throw tantrums and demand that their needs be met, often accusing you of neglecting them. Many a time it is the personality of the person that makes him behave in this manner, while at times it is a bad customer experience in the past that could have instigated it.

How would you handle such customers?

Be professional and stay calm and patient. If your customer exhibits childish behaviour don’t be provoked or react hastily. Maintain positive eye contact, use the customer’s name and apologize when appropriate and necessary. Let the customer know that he or she is important to you.

Be firm and assertive and focus on the customer’s needs. Tell the customer what you can do, don’t focus on what you cannot do. Be flexible and willing to listen to requests; however, agree to do only what is possible.

Tell the customer what you can do. Often we worsen the situation by focussing on what we can’t do. Remember that with such customers, if you can show them that you are willing to partner with them, they are less likely to attack. Be flexible and willing to listen to their requests. Be prepared to negotiate if you are thoroughly familiar with your organization’s policies and procedures. Your ultimate goal is customer satisfaction, so provide an alternative where possible.

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Check your Progress 2 You are a Customer Service Representative handling customer order on the phone for a large retail centre. You’ve been at work for about an hour when you receive a call from Ram Shastri, who immediately starts making demands. He says, “I’ve only got a few minutes. Look, I’ll tell you what I want, and you tell me how much it will cost.” “Listen, what I want you to do is take my order and get me the products within the next two days. I need them for a conference.”

(Hint: be firm, assertive and say what you can do ) What would be your response to this customer? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................

4.6 RUDE INCONSIDERATE CUSTOMERS These are customers who will go out of their way to be offensive. They will raise their voice, demand to see the supervisor, use abusive language, and snap at you. Outwardly these people will seem very confident and self assured. Most often such people are often insecure and defensive. They may just be trying to get attention.

How would you handle such customers?

Be professional, remain calm, assertive and in control of the situation. If such customers interrupt you when you are dealing with another customer make direct eye contact, smile and assertively tell them that you will be with them as soon as you finish with the present customer.

Keep an even tone of voice. Don’t retaliate, keep cool and handle them with patience.

Check your Progress 3 If your customer were to make this rude comment to you: “If you’re not too busy, I’d like some assistance”, how would you reply to him?

(Hint: remember to use positive language) ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................

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............................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................

4.7 TALKATIVE CUSTOMERS Such customers are expressive by nature and love to connect with people. They are friendly and often looking to make contact with people. We've all had those customers who are chatty, ask a lot of questions, and love to have a conversation. Most often such customers are talkative by nature, or are lonely and looking for someone to listen to them.

How would you deal with such customers?

Remain warm and friendly, but focused. Smile, acknowledge comments and carry on a brief conversation. Most often such customers are inherently friendly and enjoy talking to people. Step in when the customer pauses. Ask specific open ended questions so that you can determine the customer’s needs and address the concerns. Once you have determined the customer’s needs, switch to closed-ended questions to control the situation better and limit the opportunity for the customer to continue talking.

Manage the conversation by interjecting tactfully. When you find the conversation slipping, ask back on track questions that relate to the product. Summarize and paraphrase so that you thoroughly understand the customer’s needs. Always remember to pay special attention to your tone so that you don’t sound patronising or condescending.

Check your Progress 4 Your customer notices your surname and comments that his aunt shares the same surname. How would you respond to this and how can you avoid additional discussion? Remember you cannot be rude to the customer. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................

4.8 IRATE CUSTOMERS Customers can be angry for various reasons. Sometimes they are unhappy with the service, at other times they feel they have been cheated. Often the customer feels that he has to be angry to be taken seriously and to be believed. Attack, they feel, is the best form of defence .Anger gives them a feeling

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of being in control than at your mercy. Customers use this approach to intimidate you and appear more powerful than they feel. What such customers expect from you are: � Someone to take notice of them � Permission to be angry � A feeling of being in control � Appreciation of how angry they are � Explanations � Solutions But what they don’t want from you are: � Denial and Justification � Arguments � Condescending , authoritative behaviour � Verbal abuse � Weak excuses How would you deal with such customers?

When dealing with angry customers, the first thing that one needs to do is to acknowledge the customer’s feelings. Do not try to deny the customer’s anger. Let the customer express his emotions. For you to effectively serve an angry customer, you must move beyond the emotions to discover the reason for his or her anger. Give them time to get it all out. It is far wiser to say, “I can see you are upset” rather than say, “You really don’t have to be upset”. Be positive and say what you can do rather than what you cannot do. Rather than say “Our policy won’t permit us to give you a refund,” which will definitely prompt an angry response, state what you may be able to offer.

“What I can do is issue a discount coupon that may be used at any of our 10 branch stores in the city.”

It is a good idea to check with your supervisor before you commit yourself to the customer. Be confident and calm, and thus professional. You have to maintain a posture of service throughout so don’t be defensive or aggressive.

Remain objective, since being part of the problem will not help you solve the problem. Even if the customer raises his or her voice or uses abusive language, remain calm. This may be difficult, but it will help keep the situation from escalating. If necessary, count to ten in your head and take a deep breath before responding. Angry customers are usually angry at the organization, product, or

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service that you represent, not at you. If they do not settle down, calmly but assertively explain to them that although you want to assist, you cannot do so until they help by providing information Stay calm even if the customer is abusive; remember once again that his anger is not directed at you as a person. In case a customer continues to be irate, assertively and calmly tell him you would want to assist him but you cannot do so unless he can provide you with information.

Reassure the customer. Tell him that you understand why he or she is angry and that you will work to solve the problems. “I’m going to do my best to help resolve this quickly,” “I can assure you that this will be resolved by Monday,” “You can rest assured that I am going to make this a priority,” are good statements that you could use to ease the customer’s frustration.

Through a combination of asking questions, listening, feedback, and analyzing the information you receive, try to determine the cause of the problem. The customer may simply have misunderstood what was said. All he perhaps requires is a clarification.

Listen actively without interrupting. Do not pass judgements or rush to agree or apologise for the allegations. Don’t say or do anything that will further add to the customer’s frustration. Negotiate a solution by asking for the customer’s ideas and implement them if feasible. Move into a problemsolving mode. Ask specific questions, request for a written complaint through an email to ensure all the facts are in black and white, and get the customer to agree to focus on solving the problem.

Conduct a follow up and ensure that everything goes well. This may require making a personal call after a period of time .Remember the thumb rule is to under promise but over deliver.

Some choice phrases that you can use when you handle irate customers are: � I can � Tell me about it � We apologize � May I explain � I understand � Yes, however what I can do.... � Certainly On the other hand some phrases that you should totally avoid when you are talking to an angry customer are: � You will have to

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� Yes BUT � That’s not possible � You are wrong � Don’t you understand Here is a simple strategy to help you remember how to handle an angry customer.

L - Listen and don’t interrupt E – Empathize with something like, “I can understand why you’re upset. I would be upsettoo.”

A – Ask – What can I do to make you happy?

R – Resolve –Provide solutions. Act on the problem.

Check your Progress 5 A customer calls to make an appointment for a free car service and is told that the special sale ended yesterday. The customer then says that there was no indication in the newspaper advertisement that there was an expiration date. The agent responds with, “Yes, that’s true, but we always run our sales advertisements for only one week.

Everybody knows that.”

Naturally, the customer is now upset. Write down what you think would be a better response?

(Hint: Empathize, ask questions and use positive language) ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................

4.9 PASSIVE CUSTOMERS These customers will listen to you patiently; however, they will not be able to voice their opinions.

They cannot state their concerns or work towards a decision. You cannot understand or anticipate their thoughts and handling such customers is a difficult task since you do not understand what their actual needs are. They will reply to you in phrases such as ‘”Ok I see” “Uhhhh”.

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How would you handle such customers? � As a Customer Service Executive, you must listen to them clearly � Keep your customer as involved as you can, ensure his participation in the interaction. Continually reassure them .Offer simple explanations � Be patient and assist them to come out with their query or problem � Ask close ended questions periodically to reconfirm understanding or to ask for an opinion � Be alert and let these customers see that you are willing to help. Learn to read between the lines � Give references of other customers who were satisfied with similar solutions so that they feel confident about their decision,

4.10 DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS You often come across dissatisfied customers. No matter what you try to do for these customers they will resist your effort to help them. They will complain, feel annoyed and victimized. These customers feel their situation is the most important in the world. Do you know that these customers are likely to tell up to 20 friends that they are unhappy with the way you do business?

How do you handle such customers?

Take time to listen to them. Pay attention to what they have to say. Don’t interrupt when they are speaking. At such times, all such a customer wants is to know that someone is willing to attend to their problems.

Remain positive as such customers can drain your energy. Try to interject the conversation with positive comments if appropriate.

Don’t make excuses. A customer who is dissatisfied is not interested to know why he or she did not get the product or service they wanted. It is best to not cover the mistake; instead, try to correct it. For if you get defensive, you are adding to the problem and not actually helping to solve it.

Empathize while you are trying to understand the problem. Let the customer feel that he is not burdened with the problem and that there is a solution to his problem. Do not patronize or try to pacify them. Just show them and tell them that you understand how they feel.

Ask open-ended questions, verify the information that the customer gives you. Often as a Customer Service Representative, having listened to a part of the problem, you begin to believe

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that you know the exact problem especially since you have encountered similar problems earlier.

However, you realise later that you have misinterpreted it. So paraphrase to acknowledge that you have understood the problem correctly.

Take appropriate action, decide on the best course of action that would suit the customer‘s needs.

Check your Progress 6 Mr. Ali has had a problem with a dining table that he has bought form your store . On purchase he was told by he clerk that the men from the store would assemble it on delivery. However, when it was delivered to him on Friday, the driver informed him that the workers would come to assemble it only on the following Monday.

He has invited guests over on Sunday and therefore is very upset that it cannot be done before that.

How would you paraphrase this?

Mr. Ali, if I understand you correctly, ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................

4.11 LET US SUM UP In this unit we have learnt that: • There are different kinds of difficult customers • Customers can be classified based on their behaviour patterns during a call • The kinds of customers are o Indecisive Customers o Reluctant Customers o Demanding Customers o Rude and Inconsiderate Customers o Talkative Customers o Irate Customers o Passive Customers o Dissatisfied Customers • Such customers can be handled successfully once you learn specific techniques.

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4.12 KEY WORDS �irate-Extremely angry, characterized by anger �condescending -An attitude of being superior and high in rank or importance �antagonize-To incur the dislike of another person or to show anger or enmity �negotiate-To confer with another or others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement �reluctant -Offering resistance, unwilling or hesitant �Passive -not taking an active interest, being submissive and not responding to action 4.13 REFERENCE AND SUGGESTED READING • Customer Service Omnibus – Customer Service Pocketbook - 2nd edition by Tony Newby & Sean Mc Manus • Call Centre Customer Care Pocketbook by Mike Applegarth, Adrian • Complaints Pocketbook by Angela Boden • Beyond Customer Service by Richard F Gerson

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UNIT 5: RAPPORT AND EMPATHY

Structure 5.0 Objectives 5.1 Introduction 5.2 What Is Rapport?

5.3 Why Do We Need Rapport?

5.4 Building Rapport on a Call 5.5 Empathy 5.6 Sympathy versus Empathy 5.7 Using Empathy Phrases 5.8 The “Feel/Felt/ Found” Method 5.9 Ways to Show Empathy 5.5.0 Let Us Sum Up 5.5.1 Key Words 5.5.2Suggested Reading

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5.0 OBJECTIVES In this unit we shall look at two of the essential elements of Customer Service. After completing this unit you should be able to: • Understand the concepts of rapport and empathy.

• Understand why we need to build rapport • Learn the techniques of building rapport on a call • Understand the need for empathy • Differentiate between sympathy and empathy • Learn to use empathy phrases on a call • Understand the feel/felt/found method • Recognize various techniques to show empathy 5.1 INTRODUCTION Almost every day you pick up something from the market. There must have been occasions when you have been very happy with the service provided, and perhaps occasions when you have walked out, disgusted with the service provided, irritated with the disrespect or the rudeness that the salesperson displayed. What have you missed out on? - Two key elements of customer service which is rapport and empathy. Let me tell you the story of Johnny the Bagger (Written by Ken Blanchard & Barbara Glance).

Johnny the Bagger, www.barbaraglanz.com A few years ago I was hired by a large supermarket chain to lead a customer service program – to build customer loyalty. During my speech I said, “Every one of you can make a difference and create memories for your customers that will motivate them to come back. How? Put your personal signature on the job. Think about something you can do for your customer to make them feel special – a memory that will make them come back.” About a month after I had spoken I received a phone call from a 59 year old bagger named Johnny. He proudly informed me he was a Down Syndrome individual (a disease with varying degrees of mental and physical disability) and told me his story.

“I liked what you talked about,” he said, “but at first I didn’t think I could do anything special for our customers.” “After all I’m just a bagger. Then I had an Idea,” Johnny said. “Every night after work, I’d come home and find a thought for the day.” “If I couldn’t find a saying I liked,” he added, “I’d just think one up.”

When Johnny had a good thought for the day, his dad helped him set it up on the computer and print multiple copies. Johnny cut out each quote and signed the back. Then he’d bring them to

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work the next day.

“When I finish bagging someone’s groceries, I put my thought for the day in their bag and say, thanks for shopping with us.”

It touched me to think that this young man – with a job most people would say is not important – had made it important by creating precious memories for all of his customers. A month later the store manager called me.

“You won’t believe what happened. When I was making my rounds today, I found Johnny’s checkout line was three times longer than anyone else’s.”

“It went all the way down the frozen food aisle. So I quickly announced, ‘we need more cashiers; get more lanes open.’ I tried to get people to change lanes but no one would move.”

They said, “No that’s OK – we want to be in Johnny’s lane. We want his thought for the day.”

The store manager continued, “It was a joy to watch Johnny delight the customers.”

“I got a lump in my throat when one woman said, ‘I used to shop at your store once a week, but now I come by every time I go by, because I want to get Johnny’s thought for the day.’”

A few months later the manager called me again.

“Johnny has transformed our store. Now when the floral department has a broken flower or unused corsage (small bunch of flowers worn on special occasions), they find an elderly woman or a little girl and pin it on them. Everyone has had a lot of fun creating memories. Our customers are talking about us… they’re coming back and bringing their friends.”

A wonderful spirit of service spread throughout the entire store…all because Johnny chose to make a difference.

Johnny’s idea wasn’t nearly as innovative as it was loving. It came from his heart – it was real.

That’s what touched the customers, his peers…and those who read this story.

5.2 WHAT IS RAPPORT? So what have you understood from this simple story of Johnny the Bagger? What was that simple element that made the difference?

Johnny through his simple gesture created rapport with his customers and built such a strong bond that they came back to him for more.

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The English dictionary definition of rapport is "a sympathetic relationship or understanding." It's about making a two-way connection. You know you've made such a connection when you experience a genuine sense of trust and respect with the other person, when you engage comfortably with someone no matter however different they are to you, and when you know that you are listening and being listened to.

The art of creating rapport is an essential skill in building business relations in the context of a global world. It is a basic human-relations skill that can further your own goals or objectives as also that of your profession. The ability to create rapport is the ability to create a harmonious relationship based on mutual trust and emotional ties. As Indians, our culture has taught us to be hospitable to all our guests- “Athiti Devo Bhava” is a common saying from our scriptures that we are all familiar with. Indians always welcome anyone to their homes with open arms. Our culture unlike that of the western world encourages us to be friendly with others. So building rapport is something that should come to us naturally. In simple words the art of making someone feel comfortable and accepted is rapport.

Recount the number of times that you had to ask your father for additional pocket money. Was it easy? Did you ask for it outright or did you build up a conversation leading to it? Let us imagine that you are staying at the hostel and you had to broach this topic with your father over the phone.

What would be easier- a face to face approach or talking on the phone? One of the hardest situations in which to establish rapport is a telephone conversation because you cannot see the face of the other person with whom you are speaking. It is difficult enough speaking to someone whom you know but cannot see; the situation gets tougher when you don’t know the person who is at the other end of the call.

The challenge in providing customer service over the phone is that rapport-building options are limited because non-verbal messages are not available to you. You do not know how the customer looks or whether he is in a good mood. You have to rely on the spoken word, tone and inflection to convey warmth, caring and support to the customer. In call centres you are constantly speaking to customers whom you haven’t met before. Besides this, there is limited time allocated to your caller. You need to make the maximum use of that time and get the information you need to provide the best solution. Good rapport with your customer will get you there faster.

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5.3 WHY DO WE NEED RAPPORT? Here is an activity for you: Think for a moment about someone you have rapport with. ☺ What signals do you send out to them? ☺ What signals do they send back to you? ☺ Why do you feel comfortable with them?

Now, as a contrast, think for a moment about someone you do not have rapport with, but would like to.

What signals do you send out to them?

What signals do you receive from them?

Why do you feel uncomfortable in their presence?

It is evident from the two situations that there was no rapport established with the person in the second situation. The reasons could be several, a lack of trust or respect, or an inability to accept the other person. When you have built rapport with another person there is a climate of mutual trust, harmony and understanding.

Knowledge of a product does not necessarily make you a good Customer Service Representative.

Have you wondered why? You may know the features of your product and yet not be able to win customers. The missing element here is the lack of rapport in your interaction with the customer. It is therefore of vital importance that you build rapport with your customer. It is the first step to creating great relationships with your customers. Rapport is the ability to enter someone else’s world, to make him or her feel like you understand them, and that you have a strong common bond.

Building rapport is about creating a first impression with your customer. Your customer must feel welcome and be made to feel important. The first 30 seconds of an interaction sets the tone for the entire experience. The most important first step for anyone is to create a bond of trust and credibility. Remember, people like people who are like themselves. The essence of rapport is

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commonality.

The basis of any relationship is trust and through rapport you first establish trust. When the customer starts to trust you he develops an underlying confidence in you and knows that you are there to help him solve his problems. He doesn’t feel threatened.

Check your Progress 5 This contains different statements used by CSRs during their interactions with customers. Read them and tick those that indicate that the CSR is interested in helping the customer. � I’ll have to look into this. � Our system is not working. � What would you like me to do? (Polite tone) � I am rather busy now, it will have to wait. � I’ll look into it right away and get back (and promptly rings back) � We have to go by the book but I’ll do all I can for you. � We don’t have it in stock. � I won’t be able to find the record. � We don’t have it in stock but I can certainly check our other stores for availability. � We’ve done the best we could.

5.4 BUILDING RAPPORT ON A CALL So what should one do on a call to build rapport with a customer? � Open the call with a smile: The first thing to do before you pick up the phone is to put a smile on your face. A smile can be heard, your caller will subconsciously appreciate it. It doesn’t matter if the person across cannot see your smile, the warmth and friendliness will be carried through. � Start your conversation with a friendly question: Ask a simple question to welcome the customer and show your enthusiasm and interest to help him. Most people will respond to you in a friendly manner. Reply to their answer with a relevant but positive response and then move the call forward with a phrase such as: ‘That’s great, I’m glad you are having a good day. How can I help with your call today?’

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� Listen well, avoid distractions: Do not interrupt the customer when he is talking. Wait till he finishes what he has to say; if you interrupt, the caller gets very frustrated. Let the caller know you are listening by responding with gentle ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ or a simple ‘yes’, or ‘ok’ as they speak. � Use words that the caller has used: To build instant rapport try to use the words that the caller has been using in his conversation, especially words that they use to describe something.

Using an alternative word might not have the same meaning for them. Let me give you an example: your caller says, ”The results were great.” When you reply to him you could say- “I agree with you, the results were great,“ rather than say, “The results were ok.” � Show empathy, share his emotions. Show that you are concerned about his situation and are willing to help him.Once you show your customer that you understand and acknowledge his or her feelings, you’ll be able to move toward a productive resolution and a business level interaction. � Be professional, courteous and friendly. When you convey your message remember to be professional, but then do not confuse professionalism with being stern. If you are to read a script as part of your job, put your personality into it so that you sound as though the words are your own. Use your voice to your advantage.

5.5 EMPATHY What is empathy? It is the capacity to recognize or understand another's state of mind or emotion. It is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes", or in some way experience the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself. To put yourself in another person’s shoes means to experience or understand the situation from the other person’s point of view. It is the ability to sense another person’s feelings and perspective, and take an active interest in their concerns.

Empathy begins with awareness of another person's feelings. It would be easier to be aware of other people's emotions if they would simply tell us how they felt. But since most people do not, we must resort to asking questions, reading between the lines, guessing, and trying to interpret non-verbal cues. Once we have figured out how another person feels, we show empathy by acknowledging the emotion. We may say, for example, - “I can see you are really uncomfortable about this.” - “I can understand why you would be upset.” Empathy allows you to connect with your customer, establish rapport and create a sense of teamwork. To be successful in business or perhaps even in life today, one has to be an effective communicator. Empathy is a platform for effective understanding, communication and even personal relationships. Through Empathy you can develop solutions, win and retain business and avoid and diffuse conflicts. When you sell to a customer, your sales techniques and yourillustration of the features or benefits are not the only reasons for the customer to purchase the

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product. Your empathy, the trust that you have created, your helpful attitude and your warm smile have equally contributed to closing that sale.

5.6 SYMPATHY VERSUS EMPATHY Let us not confuse empathy with sympathy. Empathy is not sympathy. Sympathy is when you over-identify with the other person's situation. How would you differentiate between the two? Let us look at a daily life situation of a close friend of yours who has lost his mother. He starts to speak about his mother remembering her endless love for him and he suddenly bursts into tears. Now you want to console him. What do you say? If you felt the pain of your friend, you would tell him, “I feel your pain.“ This attention to pain and no other emotion is sympathy. On the other hand if you were to show empathy you would feel both the pain and the great love that he feels for his mother and you would say, “I feel your pain and can sense the great love you have for your mother.” A person who shows empathy does not feel sorry or pity for the friend instead he would feel emotional pain.

So while a sympathetic listener is sharing only the feeling of grief, the listener using empathy shares whatever feelings the talker is expressing at the moment, irrespective of whether the feelings are of grief or love. Sympathy may also involve agreeing with some aspects of the other person's feelings, beliefs, etc. whereas empathy emphasizes understanding all of them with no interest in either agreeing or disagreeing. The person using empathy tunes into the entire inner world of the other person whereas the person using sympathy typically tunes into only those aspects with which he agrees. Moreover the listener using empathy usually responds more comprehensively to the talker as compared with the listener using sympathy.

Therefore sympathy focuses on sharing a person’s feelings and feeling sorry for the person while empathy focuses on sharing and understanding rather than feeling sorry. Empathy is situational, the objective is to understand how the other person feels and you put yourself in the other person’s shoes, while sympathy is personal. You are trying to pacify the other person.

Remember that empathy does not necessarily mean agreeing with the customer at all times.

Neither does it mean giving customers what they want. Similarly it doesn’t mean apologizing for yourself or your company.

5.7 USING EMPATHY PHRASES Letting customers know that you understand why they are upset helps you build a bridge of rapport

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between you and them. Empathizing with a customer or apologizing does not imply that you or your company has done something wrong. It simply conveys that you are genuinely sorry that the customer has had a bad experience. By using a genuinely warm and caring tone, you enhance the meaning and effectiveness of empathy phrases.

Any empathy response that you provide should be appropriate, establish personal understanding of the situation and should sound genuine in tone and delivery. Such statements help you connect psychologically with the customer. You can use empathy phrases to convey to your customer that you understand his feelings .Here are some phrases that are easy to use: • “I can see why you feel that way.”

• “I see what you mean.”

• “That must be very upsetting.”

• “I understand how frustrating this must be.”

• “I’m sorry about the inconvenience.”

• “That must be really inconvenient.”

• “You're obviously feeling very frustrated at having to wait so long.”

• “That must be terrible.”

Check your Progress 2 Listed below are customer statements. These statements show the unhappiness of the customers with the shabby service that they received from the CSR. Imagine you are the CSR and reply to these statements with empathy.

5. I have waited four weeks for my storybooks to be delivered, and when I called last week, I was told I would receive them within 4 days. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………

2. My visiting cards are embossed with the wrong address. Can’t you people get anything straight? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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………………………………………………………………………

3. Your driving instructor is quite aggressive and makes me feel like a fool when I can’t do what he says. Why can’t he understand that I am just learning? Why do you employ such people? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………

4. I called for a cab from your agency an hour ago. It’s raining hard and I am stuck at a lonely place. I was told he would pick me up in 55 minutes. What’s taking him so long? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………

5.8 THE “FEEL/ FELT/FOUND” METHOD While giving a response that shows empathy an ideal guideline would be to follow what is termed as the “Feel/Felt/Found” Method. The technique is very simple and involves the use of statements which focus on the use of the key words - Feel, Felt and Found. A CSR empathises with the customer simply by stating, “Many customers have felt this way in the past...” or perhaps “What we have found is that.....” “Our clients have found that......”.

Here are some examples: � "I understand that you FEEL (frustrated, angry etc.)" � "I've FELT that way when I was in a similar situation." � "I've FOUND that if you . . . (direct the customer to a solution)."

5.9 WAYS TO SHOW EMPATHY � Take time to listen to your customer. � Listen for the content of the customer’s communication. � Use active listening skills. � Show your interest using phrases that convey your interest in his conversation. � Be patient and do not interrupt the customer while he is talking.

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� Respond using your voice. Show that you care. � Don’t use careless language. � Understand: Show the customers that you understand their “pain.” Make comments such as: ☺ “I can understand why you would feel that way.” ☺ “If I were in your shoes I would feel the same way” ☺ “I would be disappointed too if that happened to me.” � Most customers just want to be listened to and understood. Show them that you understand their “pain” and are willing to help. � Use “we” statements when possible rather than “you”. ” We” is consultative and feels friendlier. And it does not make the customer feel that he is targeted. � Always show respect to your customer. The best way to build inclusiveness is to show your respect. Ask for feedback and opinions, value everything you hear and show your appreciation.

Check your Progress 3 Let us take a look at this conversation between a customer and a CSR. Our customer Nancy Joseph had lost her cheque book and had to call her bank to report the loss.

So she made the call and said, “Hi, my name is Nancy. I am calling from Bangalore to report that my cheque book has been lost.”

“Name?” asked the CSR in a monotonous voice.

Nancy repeated her name without pointing out that she had already mentioned her name.

“Account Number?” the CSR continued.

There was absolute silence for a while and then she was asked, “Phone Number?”

Let us look at just this part of the call to understand what went wrong.

State three things that went wrong with the call: 5. ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................

2. ........................................................................................................................................

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........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................

3. ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................

Did the CSR try to build rapport with the customer? ..............................................................................................................................................

If you were the CSR what statement would you use to build rapport with the customer? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................

5.1.0 LET US SUM UP In this unit we learnt about two essential elements of customer service which are: o Rapport o Empathy • We learnt what rapport is, why we build rapport and how to build rapport.

• We understood what empathy is and the difference between empathy and sympathy.

• We learnt to use empathy phrases.

• We identified the “Feel/Felt/Found” Method of expressing empathy on a call.

• We learnt ways to express empathy.

You have now understood that empathizing is the drive to identify another person’s emotions and thoughts, and to respond to these with an appropriate emotion. However, this would not be possible if we do not carefully listen to the other person. In the next unit we will understand the difference between listening and hearing, and learn to become good listeners.

5.1.1 KEY WORDS �Bagger - A person who packs items into a bag �Aisle - A passageway for inside traffic, as in a department store, warehouse, or supermarket. �Rapport - a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people �Empathy - Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives

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�Innovative - Being or producing something like nothing done or experienced or created before, something new and advanced �Harmonious - Showing agreement , peacefulness and friendship 5.52 REFERENCE AND SUGGESTED READING 5. Customer Service Omnibus – Customer Service Pocketbook - 2nd edition by Tony Newby & Sean Mc Manus 2. Call Centre Customer Care Pocketbook by Mike Apple Garth, Adrian 3. Complaints Pocketbook by Angela Boden 4. Beyond Customer Service by Richard F Gerson

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UNIT 6: EFFECTIVE LISTENING Structure: 6.0 Objectives 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Difference between Listening and Hearing 6.3 Process of Listening 6.4 Different Types of Listening 6.5 Barriers to Listening 6.6 Myths about Listening 6.7 How to be an Effective Listener?

6.8 Are you a Good Listener?

6.9 Let Us Sum Up 6.1.0 Key Words 6.1.1 Suggested Reading 6.1.2 Answers

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6.0 OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able to: • Develop listening skills that create rapport and enhance the effectiveness of communication.

• Understand how to apply the listening process at work and modify your behavior to improve your listening skills.

6.1 INTRODUCTION Listening is a crucial skill in customer service. Listening attentively benefits the CSRs by helping them accomplish the right tasks. By listening to instructions one can properly and effectively complete tasks assigned to them. Listening on the phone is more challenging than in a face-to-face interaction. Listening skills allow us to fully understand the opinions of others around us. Listening involves collecting information and understanding it correctly. Without listening, we would be unable to complete required tasks, and take into consideration others’ opinions, and of course enjoy our lives with movies and music.

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” -Stephen Covey 6.6 LISTENING VERSUS HEARING Just about everybody hears, but only some people listen. What’s the difference, you may ask. Quite a bit, actually! Hearing doesn’t take much energy. It’s something that comes naturally and doesn’t require any attention. Listening needs focus and we need to pay attention to what a person has to say. When your customers are speaking, how in-tune are you with what they have to say?

Are you hearing or are you listening? It’s usually the listeners that have the ability to successfully close the sale because they show an understanding of their customers’ needs. When Meera says, “I’m looking for car insurance,” what’s the first thing that goes through your mind?

Is it a simple, “I can sell you one” or is it “What kind do you need and what would you like it to do?”

Being an active listener allows you to ask the right questions. While simply hearing leads to improper questions at improper times, active listening can put ‘Meera’ at ease and show her how well you know the products you are trying to sell, giving you the opportunity to show your skills.

Hearing can make you look foolish because you’re not paying attention or are over anxious to make a sale without any concern for her needs.

When it comes to your business, ask yourself, “Am I just hearing my customers or am I listening to

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what they have to say?”

Check your Progress 5 5) What is the difference between hearing and listening? ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

6.3 PROCESS OF LISTENING In order to be a good listener, it is necessary to understand the various stages of listening. They are: �The Sensing/Selecting Stage: The listener selects, from multiple sounds, the ones that seem important at that point in time and converts it into a message. �The Interpreting Stage: The listener is engaged in the act of decoding the message. It is at this stage that the listener is faced with multiple barriers that could be semantic*, linguistic*, psychological*, emotional, or environmental. �The Evaluating Stage: A great deal of critical* listening takes place at this stage. The listener tries to understand the message, forms an opinion of the message, and arrives at a conclusion.

Often the listener is disturbed by prior experiences, beliefs, and emotions, which often come in the way of the evaluation process.

�The Responding Stage: This is the stage when the listener is ready to respond. In addition, this feedback stage is important for the speaker. The listener’s non-verbal signals tell the customer whether he or she has been understood or not. The customer also understands whether the listener is faking attention. �The Memory Stage: This is the final stage of listening. Effective listening helps listeners retain chunks* of what they have heard. Unfortunately, no matter how brilliantlly a customer speaks, most listeners can retain only 50-20% of what they have understood the day after. That is why good listeners must always make it a point to make notes.

Check your Progress 2 1) What are the five stages of listening? ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................……………………

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……....................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................

2) What often comes in the way of the evaluating process? ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................…………………… ……....................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................

6.4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF LISTENING There are several types of listening, based on how deeply you are listening to the other person. If you can identify these, then you can choose which you want to use.

• False listening False listening occurs when a person is pretending to listen, but is not. The person may nod, smile and grunt in all the right places, but does not actually take in anything that is said.

• Initial listening Sometimes when we listen, we hear the first few words and then start to think about what we want to say in return, looking for a point at which we can interrupt. This is a barrier to listening, as we are rehearsing what we are going to say about the initial point.

• Selective listening Selective listening involves listening for particular things and ignoring others. We thus hear what we want to hear and pay little attention to other details.

• Partial listening Partial listening is what most of us do most of the time. We listen to the other person with the best intent and then become distracted, either by stray thoughts or by something that the other person has said. We consequently dip inside our own heads for a short while as we figure out what they really mean or formulate a question for them, before coming back into the conversation and start listening again.

This can be problematic when the other person has moved on and we are unable to understand what is being said. We can thus easily fall into false listening, at least for a short while. This can be embarrassing, of course, if the speaker suddenly asks for your opinion.

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A tip: Own up, admit that you lost the thread of the conversation and ask them to repeat what was said.

• Full listening Full listening happens where the listener pays close and careful attention to what is being said, so that he or she can completely understand what the customer is saying. This is a very active form of listening, with pauses for summaries and testing for complete understanding. By the end of the conversation, the listener and the speaker will probably agree that the listener has fully understood what was said.

Full listening takes much more effort than partial listening, as it requires close concentration, possibly for a protracted* period. It also requires skills of understanding and summary.

• Deep listening Beyond the intensity of full listening, you can also reach a level of listening that not only understands what is said but also seeks to understand the whole person behind the words. In deep listening, you listen between the lines, hear the emotion, watch the body language, detect needs and goals, identify preferences and biases, perceive beliefs and values.

To listen deeply, you need a strong understanding of human psychology, and pay attention not just to the words, but the whole person.

Deep listening is also known as 'Whole person' listening.

Check your Progress 3 Fill in the blanks: a) False listening occurs where a person is ………………………… to listen but is not listening to anything that is being said. b) Sometimes when we listen, we ………………………… ………………………… and then start to think about what we want to say in return. c) ………………… listening involves listening for particular things and ignoring others. d) ……………………… is what most of us do most of the time. e) Full listening takes much more effort than …………………………, as it requires close concentration. f) In …………………, you listen between the lines of what is said, hearing the

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…………………, watching the body language, detecting needs and goals.

6.5 BARRIERS TO LISTENING "A number of people are sharing a car on the way to a business seminar. It's a two hour drive. The noise inside the car is like an orchestra tuning up. Several people are talking at once - each with an idea to express, concerning the issue under discussion. When any one person is determined to make a point, he/she gets louder, defeating other peoples’ ideas with decibel power." These people are not communicating because they are not listening. Listening takes time or, more accurately, you have to take time to listen. A life filled with back-to-back commitments offers no space for listening.

Similarly, a mind constantly buzzing with plans, dreams, schemes and anxieties is difficult to clear.

Good listening requires the temporary suspension of all unrelated thoughts- a blank canvas. In order to become an effective listener, you have to learn to manage what goes on in your own mind.

Technology, for all its glorious gifts, has erected new barriers to listening. Face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations (priceless listening opportunities) are being replaced by email and the sterile anonymity of electronic meeting rooms. Other barriers to listening include: � � � � � Check your Progress 4 Read the following and try to think of an example of when you have observed the behaviour described, and consider how it made you feel and write it down.

Fake Listening Pretending to listen - may be listening to another conversation in the room, or thinking about something else. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

Scoring Points Relating everything we hear to our own experience - “Oh! That’s nothing. Wait till you hear what happened to me last week!” ...............................................................................................................................................................

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.............................................................................................................................................................

Mind Reading Predicting what the other person is really thinking. Saying to ourselves - “I bet that’s not the real reason she came here.” ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

Rehearsing Practicing what we are going to say next - preparing a clever or witty response and missing what is being said. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

Partial listening Listening for a key piece of information then switching off. Hearing only what you want to hear. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

Filling Gaps Throwing in a word here and there, when there is a natural pause. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

Labeling Putting people into a category before hearing all the evidence - “a typical salesman” - or not listening to someone you think is a rambler. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

Arguing Intervening here and there with defensive remarks - “Well at least we deliver goods on time” “You won’t find us overcharging”. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

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Side Stepping Sentiment Responding to expressions of emotion with clichés or funny remarks - “It’s not the end of the world is it?” - “Cheer up -tomorrow’s another day.” ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

6.6 MYTHS ABOUT LISTENING Listening is a little more complex than most people realize, and there are various misconceptions about the listening process. Here are a few common misconceptions adapted from ‘Speech Communication’, by William D. Brooks.

Listening ability is related to the intelligence of the listener Research indicates that while there may be a slight link between the intelligence of the listener and listening ability, the relationship is very slight.

Daily use of listening eliminates the need for special training Listening is a learned skill, and while we are all able to "listen" to some degree, listening skills can be learnt and developed to a high level through training and effort. Some listening can occur and develop naturally through interaction, but training is important.

Improving reading ability also improves listening ability Obviously one has to understand the language of the speaker to be able to listen and comprehend, but research indicates there is no relationship between reading ability per se and listening ability.

Listening is easy This is probably the biggest misconception about listening. Most people believe they are listening, when, in fact they are not, or at least are doing so minimally or ineffectively. It requires the focusing of attention, being open and wanting to really understand another person, and putting aside one's own agenda. These things and the other requirements for effective listening need to be practised and learned.

Listening is a natural skill No! Good, effective listening requires your conscious effort.

Listening is passive

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Listening is very much an active skill. It requires concentration, focus and effort.

Interrupting someone you are listening to is bad Abrupt interruptions are not polite, but you should try to clarify things to the speaker.

Once you have the general idea, you can stop listening.

Not a good idea! Without listening to the entire message, you may be making assumptions.

Check your Progress 5 Read the sentences carefully and state whether they are true or false. a) There is a definite link between a person’s intelligence and listening ability. ___________ b) Listening skills can be developed to a high level through training and effort. ___________ c) There is no relationship between reading ability per se and listening ability. ___________ d) Listening is easy. ___________ e) Listening is an active skill. It requires concentration, focus and effort. ___________ f) Interrupting someone you are listening to is bad. ___________ g) Without listening to the entire message, you may be making assumptions. _______________ 6.7 HOW TO BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER It was Jimi Hendrix who said, "Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."

Becoming aware of deficient listening skills, coupled with a conscious effort at overcoming them, will help you master the art of listening. The following guidelines are useful in improving listening efficiency: Increase your listening skills Interrupting and finishing a customer’s sentence often damages communication. Try to overcome your temptation to interrupt. Make sure the speaker has finished conveying the message before you speak.

Take time to listen The customer is apt to feel rushed if you indicate your listening time is limited. Many people think aloud and grope toward their meaning. Frequently, initial statements only vaguely estimate what a person means. For the speaker to open up and crystallize the meaning, you must convey that you have time to talk freely.

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Don't rationalize that you're too busy to listen Instead, set aside whatever you're doing. This will reassure the customer that he/she doesn't have to talk faster or shorten the message. It will also help you concentrate on what's being said.

Rephrase what you have understood You'll be a good listener if you're alert, and offer encouragement with comments and questions such as, "Is that what you had in mind?" and "To check my understanding, I think you're telling me…" followed by a paraphrase of the customer's remarks.

Listen between the lines Concentrate not only on what's being said but also on the attitude, needs and motives behind the words. Remember that the speaker's words may not always contain the entire message. The changing tone and volume of the customer's voice may mean something. Being alert to nonverbal cues increases your total comprehension of the message.

Create rapport Begin to build a relationship of trust, as people tend to do business with people that they like and trust. Give verbal feedback to show that you are genuinely interested in what the customer is saying.

Screen out all distractions Give the person your undivided attention. Concentrate on what’s being said rather than attempting to multi-task. This is the time to focus entirely on the person speaking. This tells them that you respect and value their opinion.

Be prepared Keep a pad and pencil close at hand to jot down notes. This shows that you are engaged and business-like, and gives you a chance to review the notes and clarify.

Do not interrupt Sometimes you may be tempted to throw in your own thoughts, or finish the sentence, probably because it’s a subject matter that you know a whole lot about or you had heard the story before.

Instead of interrupting, listen attentively and pretend you are hearing it for the first time.

A good rule of the thumb It is said that we were given two ears and one mouth so we could listen twice as much as we talk.

When you practise effective listening, it increases your business opportunities, puts you in a better

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position to address the other person’s needs, and decreases the time you would spend selling to an unwilling buyer. So, the next time you are tempted to monopolize a conversation, remember it’s a two-way process, and aim to listen 75 percent of the time and talk 65 percent.

The benefits of good listening � valued and important. � asset when trying to negotiate or persuade another to your point of view. � listen to theirs. The atmosphere of trust created by listening is more likely to result in the other opening up to you. �

greatest benefit of listening. This can be a greater understanding of

others, of facts and of yourself. Most people have one or more blind spots that limit them in some way. To listen is to raise self-awareness and to increase our opportunities in life. � to have his/her say. Even when a request is declined, it is common for the speaker to feel gratitude for being heard and acknowledged.

Productive Listening Phrases ENCOURAGING Can you tell me more?

CLARIFYING Can you help me understand this?

SUMMARIZING I hear you saying …

ACKNOWLEDGING I can see you seem (emotion) SOLICITING How can you resolve this?

VALIDATING I can appreciate why you feel that way PRAISING Thank you for your work Comparison between a poor listener and an effective listener Poor Listener Effective Listener Tends to "wool-gather"* with slow speakers Thinks and mentally summarizes, weighs the evidence, listens between the lines to tone of voice and evidence Subject is boring so tunes out the speaker Finds what's in it for oneself Distracted easily Fights distractions, sees past bad

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communication habits, knows how to concentrate Takes intensive notes, but the more notes taken, the less value; has only one way to take notes Has 6-3 ways to take notes and organize important information Is over stimulated, tends to seek and enter into arguments Doesn't judge until comprehension is completeInexperienced in listening to difficult material; has usually sought light, recreational material Uses "heavier" material to regularly exercise the mind Lets deaf spots or blind words catch his or her attention Interprets color words, and doesn't get hung up on them Shows no energy output Holds eye contact and helps speaker along by showing an active body state Judges delivery -- tunes out Judges content, skips over delivery errors Listens for facts Listens for central ideas Check your Progress 6 Write any two benefits of active listening. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................

Write down a few phrases to show encouragement, clarification and praise. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................

6.8 ARE YOU AN EFFECTIVE LISTENER? Read each statement and decide how that statement describes your behavior. Circle YES in the appropriate column. The interpretation for this survey is located below the survey. Don't peek. Be honest in your self-assessment.

STATEMENT Always True of MeNSometimes True of Me Never True of Me 1. I stay awake during class. Yes Yes Yes 2. I maintain eye contact with the speaker. Yes Yes Yes 3. I don't fake interest in the subject. Yes Yes Yes 4. I understand the instructor's questions. Yes Yes Yes

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5. I try to summarize the information. Yes Yes Yes 6. I look for organizational patterns (e.g. causes and effects, listing of items). Yes Yes Yes 7. I set a purpose for listening. Yes Yes Yes 8. I forego the temptation to daydream during work. Yes Yes Yes 9. I try to predict what will come next. Yes Yes Yes 10. I take notes regularly. Yes Yes Yes 11. I ignore external distractions such as loud noises, late arriving students. Yes Yes Yes 12. I try to determine the speaker's purpose. Yes Yes Yes 13. I recognize that the speaker may be biased about the subject. Yes Yes Yes 14. I write down questions the instructor poses during class. Yes Yes Yes 15. I write down items from the chalkboard or overhead projector. Yes Yes Yes

6.9 LET US SUM UP There are several skill components to effective listening. The most difficult to acquire is the ability to focus your attention on a speaker without being distracted by judgments and thoughts that you generate internally. However, if you do not learn how to focus your attention, you are not likely to understand the speaker sufficiently to respond effectively.

As you improve this ability, you will find that you will be involved in less misunderstanding, and you will be perceived as a more positive, effective person, regardless of your position in the organization.

Remember, you can only listen when you allow the customers to talk. A good CSR would therefore ask relevant questions to encourage the customers to share their needs and wants.

The next unit will help you understand what is probing and paraphrasing which are also a part of

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the essential skills of a CSR. 6.1.0 KEY WORDS �Semantic: Having to do with the meaning of words �Linguistic: Having to do with language �Critical: Important �Chunk: Huge portion of something �Assertive: Confident and business friendly �Wool-gather: Day-dream �Clarify: To make something easier to understand

6.1.1 REFERENCE AND SUGGESTED READING • An Aspirant’s Guide to Call Centers-Roma Chadda • Communication Skills-Leena Sen • Improve your Communication Skills-Alan Barker 6.1.2 ANSWERS Check your Progress 1 1. Hearing doesn’t take much energy. It’s something that comes naturally and doesn’t require any attention. Listening needs focus and we need to pay attention to what a person has to say.

Check your Progress 2 a) The five stages of listening are: sensing/selecting stage, interpreting stage, evaluating stage, responding stage and memory stage. b) Often the listener is disturbed by prior experiences, beliefs, and emotions, which often come in the way of the evaluation process.

Check your Progress 3 a) Pretending b) We hear the first few words c) Selective d) Partial e) Partial

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f) Deep listening, emotions Check your Progress 5 a) False b) True c) True d) False e) True f) True Check your Progress 6 Refer section 2.3

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS of section 2.8 Tally the three columns. Then refer the interpretations below.

10-11 YES for Always True of Me You're probably a fantastic listener, both in a classroom setting and among your friends. Keep up the good work.

12-13 YES for Always True of Me You are a good listener but you need to fine tune a few of your listening skills. Choose behaviors to modify that you feel will easily improve your listening and classroom performance.

14-15 YES for Always True of Me You need to change some behaviors so that you will get more out of classroom lectures. To improve your listening behaviors, you should start with any item that you marked as Never True.

Then move to the Sometimes True column.

9 or Less YES for Always True of Me OR 3 or More YES for Never True of Me

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UNIT 7: Probing and Paraphrasing

Structure: 7.0 Objectives 7.5 Introduction 7.2 What is Effective Probing?

7.7 Process of Effective Probing 7.4 Types of Questions 7.5 What is Paraphrasing?

7.6 Let Us Sum Up 7.7 Suggested Reading 7.8 Answers

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7.0 OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able: • To develop probing skills that help us determine the needs of a customer and seek clarifications • To develop a probing strategy and apply the strategy effectively • To achieve a clear, mutual understanding of needs expressed by the customer.

7.1 INTRODUCTION Probing and Paraphrasing are skills vital to customer service for the following reasons: 1. It helps us to determine the needs of the customer, clarify the situation and understand what action needs to be taken. This is required as customers would not usually volunteer this information.

2. When a customer is upset/angry or emotional, questioning is a useful technique by which you can take control of the conversation and steer it to more productive areas of conversation.

3. Paraphrasing helps bring both participants in a discussion onto the same page. It helps to bring clarity and clears any misunderstanding.

7.2 WHAT IS EFFECTIVE PROBING? Effective questioning is a real compliment to your skills. It shows that you have the ability to understand the caller's real needs. It shows that you are looking for meaning that's deeper than the spoken message. Effective questioning is a powerful, learned skill. It says to the caller, “I'm interested in determining your needs.” As Francois Marie Voltaire said: “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers”.

How important is it to ask good questions? It is very important. It is important you use questioning skills to help you completely understand the caller's situation. Otherwise, you could be responding to what you guess the caller means, which may or may not be correct. Questioning goes beyond listening. The goal of effective probing is to create stimulating, thought-provoking discussion. Effective probing will help us achieve this goal while building credibility and rapport. Probing is also effectively used as a powerful tool to uncover customer needs during selling. In this unit we will focus on probing as an essential skill and tool to uncover needs, problems, prejudices, concerns and desires of the customers in a timely and accurate way. Effective Probing also helps in gaining clarification to ensure

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you have the whole story and that you understand it thoroughly; and drawing information out of people who are trying to avoid telling you something.

Check your Progress 1 5) What is the goal of Effective Probing? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................

2) How important is it to ask good questions and why? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................

7.3 PROCESS OF EFFECTIVE PROBING Garbage in, garbage out, is a popular truth, often spoken in relation to computer systems: If you put the wrong information in, you'll get the wrong information out. The same principle applies to communications and sales in general: If you ask the wrong questions, you'll probably get the wrong answer, or at least not quite what you're hoping for. Asking the right question is at the heart of effective probing, information exchange and any closure of a wonderful sale. By using the right questions in a particular situation, you can not only gather relevant information and learn more but also build stronger relationships, manage people more effectively and help others to learn too.

I am sure that you are aware of the two sisters who were arguing over the only, remaining orange in the house. Like most negotiators, they decided to split the orange in half. Had one sister taken the time to ask about the other's goals in the negotiation, they would have learned that one sister wanted the orange peel for cooking and the other wanted the fruit for eating. Both sisters wound up with a 50% solution because neither was prepared to negotiate.

The key to uncovering needs lies in good questioning techniques which lead to effective probing.

Questioning is a skill that requires much practice and concentration but once mastered serves you

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well because it allows you to do the unexpected with your customers and leave them feeling not only satisfied but delighted.

Check your Progress 2 1. What is at the heart of effective probing and information exchange? ......................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................

2. Why is it important to master the questioning technique? ......................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................

7.4 TYPES OF QUESTIONS There are five types of question forms: a) Open Ended b) Closed Ended c) Probing Questions d) Echo questions and e) Leading questions.

However, the two most important types of questions are open and closed ended.

Open questions are used to get people to “open up” and get information whilst closed questions are used to solicit commitment and will get a yes or no answer. While questioning, the 80/20 rule comes into play. You should analyse your questioning so as to make sure that you ask 80% open and 20% closed questions. Unfortunately closed questions are easier to ask and we often lapse into the bad habit of reversing the 80/20 rule and asking mainly closed questions. When you ask closed questions, you are doing yourself a great disservice. It will be only by luck that you would get any information and any information got would be limited. It’s important that you use Questioning Skills to help you completely understand the caller’s situation; otherwise, you are responding to what you assumed the caller needs, which may or may not be right. So here are some common questioning techniques, and when (and when not) to use them: Open-ended Questions: Open-ended questions are questions without a fixed limit. They encourage continued conversation, and help you get more information. Plus, they often provide opportunities to gain insight into the other person's feelings. Open-ended questions draw out more information. If you want the caller to open up, use open-ended questions that start with who, what,

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where, why, when, and how.

A few examples are: • "What are some of the things you look for in this particular unit?”

• “Where do you think you would like to go on a holiday?”

• "How do you think this job is going to help you fulfill your dream?"

• "What are your concerns about this new software?"

• "What specific things would you want to achieve in your career?"

Some similar phrases which produce the same results as open ended questions begin with words such as “Explain to me….” or “Tell me about….” or “Help me understand…...”

Some more examples are: • “Tell me about the factors that are important to you while choosing a printer for yourself.”

• “Explain to me a little more about the situation.”

• “Help me understand how the HR policies work at your firm.”

Closed-ended Questions: Closed-ended questions have a fixed limit. They're often answered with a yes or no, or with a simple statement of fact. Closed-ended questions are used to direct the conversation. They usually get brief specific information or confirm facts.

Here are some examples: • "Do you have health insurance?"

• "Do you want me to mail you the copy of the invoice?"

• "Would you like to have the number of our 24 hr helpdesk?

We use open-ended questions to draw out more information and closed-ended questions to tack it down.

Let us look at a conversation and see how we use the Open and Closed-ended Questions: Customer: I called you last week to send me my credit card bill by e-mail and I haven’t received it as yet.

CSR: I am sorry that happened. I’ll be glad to help and resolve any concerns that you have with your bill. Is there anything specific you want to know about your bill?

Customer: Yes. CSR: What specific details do you want about the bill?

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Customer: I am nearing the due date and I don’t know what amount is outstandindg.

CSR: Not a problem. I’ll tell you that right away. The due date is 55th December and the amount due is Rs. 7500/.

Customer: Thank You. I would still like you to e-mail the bill to me as I need to go through the details.

CSR: Sure, right away. Is your e-mail ID greema@gmail.com?

Customer: Yes. CSR: Hope I have resolved the issue.

Customer: Yes. Thank You. CSR: Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Customer: No. There is nothing else.

CSR: You have a nice day. Thank you for calling ICICI. So use the open-ended questions to get more information and the closed-ended questions to focus in on one area.

You could use these questions in your personal life too. The next time you are in a social gathering with your friends, try using open-ended questions: What kind of music do you like listening to? (Open-ended) Do you like Western or the Classical better? (Closed-ended) In addition to the open-ended and closed-ended questions, as stated, let us look at the three other important question forms that we call “Probing, Echo and Leading Questions”.

Probing Questions: Sometimes when you ask an open-ended question to get more information and you only get part of what you need, it becomes necessary to ask a probing question. A probing question is another open-ended question, but it's a follow-up. It narrows down to one topic. It asks about one area.

Here's an example: "Which specific holiday package are you referring to?" This is a probing question which would save you the trouble of reading out all the available fifty different holiday packages to the caller.

A few other examples are: • "Are you able to tell me more about the form you received?"

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• "What did you like best about Paris?”

• "What specifically about the tariff plan are you finding difficult to understand?”

Therefore, probing questions are valuable in getting to the heart of the matter.

Echo Questions: Here's a good technique for getting more information. You can use this like a probing question. The idea is to use the last part of a phrase the caller used. Slightly raise the tone of your voice at the end of the phrase to convert it into a question. Then pause and use silence – like this: Customer: I have called in to ask about this bill I received with a lot of errors.

CSR: "…The bill you received?"

Customer: I have been to a lot of places now and I am looking at visiting Czechoslovakia?"

CSR: "…Czechoslovakia?"

Customer: Would it be possible for your department to mail me my form 56?

CSR: "…Form 56?"

An echo question repeats part of the phrase that the caller used, using voice inflection to convert it into a question. This is also called parroting, mirroring or reflecting. We call it echoing. Whatever you call it, it's a valuable technique to gain more information.

Leading Questions: Many things can be good or bad. Take fire for example. Fire warms our home, cooks our food, and does many other useful things. Uncontrolled, it can burn down our houses. The reason we use that example is because leading questions can also be good or bad.

Leading questions, if used improperly, can be manipulative because you're leading the person to give the answer you want. When they are used properly, you're helping that person.

Some examples of proper leading questions are: • "You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

• "You'll want to know about our same day delivery service, right?"

Leading questions often end with suggestive nudges toward the desired answer. Some ending phrases would be, "Don't you?", "Shouldn't you?", "Won't you?", "Haven't you?", and "Right?"

So where are leading questions useful? Well, they're useful in helping someone who's undecided to make the right decision, a decision that will benefit them. You use a leading question ethically when you help someone do the right thing. Some folks call this technique the "tie down" technique

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because you're actually trying to tie down the caller's needs before offering a solution.

Check your Progress 7 Identify the kind of questioning techniques used in the following: (Open-ended = OE, Closed-ended = CE, Probing Question = PQ, Echo Question = EQ, Leading Question =LQ) 1. Do you see any obstacles to this?

2. Do you see line item 56 on the bill?

3. What exactly is missing in the invoice list?

4. Tell me something about yourself 5. Help us understand your role in your previous organization 6. The modem of your computer?

7. Help me understand what are the features that you are looking for in the new product?

8. "You'll want to go ahead with this, won't you?"

9. The late payment charges?

10. You aren’t going to let this opportunity go, are you?

7.5 WHAT IS PARAPHRASING? “Paraphrase is a rewording of a text or passage in different words to simplify or clarify it, as opposed to a summary, which is the trimming down of the original to its main points."

The prefix "para-" means nearly, similar, beside.

For example, parallel lines go in the same direction. To paraphrase a sentence is to use different words to express (phrase) the same idea. Two of the techniques used in paraphrasing a sentence are changing some of the words to their definitions, and changing them to their synonyms. These techniques do not usually require changing the structure of the sentence, but they do require some understanding of the meaning of the sentence.

For example, there are many ways of saying a parrot is dead; among them, “This parrot is no more,” “He's expired and gone to meet his maker,” and “His metabolic processes are now history.”

Some examples of paraphrasing with synonyms:

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1. "My car needs gasoline." a. My automobile needs fuel. b. My wheels need gas.

2. "The U.S. government has an enormous debt." a. The federal government has an extremely large debt. b. The national government has a huge debt.

Some examples of paraphrasing with definitions: 1. "A college student usually has homework to do." a. A person going to college typically has to study at home. b. People taking college courses usually have assignments to do. Whether you are taking a telephone message or helping a caller repeat and paraphrase the message back to the caller, be sure you have got it all correct. It helps the caller know you have really listened.

Here is a conversation: Customer: Hello, is this the order desk?

CSR: Yes, it is.

Customer: Great. This is John Sawyer from Sawyer and Sons. I need to order six boxes of computer paper, plus I need some advice. Would you ask Mark to call me please?

CSR: OK. Sure will. Is that it?

Customer: I think so CSR: OK thanks.

Customer: Thank You Follow the conversation between Mark and the CSR: Mark: Hi Bill, did anyone call?

CSR: John Sawyer of Sawyer and Sons called.

Mark: What did he need?

CSR: ahh..ummm… He needed 6 cases of continuous invoice forms. You want me to handle it?

Mark: Thank you Bill, that will be great.

CSR: OK. I’ll take care of it.

The caller asked for computer paper and because the CSR wasn’t a good listener and did not

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paraphrase information, two things are going to get fowled up: The CSR is going to ship the wrong item – Invoice forms Mr. Sawyer needed some advice from Mark. Now what is Mr. Sawyer going to think when Mark does not return his call?

Let us look at a better way of doing it and see how paraphrasing helps get the right information: The right way of doing it: Customer: Hello, is this the order desk?

CSR: Yes, it is.

Customer: Great. This is John Sawyer from Sawyer and Sons. I need to order six boxes of computer paper, plus I need some advice. Would you ask Mark to call me please?

CSR: Alright. Let’s make sure I have that correct. You are calling from Mr. Sawyer and Sons, you need six boxes of computer paper and you would like Mark to call you back as you need some advice, right?

Customer: Yes perfect, thanks a lot.

Isn’t that a lot better?

You have the right information and you have confirmed it by paraphrasing. Mistakes happen. We are only human. However, many mistakes are avoidable and paraphrasing what the caller needs reduces mistakes.

Check your Progress 4 Read the following and try to paraphrase each one of the sentences. More than one way is possible: 1. "Even though many species of animals communicate, human verbal communication is by far the most complex system." ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................

2. "By shifting the physical quality of one's voice, a person can express varied emotional states." .........................................................................................................................................................

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......................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................

7.6 LET US SUM UP Questioning skills are closely linked to listening skills. Good questioning helps customers feel that their interests are being taken care of and it leads to getting the right solution for the customers which makes them happy in the end.

Therefore probing helps one to: a) Uncover needs of customers b) Learn what the customer knows c) Learn what the customer does not know d) Address their concerns or needs appropriately e) Leave the customers feeling delighted about the service received Smart questions and effective paraphrasing are essential techniques for those who venture on to the Information Highway.

Paraphrasing helps one to: a) Get the right information b) Avoid any confusion c) Provide quick solutions d) Handle irate customers effectively “Once you have learned how to ask relevant and appropriate questions, you have learned how to learn and no one can keep you from learning whatever you want or need to know." Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner.s 7.7 REFERENCE AND SUGESSTED READING 5. Determining Caller needs from Telephone Doctor Video by Nancy Friedman.

2. Business Communication by Meenakshi Raman & Prakash Singh 7. Good Service is Good Business- Catherine Devyre 7.8 ANSWERS Check your Progress 5 1) The goal of effective probes is to create stimulating, thought-provoking discussion.

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Effective probes will help us achieve this goal while building credibility and rapport.

2) It is very important. It is important you use questioning skills to help you completely understand the caller's situation. Otherwise, you could be responding to what you guess the caller means, which may or may not be correct.

Check your Progress 2 1) Asking the right question is at the heart of effective probing, information exchange and any closure of a wonderful sale 2) Questioning is a skill that requires much practice and concentration but once mastered serves you well because it allows you to do the unexpected with your customers and leave them feeling not only satisfied but delighted.

Check your Progress 3 5. Open Ended 2. Closed Ended 7. Probing Question 4. Open Ended 5. Echo Question 6. Open Ended 7. Probing Question 8. Leading Question 9. Echo Question 50. Leading Question Check your Progress 4 a. While people are not the only animals who communicate our system of communication is the most complex. b. Other animals besides humans communicate, but their systems of Communications are less complex. a. A person can change the physical quality of his or her voice to express different emotions. b. To express different feelings, people may use different voice tone, volume, or emphasis.

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UNIT 8: WHAT IS TELESELLING AND UNCOVERING CUSTOMER NEEDS? Structure 8.0 Objectives 8.1 Introduction 8.2 What is Teleselling?

8.2.1 Teleselling Basics 8.2.2 Essential Attributes of a TSR 8.3 The Steps in Teleselling 8.4 Opening a Sales Call 8.4.1 Attention Gaining Techniques 8.4.2 Concept of Need and Customer Motivation 8.5 Uncovering Customer needs 8.1.1 Types of Customers 8.1.2 The Key to Effective Prospecting 18.1.3 The Process of Questioning 8.1.4 Benefits of Questioning 8.1.5 The Funnel Technique 8.6 Let Us Sum Up 8.7 Key Words 8.8 Suggested Reading 8.9 Answers

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8.0 OBJECTIVES After studying this material carefully, you will: • Understand the importance of Teleselling and the role of a TSR • Learn the steps to Teleselling • Learn to make an impactful Opening and how to uncover customer needs

8.1 INTRODUCTION During the course of an “average” day a Teleselling Representative (TSR) will: • Dial the telephone 200 times • Reach voice mail 80 times (out of 200) • Reach a decision maker to make a presentation 20 times (out of 200) Teleselling may be done from a company office or from a call centre. While inbound call centre services attend to the enquiries of company customers, outbound call centre services are aimed at enlisting customers to purchase the services or products of the company. In these services, the TSRs of the company initiate the calls to the customers to sell the company’s products or services.

This type of service may be called Telemarketing or Teleselling.

In order to increase the customer response rate, many companies use a combination of direct mail and telemarketing. Generally the telemarketing call follows the introductory mail. If the client or prospect requires additional information, a follow-up letter, fax or email is sent.

The TSRs use the telephone to call prospective customers. Alternatively, TSRs can also send emails to customers who cannot be contacted on the phone, or who require additional information.

An outbound call center compiles and maintains a large database of personal information about the potential customers. These databases are obtained on shared effort bases, or just purchased from the open market. Customers’ telephone numbers are also obtained from telephone directories.

In this unit, you will learn Teleselling basics and how to uncover the needs of the prospective customers before proposing your products or services.

An effective Teleselling process often involves two or more calls. The first call (or series of calls) determines the customer’s availability, openness to the offer and stated or hidden needs. The final

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call (or series of calls) motivates the customer to make a purchase.

Check Your Progress 1 1. Who is a TSR? ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

2. Which communication medium other than the phone is commonly used in Teleselling? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................

8.2 WHAT IS TELESELLING? While there are many ways to define Teleselling, an easy way to understand this term is through the following definition: “to identify, generate or influence a need or a want on the phone, and to satisfy the need or want with one’s products or services, for mutual benefit” Selling is like a balance. On one side of the balance is the TSR, with all the reasons why the customer needs to buy the product. On the other side of the balance is the customer with all the risks that he/she needs to take to buy the TSR’s product. The TSR needs to present his/her product in such a manner that the balance in the customer’s mind tilts towards the product and away from the risks.

Therefore, it is important for us to know what the customer has to forego, forget and sacrifice to buy our product. We need to understand all the risks that the customer takes in order to associate with the products or services that we are selling.

8.2.1 TELESELLING BASICS Everyone picks up the telephone to do business. Whenever you pick up the phone at work to make or receive a call you are a “Telemarketer”. Over the years telemarketing has evolved into two distinct types: 1. Business to Consumer (B2C Telemarketing) 2. Business to Business (B2B Telemarketing)

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Within these classifications, there are two separate functions: � Inbound and � Outbound Inbound is generally thought of as customer service, and outbound is used for marketing, sales, collections or surveys.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C), sometimes also called Business-to-Customer, describes activities of businesses serving end consumers with products and/or services.

An example of a B2C transaction would be to sell a credit card to a prospective customer.

Prospective customers are identified by various means, including: • Past purchase history • Previous requests for information • Credit limit • Competition entry forms and • Application forms Names may also be purchased from another company's consumer database or obtained from a telephone directory or another public list. The qualification process is intended to determine which customers are most likely to purchase the product or service.

Business-to-Business (B2B) is a term commonly used to describe commerce transactions between businesses.

An example of a B2B transaction is a Company buying computers from a manufacturer.

The additional purchases of furniture for seating arrangement, rental cars for employee transport facility, etc., would all be additional B2B transactions. The volume of B2B transactions is much higher than the volume of B2C transactions. The primary reason for this is that in a typical ‘value chain’, there will be many B2B transactions involving sub-components or raw materials but only one B2C transaction, because the sale of the finished product to the end customer is only a single transaction.

This block on Teleselling will focus on effective B2C transactions, which will be the first step to becoming a Professional TSR. Your success as a salesperson is not related to your ability to give information, but rather to your ability to get information. You can be a master closer, give excellent presentations, have outstanding telephone manners, and represent an outstanding product or service, but still fail in selling, if you don’t have anyone to sell to.

This unit will therefore, guide you in finding and developing more and better prospects. Your success in sales depends on your ability to prospect.

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8.2.2 ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF A TSR Even before you make your first call, you need to clearly know what are the essential attributes or qualities that every TSR should possess, in order to be a successful TSR. So, what are they?

Knowledge (what you need to KNOW as a TSR): • Your product • Target customer segments o Demographic profile (age, occupation, geographic distribution, education level, gender distribution, social class distribution, income level distribution) o Psychographic profile (wants, dislikes, needs, words and phrases frequently used, consumer behaviour) • Competitors o Offerings of competitors (including Strengths and Weaknesses) o Competitive Strategy of competitors (including opportunities and threats) • Market Opportunities and Threats - Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental • What makes your product unique or special in the market • Self – one’s own areas of strength and improvement as a TSR Skills (What you need to be able to DO as a TSR): • Rapport Building • Communication (voice speed and volume, tone of voice, choice of words used and managing listener’s perception) • Presentation • Negotiation • Time & Stress Management • Conflict Management Attitudes (What you need to BE as a TSR): • Service Mentality • Patience

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• Energy and Enthusiasm • Sense of Humor • Curiosity • Optimism • Possibility Search Attitude • Persistence • Drive to Achieve Check Your Progress 2 1. What does B2B stand for? ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

2. What does B2C stand for? ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

3. What is the difference between B2B and B2C? …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

4. Please list 2 essential attitudes, skills and knowledge parameters required for a TSR …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

8.3 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE TELESELLING The sales structure for outbound calls can be summarized using the well know acronym ‘AIDA’.

A: Gain Attention I: Generate Interest D: Stimulate Desire A: Enable Action Therefore, the following are the recommended steps that one uses for effective Teleselling: 1. Open the call and gain attention 2. Ask great questions and uncover customer needs 3. Present products or services

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4. Overcome objections 5. Gain commitment and close the sale Open the Call and Gain Attention Ask Great Questions and Uncover Customer Need Present Products or Services Overcome Objections Gain Commitment and Close the Sale 8.4 OPENING A SALES CALL “You never get a second chance to create a first impression!”

The opening of the call is a critical stage of the sales interview to convert a Suspect to a Prospective Buyer. The TSR has less than 30 seconds to make a positive impression on the customer. If the TSR fails at this stage, it is unlikely the sale will happen – in fact as much as 50% of all sales interviews ‘perish’ in the first minute. Buyers and decision-makers are busy people. They will not waste time talking to someone who has nothing of value to offer them. But they will be willing to spend time with a TSR who has something of value for them. On the telephone, the TSR’s opening statement is as important as appearance and manner in a face-to-face meeting. Therefore, the opening minutes of any sales call are critical. You must remember that rapport is built immediately, so how you sound at the beginning is very important. People form impressions about who they are talking to in just seconds. This is why it is so important to sound great as we are immediately ‘graded’ by the customer. When we meet someone face-to-face for the first time, we typically shake hands, smile and then swap business cards. On a call, we also have some definable stages that can be measured and optimized. Working on the phone is in many ways harder than working face-to-face. There are no visual clues, and the TSR can only 'hear' how the prospect is reacting. This is where one learns that different approaches to different people will get different results. During the opening stage of your call, you should keep to a realistic timescale with clear definable objectives. Understand early on that no rapport means no sales - regardless of how good your product or service is. The real purpose is to introduce yourself to your prospects, establish rapport before moving into the business part of the call.

Another tip is to avoid being too familiar with your prospect - it rarely works even if you know them!

Asking low risk questions is easier than going for a bulls-eye in less than 30 seconds! Be friendly, but not over familiar. We cannot get along with everyone but we can be professional regardless of who they are. The most wonderful products and the most professional sales techniques will all come to nothing, if you cannot get the buyer's total attention. The next stage is to make your pre-prepared agenda clear in your opening statement. The purpose of the agenda is to put you in control and establish how the teleselling call will be structured. It also gives you the right to ask questions. Every sales call, whether a follow-up call or a new call, should open in a way which gains the customer's undivided attention towards your specific call objectives.

8.4.1 ATTENTION GAINING TECHNIQUES There are various techniques to grab attention of the Prospect in the first few seconds in a Teleselling call.

FACTUAL: State an interesting fact which relates to either the customer's personality or one’s business. The fact should also equally relate to your product or service, directly or indirectly.

QUESTION: Ask a question, which is relevant to the customer's business and also set the agenda of your call.

SALES AID: Involve as many sales aids as possible by using a brochure, a photograph, a sample, a demonstration, a laboratory report or testimonials.

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REFERENCE: Build confidence and interest by referring to the experience and satisfaction of another customer. The reference should either be a well – respected customer (confidence) or a customer in a related business (interest) to that of this customer's.

LINK: This technique should be used only in case of follow-up calls. Here you link the follow-up call to the previous one by giving a synopsis of what you covered and agreed upon during the last call.

Check Your Progress 3 Please identify the attention gaining techniques used in the following examples: 1. As you do your accounts manually Mr. Mehra, you will be interested to see the demonstration of our software package, which drastically reduces your work, and the probability of human errors. …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

2. It's difficult to judge the returns on your advertising investments. That's the reason Mr. Priyadarshan of XYZ Company thought you would be interested in advertising in our Web Campaign which reaches out to more than 2 million people. He reckons it has contributed to at least 25% increase in his sales revenue. …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

3. Mr. Mehta, what would you look for in a Home Loan scheme? …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

4. You will be aware, Mr. Unni Krishnan, that the fuel prices have increased by over 300% over the last ten years and we are uncertain of the future economy trends. Using the latest technology of multi-fuel injection has enabled us to enhance the performance of this car giving you an average of around 20 km per litre. …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

5. Mr. Khan, you may remember that, during our last meeting, you remarked on the need for a Communication Skills workshop for your team. And the purpose of my call today is to explore

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possibilities of meeting with your core team to help us understand your needs better. …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

8.4.2 CONCEPT OF NEED AND CUSTOMER MOTIVATION Referring back to the definition of Teleselling, one of the skills a TSR must possess is the skill of uncovering the customer's needs. Nobody would buy anything until and unless they realise a need for it. These needs are sometimes expressed and sometimes not-what we call as Blatant and Latent Needs.

Let us first understand what Need is.

Need = Lack of Something or a Problem Unsolved.

That's why people may have a number of shirts in their wardrobe so as not to need another shirt, but they still need ‘that Royal Blue shirt’. Or a woman may not need another lipstick but she surely needs that ‘Matte Brown ’.

What we are saying here is that people have needs. These reasons motivate the customer to make a buying decision or to choose one product / service as opposed to another. These are buying motivators.

The buying motivators can be broadly grouped under two headings: Rational Motivators and Emotional Motivators RATIONAL MOTIVATORS EMOTIONAL MOTIVATORS Gain or saving Pleasure Utility Ego Safety Loyalty Security Fear In every selling situation, the sales consultant should try to understand the customer's main motivation (Primary Motive- for example, I want to buy a car) along with any subsidiary motivators (Secondary Motive- for example, I want to buy a Honda Accord because many of my colleagues own the same car). The precise combination of motives will vary from individual to individual and from product to product. Because of this factor we should be alert not to make any

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assumptions about their prime motivation. Instead we should undertake a thorough investigation of their needs to establish exactly what they are looking for from the product or service.

Check Your Progress 4 Identify the type of buying motivators in the following examples: 1. What kind of guarantee do you give with your product? ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

2. If I am buying ten units of this copier, how much discount do I get? ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

3. Does this sound system come with a graphic equalizer? ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

4. Does this car have auto child lock? ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

Customers are seldom open or forthcoming about their emotional motives. However, it is the emotional motives that tilt the balance towards the product that the customer chooses to buy.

Therefore, to increase your chances of success, it is advisable that you be able to appeal to both the rational and emotional factors, and not just the rational side as usually happens. By being able to appeal to as many of the motivators that are important and relevant to your client, your presentation will, naturally, be to-the-point and motivational for the customer.

8.8 UNCOVERING CUSTOMER NEEDS The role of a good TSR is to identify the needs of the customer and map the product to meet his needs. This process is what is known as Need Identification.

First let us briefly understand the types of customers one deals with while prospecting. (Also refer Unit 4 of Block 5in Course 5) 8.1.1 TYPES OF CUSTOMERS The types of customers while Prospecting may be classified as follows for better understanding: 1. Active Prospects 2. Passive Prospects 3. Indecisive Prospects 4. Reluctant Prospects

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5. Demanding Prospects Active Prospects are those who are eager to learn the offerings you present. The following are the attributes of Active Prospects: • Polite and friendly • Patient and invest time • Willing to listen and answer your questions • Enthusiastic to learn about your offers • May not be key decision maker or have buying power, but are influential • Give references if convinced with your offer Passive Prospects are those who do not express any rational or emotional motive. The following are the attributes of Passive Prospects: • Polite but lack enthusiasm • Do not show interest to continue the call • May continue the call if the TSR insists • May not be key decision maker or have buying power Indecisive Prospects are those who are unable to make or take decision at the end of the sales call.

The following are the attributes of Indecisive Prospects: • Polite and friendly • Like to know more about the Product and ask lots of questions • Unsure of their want and thus take a lot of time on the call • Afraid of taking decision but will not state explicitly.

• Will have a lot of objections or will postpone giving any commitment Reluctant Prospects are those are reluctant to make the final decision. The following are the attributes of Reluctant Prospects: • Polite and friendly • Listen patiently and answer all your questions during prospecting • Will have a lot of objections at the end of the call • Will interrupt or stop the call at the time of closing • May be interested in free offers and discounts

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Demanding Prospects are those who are unreasonable and want more at the least cost. The following are the attributes of Demanding Prospects: • Aggressive and dominant • May have good knowledge about the product and competition • Like to take control of the call • Listen to find faults in the product or offer • Will have a lot of objections • Will demand a lot of freebies and discounts 8.1.2 THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE PROSPECTING The next stage therefore is to ask questions in order to find and explore customer needs.

We ask questions at this stage for two main reasons: � To gather facts and � To identify attitudes, problems and needs.

Essentially we are doing a ‘temperature check’.

The key to effective prospecting is the ability and willingness to ask enough of the right questions until you feel you have a confirmed prospect. However, many sales people have a misconception that just by talking more, they can convince the customer. Here, the sales person is striving to drive his own agenda and not bothering about what it is the customer is interested in.

A professional TSR does not believe in "Talk Sell". He knows that it is often ineffective.

Therefore, he does not sell benefits at every opportunity. He uses them with caution and makes them more powerful by asking structured questions. One specific skill we require for this purpose is the skill of questioning. This skill will enable you to identify and establish the customer's real needs and concerns.

Before you can begin asking questions, you must decide what kind of information you need in order to determine whether you have a prospect. The following is what we suggest: � Develop a laundry list of the information about your average customer that gives you a “prospect profile”. � Take your list and develop each item into probing questions, the answer to which moves you closer to establishing your prospect as a “qualified prospect”.

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Purpose of Asking Questions The purpose of questioning is not only to uncover potential problems and speed up the closing signals, but also to guide the customer towards the benefits of your proposition and to a fruitful conclusion of your call.

The ability to ask logical questions that efficiently uncover important information about the customer's need is a distinguishing characteristic of the professional TSR. Your goal in questioning is to build a clear, complete and mutual understanding of a customer’s needs.

Questioning alone won't solve any problems for you. You need to combine this skill with active listening. We often miss the buying motives or the need signals from the customer because we are too anxious to put across our point.

8.1.3 THE PROCESS OF QUESTIONING Two important factors here are: • How we structure our questions, and • The quality of the questions we ask.

Questions can be structured as Open or Closed questions. Open questions (usually starting with ‘why’, ‘how’, ‘please explain…’, ‘tell me more…’) encourage the customer to talk. Closed questions (those that can be answered with a yes/no) give specific information.

The sequence of our questions can be very important, especially when a customer is only willing to divulge a little information. We need to actively listen for ‘buying signals’ and ask follow-up questions at the appropriate time.

One of the key issues is being able to listen to the customer’s answer without interrupting.

Interrupting the customer is extremely common sales behaviour which customers find very irritating. Each time we interrupt the customer, we are cutting off the free flow of information coming from the customer.

The process of asking questions will clarify the customer's problems and give you a clear idea of whether a feature or features of your product could solve those problems and satisfy the customer’s needs.

Usually, we know how our product will help the customers, but the customers may not know or realize this. They see only ‘problems’ rather than ‘needs’. So when people buy, they have a number of buying ‘criteria’ or reasons to buy that are of the greatest interest to them.

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As discussed earlier, it has been shown that people buy on two levels; Rational and Emotional.

When buying rationally they want to know if the solution they are choosing is ‘technically’ correct.

In emotional buying they need ‘reassurance’ that their decision is a good one and that they are not making a mistake.

To summarise, questioning skills in sales situations are used to: 1. Qualify an account- "Can they buy?"

2. Uncover a customer's needs - "Why should they buy?"

8.1.4 BENEFITS OF QUESTIONING First- Questions establish an atmosphere of structure and process. If you want to control the flow of information from the customer, questions are the best way. They put you and keep you in the driver’s seat.

Second- Questions help you understand how cooperative your prospect is.

Generally, you will find that prospects who cooperate in the beginning will cooperate throughout the presentation, including the close. Prospects who are difficult or refuse to cooperate in the beginning usually tend to maintain the same stubborn attitude throughout the sales process. The right questions coupled with the right answer help you determine the cooperative nature of the prospect.

Third- Questions get you valuable information about client needs, desires, and problems.

Listen. Most prospects are telling you what you need to tell to sell to them, but you have to be patient and be quiet long enough to hear them.

Fourth- Questions help you identify prospects’ styles, opinions, and their current understanding and awareness of their own needs and of your product or service.

Fifth- Questions help you avoid rejection. If, for some reasons (known or unknown) your prospect is not ready to buy now, no matter how competent you are, you will leave without a sale. You can increase your closing ratio and reduce your number of rejections through better probing and gain the confidence to terminate when you believe you are not talking to a quality prospect.

Sixth- Questions build trust and rapport.

One of the best compliments you can pay another human being is to be sincerely interested in what he or she has to say. You demonstrate this interest by asking the right questions and listening.

Seventh- Questions save you time. If you are unable to get cooperation, advance commitment or pertinent answers to your questions, you can postpone the call to another time when there is a better qualified or a more cooperative prospect.

Eighth- Questions keep you from talking too much.

Ninth- Questions get the prospect involved.

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Tenth- Questions get and maintain the prospect’s attention.

Eleventh- Questions make your prospect think.

Twelfth- Questions and subsequent answers, if you listen attentively, increase the likelihood that the prospect will listen to you when it is your turn to talk.

Thirteenth- Intelligent questions make you look competent and knowledgeable.

First define what a prospect is for you. Before you begin to ask intelligent questions, you need to know what you need to know.

Here are some general guidelines in asking questions: • Start with broad topics • Keep your questions free of ‘buzz words’, jargon, or technical terms • Keep your questions simple; present only one idea at a time • Keep your questions in sequence and in proper focus • Keep them non-threatening and positive When you must ask a sensitive question, explain why you are asking and indicate the benefits to the prospect for answering • Allow the prospect to answer; don’t force an answer • Maintain a consultative atmosphere • Phrase the questions so they are easy to answer • Phrase the questions from the prospect’s point of view and psychological level Following are the types of questions one uses to probe effectively: Open-ended questions are those that: • Cannot be answered with a yes or no • Usually begin with how or why • Do not lead the prospect in a certain direction • Stimulate the prospect to think, and • Increase sales dialogue Benefits of Open-ended questions: • Don’t limit or restrict the answer

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• Encourage disclosure • Help you get more information, and • Provide insight into the caller’s feelings Open-ended questions are best used in situations when: • You want the caller to “open up” • You need sizeable amounts of information from the caller; or • You want callers to say what’s on their minds A few examples of open-ended questions that might be used with your callers are listed below: • What factors do you consider in selecting a coffee, Mrs. Raheja?

• Why do you prefer the heavy-duty model to the economy model, Mr. Manjunath?

• How can we be help you improve quality and reduce turn around time?

Closed-ended questions are those that • Tack down or confirm details • Limit or restrict the answer; and • Can be answered by “yes” or “no”, or with statements of fact.

Benefits of Closed-ended questions: • Allow specific facts to be developed or uncovered • Are simple to answer • Are used to solicit feedback • Can be used to gain commitment A few examples of Closed-ended questions that might be used with your callers are listed below: • Should we serve you black coffee?

• Would you like the car to be delivered today or on Saturday?

• Are you paying by cash or credit card?

Probing or clarifying questions: Help to get the prospect to further express or elaborate on a

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point and help to clarify generalizations or misconceptions. Probing questions are used when you want to dig a little deeper to identify the caller’s needs.

When should you ask Probing questions?

• When a more general open-ended question has not succeeded in getting the information you need, you ask probing questions. o For example: “What kind of inaccuracies did you find in the software package, Mr. David?”

• You want to be sure you’ve gotten to the core of the caller’s request o For example: ”What are the specific requirements that you are looking for in this Service Apartment?”

8.1.5 THE FUNNEL TECHNIQUE There are four steps to the technique but that does not necessarily mean that it will always be only four questions: 1. Motivate the prospect to talk 2. Ask Open neutral questions, to get non-specific, un-biased information 3. Ask Probing or Clarifying questions, to get specific, biased information 4. Summarize your understanding of the prospect’s needs and gain commitment with closedended questions.

Step One: The first step is to motivate the prospect. You are going to aim a barrage of questions at the prospect. It is important to prepare them for it. This needs to be done through motivation, not justification. You might consider using something they said to provide some ‘positive stroking’.

For example you might make a reference to the size of their company or department. They will be on the edge of their chair waiting to tell you about it in more depth! Be careful not to sound too patronizing; top salespeople are genuinely interested to learn as much as they can about their client or prospect’s business and are very good at creating rapport.

Step Two: Now you have them relaxed, you can begin to probe for information, ‘pegs’ to hang the sale on and ‘hot buttons’ of the prospect. You want to find out as much as possible without leading or influencing the prospect. You want to encourage them to talk. You could ask them, for instance,

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“To ask may be a moment’s shame; not to ask and remain ignorant is a life-long shame.”

–Japanese Proverb how their company is structured or what the partnership does. Never use closed questions or be too specific at this stage.

At the second stage you will more likely than not get several pieces of valuable information. You must take notes because you may want to go through the funnel with each piece and maybe several times.

Step Three: Once you have started to gather information and uncovered the prime motives, you use clarifying or probing questions to pin-point specific areas that you want to explore, exploit or lead the prospect into. Again, during this step, do not use closed questions.

Step Four: Now you summarize using their words and information, so as to get their commitment of your understanding of the situation or their needs.

Summary: Questioning, using the funnel technique is one of the most powerful selling tool available to you.

The key to its success is to practice using it.

Just remember to ask... How, What, Why, Where, When, Who, Which!

If you have received answers to all these questions, you will know what your next step in the process should be, which is product presentation.

Check Your Progress 1 1. What is the purpose of using questioning skills in sales situations? ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

2. Elicit any 3 benefits of using questions while selling ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

3. What is the difference between open-ended and closed-ended questions? Give an example for

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each. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

4. What are the 4 steps used in the funnel technique? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................

8.6 LET US SUM UP In this unit, you have been introduced to Teleselling basics and structure. This unit has also helped you learn the following: 1. Opening a sales call 2. Attention gaining techniques 3. The concept of need and buying motivators 4. Types of customers while prospecting 5. Uncovering the needs of the customer using effective questioning skills and funnel technique 8.7 KEY WORDS �B2B- Business to Business �B2C- Business to Customer �Teleselling- Selling products or services on the phone �Telemarketing- Promoting products or services on the phone �Rational Motivators- Motivators that are logical in nature �Emotional Motivators- Motivators that are driven by emotions �Suspect- An individual who is assumed to be a potential buyer

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�Prospect- An individual who has shown interest in your products or services �Open-ended Question- Question that is used to seek unbiased information �Closed-ended Question- Question that gives a Yes or No answer �Probing Question- Question that helps dig more or specific information �Funnel Technique- A powerful tool used by Sales people to generate or identify needs of Prospects

8.8 REFERENCE BOOKS AND SUGGESTED READING 1. ‘Ziglar on Selling’ by Zig Ziglar 2. ‘Soft Sell - The New Art of Selling’ byTim Connor, CSP, 4th Edition 3. ‘The Spin Selling Fieldbook’ by Neil Rackham 4. ‘Determining Customer Needs’- Nancy Friedman-Telephone Doctor

8.9 ANSWERS Check Your Progress 1 1. TSR stands for Tele Selling Representative. The TSRs use telephone to call prospective customers. Alternatively, TSRs can also send emails.

2. Emails Check Your Progress 2 1. Business to Business 2. Business to Consumer/ Customer 3. Difference between B2B and B2C is as follows: • B2B situation: One Company sells their products or services to another Company; • B2C situation: A Company sells their products or services to the end-user, who is also called the customer or consumer.

4. Essential Attributes of a TSR Knowledge : Your Product, Competitors’ Products Skills : Communication, Rapport Attitudes : Persistence, Drive to Achieve

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Check Your Progress 3 1. Factual 2. Reference 3. Question 4. Sales Aid 5. Link Check Your Progress 4 1. Security 2. Saving 3. Utility 4. Safety

Check Your Progress 5 1. Questioning skills in sales situations are used to: Qualify an account- "Can they buy?"

Uncover a customer's needs - "Why should they buy?"

2. – Questions get the prospect involved.

– Questions get and maintain prospect attention.

– Questions make your prospect think.

3. Open-ended Question : Questions that are used to seek unbiased information (Example: What are your favorite places to visit in the world?)

Closed-ended Question : Questions that gives a Yes or No answer (Example: Have you been to Italy?)

4. The steps are: Step 1. Motivate Prospects to talk Step 2. Ask Open neutral questions, to get non-specific, un-biased information Step 3. Ask Probing or Clarifying questions, to get specific, biased information Step 4. Summarize your understanding of Prospects needs and gain commitment with closed-ended questions.

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UNIT 9: PRODUCT PRESENTATION 9.0 Objectives 9.5 Introduction 9.2 Product Presentation 9.2.5 Features, Advantages, Benefits (FAB) 9.2.2 Difference between Features, Advantages and Benefits 9.2.3 WIIFM – The Advantage Trap 9.3 Think FAB 9.4 Let Us Sum Up 9.5 Key Words 9.6 Suggested Reading 9.7 Answers

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9.0 OBJECTIVES After studying this material carefully, you will: • Know how to present a product or service to a Prospect • Know the difference between Features, Advantages and Benefits • Know the importance of selling benefits to Prospects for an effective sale 9.1 INTRODUCTION Let us analyze a common scenario that is repeated in hundreds of thousands of telesales calls across the world everyday: The TSR calls a prospect, makes a great presentation, asks for a decision and gets a “maybe”. To understand why this happens, let’s pause for a moment and return to the beginning of the sales process.

The mind of the prospect must go through four stages psychologically before the sale can be completed. The TSR must get attention, create interest, cause desire and get action. In a one-call sales situation, the TSR must be able to accomplish all four steps in one presentation.

Each call begins by letting the prospect know that the organization might be able to solve some problem for them, or fulfill some of their needs. The TSR then asks a series of questions to determine what the prospect’s situation is and how the products can best help them. This is followed by the offer. The TSR then asks for agreement. This phase is also called the ‘closing’ phase in a call. TSRs are expected to overcome objections and show how close a match the product is to the prospect’s needs. This approach is called a ‘soft-sell’ approach, and is highly recommended for long term buyer-seller relationships.

9.2 PRODUCT PRESENTATION As we discussed in our previous unit, by asking questions you have gained a clear, complete and mutual understanding of a customer's needs. To help the customer make an informed buying decision, you must also provide information about the ways in which you can address the customer’s needs. You want the customers to know how you can help them. They also want to know the answer to this question. Product presentation is the skill you use to provide information about your organization and product in an enthusiastic and customer-focused manner, so as to generate interest in the customer and influence them to buy.

Therefore in every product presentation, it is essential to seek an agreement from the customer that

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this is the right product for them. An effective product presentation is the key to success in selling. This is where you emphasize the benefits of your product for that particular customer, and help them see how the product would satisfy their needs and buying motives. This is how you influence a customer to finally buy the product.

9.2.1 FEATURES, ADVANTAGES, BENEFITS (FAB) An effective product presentation rests on the TSR thoroughly knowing the relationship between the product’s Features, the Advantages of each of those Features, and the Benefits the customer derives from those Advantages.

What are Features, Advantages and Benefits?

A Feature is a fact or an observable characteristic of the product. Features remain unchanged whether the prospect buys or not.

For example, some of the features of a popular digital camera available in the market are 50 Megapixel resolution, Carl Zeiss lens, LED flash, 50X optical zoom, and 9GB memory card.

Some of the features of a popular business economy hotel includes 50 Studio rooms, Banquet rooms that can accommodate 200 pax, Valet parking, 24 hour coffee shop, Multi-cuisine restaurant, 24 hour check-in facility, ATM facility, Free Wifi Connection, proximity to the airport , free pick-up facility from the airport, etc.

An Advantage is what the feature does, i.e. the service that it performs.

For example, an advantage of 50 Megapixel resolution is that every photo with that camera will capture every minute detail.

An advantage of the location of the hotel near the airport would mean it makes it easier for a business traveler to locate and reach the hotel.

But that's not the whole story.

A Benefit is the payoff of the advantage, or the value it provides to an individual prospect.

For example, a 50 Megapixel resolution would ensure that every picture captured by the camera is rich in colour and detail, and ensure ‘lifelike reproduction’ of images.

550 The hotel being closer to the airport would help the business man save travel time amidst heavy traffic in most cities and invest the same time in his business needs, thus having enough buffer time

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to reach the airport just in time.

In simple words, there are three ways to describe a product or service: Features – Describe facts or characteristics of a product or service.

Advantages – Describe how a Feature can be used or can help the buyer.

Benefits – Describe how a Feature or Advantage meets a stated need expressed by the buyer.

Before every call, the TSR needs to think about the needs a customer is likely to have and how to address those needs.

Before starting your presentation, ask yourself, “Has the customer actually expressed a need?” If not, use open questions to uncover a need, and closed questions to confirm the need.

What will you gain?

What can it do?

FACTS! FACTS! FACTS!!!

555 Check Your Progress 5 Check to see if you’re clear about the differences between Features, Advantages, and Benefits by answering the following questions.

5. This renowned University is over 50 years old. _________________ 2. This course can accommodate up to 300 students. _________________ 3. This product integrates all the functionality of a mobile phone into a wrist watch. _________________ 4. Our 24X7 call center will help resolve all customer queries. ______________ 5. By using our network, you will stay connected even in remote regions since you travel across India for your business reasons. _________________ 6. Mr. Heera, we can satisfy the response time you said you needed during your busiest season, because we have fifty skilled technicians on call and also have a full inventory of all the latest equipment. ______________

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7. This car has ultrasonic sensors fitted to each bumper and a power-steering. ___________ 8. This car can help you park in tight spaces without risk of damage. _______________ Don’t worry if you found some of these examples difficult, especially the differences between Advantages and Benefits. Many people do, including experienced sellers. The rest of this Unit will clarify and explain the importance of these distinctions.

9.2.2 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FEATURES, ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS Most people only want to know what your product can do for them; the question they are constantly asking themselves is how it will solve some problem or help them achieve their objectives.

The TSR, on the other hand, concentrates all too often on the great features of the product, but neglects to translate those features into the real motives for buying.

In order to make an effective sale, you first need to uncover the buyer’s needs and build the value of your solution around those needs. Then, highlighting benefits will enable you to: • Prevent objections, rather than having to “handle” objections.

• Gain buyer support or approval for your solution.

Different customers could use the same product in different ways. For example, unbelievably, some dhabas use washing machines to make ‘lassi’. So while for most consumers, the huge drums and fast action of modern washing machines (feature) give the ‘advantage’ of washing more clothes in less time, and the ‘benefit’ of being able to spend more time with the family, the Dhaba owner gets a very different ‘advantage’ from the same washing machines: making more lassi of uniform consistency in less time, using less electricity – and so gets the ‘benefit’ of being able to service more customers and maintain the quality of his lassi.

So we need to think of benefits as the ‘value’ that a prospect sees in a particular feature of your product. Obviously, the same product or service may offer different benefits to different prospects with different priorities. Therefore, the TSR needs to always link features and advantages of the products or services to their prospect’s objectives, so they can clearly see the benefits. Once the TSR sees the ‘benefits’ of the product for a particular prospect, it is vitally important to highlight those benefits to the prospect. But would the prospects not see the benefits for themselves? In many cases, they do not.

The prospect is used to thinking in the same old way. The TSR needs to keep translating features of the product into advantages, and into benefits for a prospect, to motivate the prospect to buy.

For example, the TSR might say, "One of the features of our car is child lock system. The

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118

advantage is that it is centrally controlled by the person on the driving seat and children cannot open or close the door and you benefit because you can concentrate on driving, while your children are safe in the backseat, even if they are playing with the door lock in the car.”

Again, because the same features will offer different benefits to different prospects, the TSR needs to target the presentation to cover only selected features that offer a clear advantage and a benefit to that particular prospect. As recommended in one of the renowned books on selling, please do this simple exercise before attempting to sell anything new.

• Fold a sheet of paper as you would fold a letter, into three vertical sections.

• In the first column, list the top 5 major features of your product.

• In the second column, list several advantages for each feature.

• And in the third column, list the possible benefits of each advantage for the different types of prospects you plan to call on. No matter what you're offering, your presentations will flow naturally and logically across the sheet of paper, making it easier for prospects to justify buying.

A golden rule of business: features don't sell, benefits do.

Your customers might want to know features, so that they can see what's included in the price, but it's the benefits that actually sell your product or service. Develop every product feature into a tangible benefit, an end result that satisfies a customer problem or need.

The more you communicate how your product or service can help solve your customer's problems or needs, the more you show benefits, the better your sales will be.

9.2.3 WIIFM - THE ADVANTAGE TRAP So how do you go about finding out exactly which features of your product will exactly match the needs of the customer? The answer is quite simple: put yourself in your customer's shoes and ask “What's In It For Me?” This simple question is also known as the ‘WIIFM’.

So here is what is on a typical customer’s mind, as he is listening to a mobile phone sales person: “So what if the phone you're trying to sell me is available in multiple colors, has a 2GB memory card, GPRS system, a color display and built in Bluetooth? What’s In It For Me?” What’s in it for me?

Every organization’s products and services have features and characteristics that make them unique. It’s the way you present the product that will convert the features of that product into benefits for your customer and thus,

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sales for your organization.

Features are facts. Benefits are what these facts will do for the customer.

Remember that people want to know what’s in it for them. Customers buy benefits, not features. Most of the time, TSRs fall into the common trap of merely developing features into advantages – how a product or service MIGHT be used or MIGHT help a prospective customer, or how it compares with competitors. What does it mean for the customer? What will the prospect be able to do as a result?

Benefits are only really benefits if they deal directly with a customer’s need. Take a new mobile phone with the feature of a “2 GB memory”.

'It can store a lot of phone numbers, pictures and can video-record for 50 minutes' isn't a benefit – it's an advantage. So what is the benefit? The answer is that it depends on the customer. An important benefit of 2 GB memory for a prospect who is a journalist, is that the phone plays a multiple role to capture pictures in crisis situations and also records interviews on other days; whereas, the benefit for music lovers would be the access to their favourite 5000 songs, anytime, anywhere.

So don't fall into the trap of getting over-enthusiastic about your product and its new, unique and revolutionary features. All your prospective buyer cares about is the WIIFM of the product.

Check Your Progress 2 Let us practise linking benefits to features. Play the Benefit Bingo Game below Benefit Bingo As quickly as you can, complete a row, column, or diagonal by listing at least one benefit for the given features of mobile phones. Remember the phrase that will help you the most begins with, “What this means to you is . . . “ For example, the benefit statement for the first feature represented in column B will be: “The Benefit of the touch screen user interface on the mobile phone, Mr. Customer, is that you can write on the phone naturally like on a notebook, and save time and effort typing a message.”

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BINGO Touch Screen Speaker phone Colour Display 2 MP Camera 2 GB Memory Card 4 hour battery life GPRS 24X7 Helpdesk Bluetooth MP3 Player ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................

9.3 THINK FAB – FEATURES, ADVANTAGES, BENEFITS The secret of coming up with genuine benefits is to be customer-oriented. The benefit you give is

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much more powerful if it fits a specific, explicit customer need.

How can you turn features and advantages into benefits?

Neil Rackham, author of Spin Selling, argues that the higher the value of the sale, the less effective advantages become, and the more effective benefits become.

The more you relate your message to an explicit customer need, the better the customer will see the value of buying the product from you.

So how do you get to your customer's needs?

• Ask questions • Probe the effects, consequences and implications of your customer's problems.

Check Your Progress 3 1. Which of the following are true statements? True? a) It’s best to present lots of features at the start of a sale. b) Advantages help Prospects make the right choice. c) Features help Prospects understand what it can do for them.

2. Which of the following statements by the seller are Benefits? Benefit? a) I assume you want to save money and this scheme will do that for you. b) You said you want changes in this process. Our new ERP Package would certainly change things. c) You’ve said you need good sound quality, which the noise reduction facility in this home theatre provides. d) This software package will be a big benefit to you.

Feature? Advantage? Benefit? (F, A, B) 3. Which of the following is a Feature, an Advantage, a Benefit? a) The entire plot measures 50 x 500 feet. b) This University offers over 20 different diploma programs to choose from. c) As you stated, you have limitation in office space. I have just the thing for you. Our newest desktop copier does two-sided copying, which will cut your filing space requirements to half. d) We offer a corporate salary account and because of it, we can offer all your team

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members zero balance savings bank account.

9.4 LET US SUM UP At the end of this unit, you have covered the importance of identifying customer needs before presenting your product.

This unit has also covered in detail how to present the features of your product to your prospects as benefits and convert them to customers.

9.5 KEY WORDS �Features- Facts, characteristics of a product or service �Advantages- What the features can do �Benefits- What those features mean to the customer �WIIFM- What Is In It For Me �Objection- An interest shown by customer in the form of a question during a sales call 9.6 REFERENCE & SUGGESTED READING • Ziglar on Selling by Zig Ziglar • Soft Sell-The New Art of Selling by Tim Connor, CSP, 4th Edition • The Spin Selling Fieldbook by Neil Rackham

9.7 ANSWERS Check Your Progress 1 1. Feature The statement provides facts about the history of the University.

2. Feature The statement provides facts about the course.

3. Feature The seller is describing a characteristic of the wrist watch.

4. Feature The statement provides one of the services offered by the company.

5. Advantage Since the buyer has not expressed a need to for remote connectivity, it is not a Benefit. Even if the seller is sure that the buyer really needs connection in remote zone, it is only a Benefit if the buyer actually stated the need.

6. Benefit The seller shows how the service can meet an Explicit Need (for quick response time) expressed by the buyer 7. Feature The seller is describing the additional features in the car.

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8. Advantage The statement describes how a Feature is used.

Check Your Progress 2- Benefit Bingo As per the given example for the first feature given in the block, draw out multiple benefit statements for each of the feature given in both the rows and columns.

Check Your Progress 3 1. a) True b) False c) False d) False 2. a) No b) Yes c) Yes d) No 3. a) F b) F c) B d) A

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UNIT 10: CLOSING THE SALE Structure: 10.0 Objectives 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Closing a Sale: What you need to know 10.3 Buying and Non-Buying Signals: Is the prospect ready to buy?

10.4 Handling Objections 10.5 Closing Techniques 10.6 Let us sum up 10.7 Key Words 10.8 Suggested Reading

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10.0 OBJECTIVES After studying this material carefully, you will: • develop a clear understanding of the importance of closing a sale • be able to distinguish between different types of closes, and when to use them • better understand buying signals and the important role they play in successfully closing a sale • understand how to handle objections well and without stress

10.1 INTRODUCTION We have just covered how to present the features of our product as benefits to the customer. It is now time to gain their commitment and close the sale.

Ask any TSR (Tele-sales Representative) what the most stressful part of their job is and they will probably tell you it's closing the sale. And why?

Simply because, closing the sale is the phase when the buyer actually hands over their money and takes possession of the product – or at least, signs on the dotted line committing to do so. And all your efforts spent in qualifying a prospect, researching their needs, pitching the right product and handling their objections, are wasted if you are not able to convert that prospect into a sale.

Simply put, the close is your ‘moment of truth’ as a TSR. And yet, closing is not about pressure or gimmicks. In fact, if you have done your job well as a TSR, closing the deal is almost a formality. All you need to do, is to give the prospect a gentle nudge in the right direction – by asking them for a commitment.

And here is another truth: unless you ask for a sale, you will almost certainly not get it!

10.2 CLOSING A SALE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW A successful close usually boils down to one key factor: Knowledge.

There are at least six things you need to know, to be able to close the sale: Know Your Customer The strong you build your rapport with the customer, the easier it is for the customer to say "yes" when the time comes to sign on the dotted line. Moreover, in the process, you will get to know the

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client’s special needs even better, and be able to pitch your product even more strongly to them.

Know Your Product Probably the biggest benefit of knowing your product well is that it improves your confidence as a TSR. A prospect is as much influenced by your confidence as by the product itself. A common saying is, that the buyer buys the seller first, and then the product.

Know The Competition As much as you need to know the customer and your product, you also need to know how your product is better than the competition. A customer does not buy a product for its ‘features’; a customer buys a product because of the benefits he/she expects to enjoy after buying the product. The more we know about what experience the customer gets in buying and using the competitor’s product, the better we can show them the benefit of buying and using our product.

Know your ‘Value Proposition’ You need to know how your offering is better than the competitor’s offering in satisfying the customer’s needs. The ‘value proposition’ of your offering is much more than just the cost. It includes intangibles like buying experience, user experience, product quality, after sales service, expertise and knowledge of seller’s employees, special design features like ergonomic design, etc. that improve the value perceived by the buyer.

Know what makes you unique Whether you know it or not, your company and your product are unique. Using a comparative analysis of your competition and your value proposition, you need to understand what makes you unique – and strongly highlight that uniqueness to the customer.

Know when to close You must be able to read the customer’s ‘buying signals’. Asking for the order too early in the sale might prompt your client to say no, because they have still not seen the value in your product.

Asking too late means you are probably gifting the prospect to your competitors. The right time to close is when the customer is ready to decide. And your job is to ‘read all the signs’ that tell you

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the customer is ready.

Once you are confident of your knowledge about all of the above, close successfully by following this simple roadmap: Lay the ‘Foundation’, Raise The ‘Pillars’. The selling process should naturally flow into the close. This is only possible if you have started the relationship by building rapport, and continued building rapport at every opportunity by providing the requested information and giving the right suggestions at the right time. Unless the prospect trusts that you have their best intentions in mind, they will not buy from you. The foundation of any relationship is trust, and the pillars are the benefits offered by your product to the customer.

‘Watch The Sky’. As the customer gets nearer to making a decision, she will start to give you signs that the time for the close is approaching. These signs would be in the form of specific questions related to the product. They could also be statements and non-verbal cues. When you see these signs, it you know its time to begin the close.

Laying the ‘Roof’: ASK! You've probably heard this before: the most common reason why people don't buy is that the TSR never asked for the sale! Use closing techniques, but remember that a sale is closed because of trust, not gimmicks and techniques.

Keep The ‘Windows’ Open. Listen for objections. Despite your best efforts to lay a solid foundation and close the sale, the customer might still have some objections that need to be overcome. Before you go for the close, place yourself in the customer's shoes. What lingering objections might still exist? Be prepared to meet your customer's indecision with a response that reinforces what you have been showing them. Give them the assurance that what you are offering is the right thing for them.

Check Your Progress 5 1. What does the TSR need to know before closing the sale? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................

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....................................

2. Briefly, what are the steps in the sale process? ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... .................................... .10 BUYING AND NON-BUYING SIGNALS: IS THE PROSPECT READY TO BUY? The most important part of closing is – you guessed it right – timing. How do you know if your prospect is ready to buy, and it is time to start ‘closing’ the sale?

It is important to constantly look for "buying signals" from your prospect. These are signs from the prospect that he / she is ready to take action to buy.

Buying Signals A buying signal is an expression of a customer’s desire to own the product. One of the skills you need to hone in any sales situation is your ability to pick up on buying signals that could be anything from a seemingly innocuous comment, to a great big bell clanging (figuratively) in your head. And they will often be offered up at various stages as a result of the conversational questioning techniques you use.

A few verbal buying signals that a TSR needs to be ready to pick up, are: • The prospect mentions a negative experience with a previous supplier.

• The prospect asks for references • The prospect asks for a sample • The prospect gives positive verbal nods, like “uh-uh”, “yes”, “right”, etc.

• The prospect asks for your guidance or opinion • The prospect repeats a question that has been answered fully.

Some Examples of Verbal Buying Signals: Questions: • “Can I try it?”

• “Do you have any other model?”

• “Can I see the contract?”

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• “Do you offer a financing plan for that?”

Statements: • “I like that one with LCD display.”

• “I think I can afford it.”

• “I think this looks better than my current one.”

• “A friend of mine is very satisfied with your products.”

A few non-verbal buying signals (in face-to-face selling) are: • The prospect gives you eye-contact freely, and does not avert their glances • The prospect leans towards you slightly, indicating he/she is open to your ideas • The prospect does not appear ‘closed’ – e.g. arms crossed in front of their body, finger on chin indicating they are critically evaluating you, etc.

• The prospect nods to what you are saying • The prospect smiles with you • The prospect does not show signs of impatience – such as interrupting, repeatedly looking at their watch or the door, holding their breath waiting for you to finish your sentence so they can begin to speak, etc.

If you have difficulty recognizing closing opportunities and using them to good advantage, the chances are you're not ‘listening’ to what the prospect or customer is saying.

Non-Buying Signals Buying signals can be important; but they can also easily be misinterpreted. These signs could also just be questions that serve to clarify or gain an understanding of what you can do for them.

Certainly, queries or comments like those listed above indicate that the prospect is at least involved in the sales process, and a certain level of interest. However to understand if the prospect is really interested in our offer or not, we also need to concentrate on the ‘NOT-buying’ signals. Here are a few nonbuying signals to watch out for: • Will the prospect agree to a firm next step with you? If not, it may be time to move on.

• Have repeated calls to a seemingly "hot prospect" gone unreturned?

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• When you speak to the prospect do you hear something like "I really like your proposal, but I need to do (fill in the blank) to get it moving forward"?

• Another variation of the above: "We really want to move forward, we just need a bit more time", or "We really want to move forward, but we've had some other priorities come up."

Typically, the above are signs that the sale is not going to happen, at least on this occasion.

There could be many legitimate reasons as to why the prospect can't move forward that are beyond your control. So what do you do? Always be on the lookout for anything that sounds like a buying signal – or a "not-buying" signal. You need to hear those as early in the sales process as you can so you can spend your time with leads and prospects who are more likely buy within your normal cycle.

Check Your Progress 2 5. What are Buying Signals? ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ....................................

2. Give some buying signals that the TSR needs to look for, to decide when to start the close. ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ....................................

3. What are non-buying signals? How are they important in the closing process? ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ....................................

10.4 HANDLING OBJECTIONS Studies indicate that a prospect will say ‘no’ five times on average before they actually buy. The main reason customers say ‘no’ is a

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fear of making a decision. They may often say ‘no’ even if they want to buy from you – just out of habit.

Simply put, an objection is nothing more than a request for additional information. As a general rule, prospects are hesitant to commit to purchasing a product until they have convinced themselves they need it and that they are getting it at a fair price. They are often also concerned with factors like how to justify the purchase to others in the company or in their family, their relationship with their existing supplier, convenience, image and the risk of trying something new versus the comfort of the old product.

As a TSR, it is important to remember that an objection is not a rejection of you personally. Top salespeople not only expect objections during the sales process, but actually anticipate and prepare for them.

However, preventing objections is always preferable to handling objections. Some interesting findings have emerged from research: • Objections are not buying signals. TSR’s who receive more objections do no experience more sales success.

• A majority of objections are created by the TSR. • Many objections occur because the TSR proposes the product/solution too soon.

Why do objections come?

So why do objections occur? Sometimes they occur because of factors beyond the TSR’s control, such as buyer doubt, resistance to change, competition, inherently small buyer needs, or needs the TSR can’t meet with their product. For example, your buyer will only buy if you have a local representative in Nagpur, and you don’t have a local representative in Nagpur.

However most objections fall into two overall categories: 5. Value Objections – Where the buyer raises doubts about the value, worth, or usefulness of the solution you’re selling, e.g., “That’s not much use to me,” “It’s too expensive,” “I don’t need it.”

Typically, value objections fall into four major categories: • no money • no perceived need, or • no hurry

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If you haven’t qualified your prospects financially and conducted a thorough needs analysis, it’s a strong probability that you will very often encounter these objections.

2. Capability Objections – Where the buyer sees the value of solving the problem but raises doubts about the capacity or genuineness of the TSR, the TSR’s organization, or the product, e.g., “I don’t think you understand our business,” “I am sure it’s not as easy as you claim.

There are two kinds of capability objections. Each requires a different strategy: Capability/Can’t Objections – These kind of objections occur when you don’t have a capability to meet a need that is of high value to the prospect.

Capability/Can Objections – These objections occur when you do have a capability but the buyer doesn’t perceive that you have it.

How to Handle Objections?

When your prospect voices an objection, it is important to treat it with respect and hear them out.

Interrupting when you should be listening is a significant factor in the loss of trust and rapport.

Even though you may have heard that same objection many times, avoid the temptation to begin addressing their concerns prematurely.

Before you begin your response, it is vitally important that you understand your prospect’s specific concerns. Otherwise, you run the risk of shooting yourself in the foot by voicing an objection they had not even considered.

Restate and gain agreement on the specific objection prior to responding. This approach not only provides clarity, but it also builds rapport.

When addressing an objection, don’t perform a ‘dump’ on the customer. Most salespeople have a tendency to overwhelm or bore their prospects by over-educating them. In an attempt to impress them with how knowledgeable they are, some salespeople lengthen the appointment and use up their valuable fallback positions. There are times when your prospect’s objection may be disruptive and therefore you might want to delay answering it until further along in your presentation.

Sometimes, it is a very good decision to delay your response to an objection – for example if you require a clarification from someone else in your company before you can answer the buyer. In such cases, it is perfectly acceptable to let the buyer know, that you’ll write down the objection and come back with an answer in ‘x’ number of days.

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Steps for Addressing an Objection Step 5 - Hear them out Give your prospect your full attention and avoid the temptation to think about your response while they are speaking. Learn to be an active listener. An active listener is not only listening to what their prospect is saying, but is also trying to discover the meaning behind their words. Research indicates that 65% of our communication is nonverbal. Therefore, it is vitally important to pay attention to body language and listen for voice inflections. In addition to observing your prospect’s gestures, you must also learn to be mindful of your nonverbal signals.

Step 2 - Feed it back for clarification By feeding the objection back in the form of a question it gives your prospect an opportunity to expand upon their concern. For example, if your prospect said they don’t have the money in their budget, you would feed it back saying, “You don’t have the money in your budget?” This technique reduces the perception of pressure. By having the opportunity to explain their position, your prospect will frequently answer their own objection. Another reason it is important to clarify the objection is to make sure you are addressing their exact concern and not creating a new one.

Some objections are of greater importance to your prospect than others. After you clarify the objection, you need to ask your prospect how important that concern is to them.

Step 3 - Answer the objection Take the following into consideration: • Stay big picture, but be prepared to provide details as necessary.

• Use graphs, charts, or numbers if using the big picture approach isn’t effective.

• Verify the objection has been resolved.

Handling Value Objections Value objections usually arise when the prospect has not been qualified well before investing time and energy into the sale. Sometimes, value objections can arise because the buyer’s requirements have changed mid-way into the sales process.

There is really very little you can do about a value objection – if it is, infact, real. However value objections can also arise if you try to sell your product to someone who is not a decision maker, or is not involved in the purchase process of the customer company – for example, a junior executive

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in the procurement department who does not have any real decision making authority; rather their objective in speaking with the TSR is perhaps to build the company’s database of vendors, or to get market intelligence, or to explore your relationship with their company’s competitors.

In any case, the best way to handle a value objection is usually to first confirm that it is indeed genuine, and then politely withdraw from the interaction, while at the same time retaining your rapport with the prospect for future use.

Handling Capability / Can’t Objections The strategy for handling Capability/Can’t Objections has two steps: • Acknowledge that you can’t meet the need.

• Increase the value of the capability you do have. Reemphasize the importance of the needs you can meet by using Need-payoff Questions and Benefit statements.

The aim of this strategy is movement. However, since you can’t increase the buyer’s perception of your capability, you have to increase the value of other needs for which you do have the capability.

Example: The seller, a senior manager in an accounting firm, is meeting with the buyer, Jack Beckett, a President of a trucking company: Buyer: Believe me, I understand your timetable, but I need to move faster than that.

Seller: Hmmm… Well, as you know, I don’t think we can have that finalized in much less time than we talked about. But let’s step back and see where we are. [Acknowledges that he doesn’t have the particular capability.]

Buyer: Well…okay Seller: Jack, I can see how moving that ahead a week or two would help. But I guess you have to consider the trade-offs-because you also said personalized service was important, and agreed that we’re best able to provide it.

Buyer: Yeah…You’re right about the personalized service, but I’m concerned because getting a head start on next year’s work could turn out to be crucial.

Seller: Yes, I understand…but could your need for personalized service prove to be important next year? For example, you’ve mentioned that you’re planning an analysis of your cash management system. Isn’t that a case where our help would be extremely important? [Increases

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the value of the capability you do have.]

Buyer: True…we will need a lot of special help on that one.

Seller: So, the personalized service we’ve talked about might be important in a number of areas?

[Increases the value of the capability you do have] Buyer: No question…In fact, as we talk, more things are coming to mind. Let’s see if there is some way we can look at this and try to…

Here the seller is able to emphasize the importance of the existing capability (personalized service) by asking need-payoff questions (questions that directly relate their existing capability to the need of the buyer, and indicate the possible pay-off to the buyer), which helps the buyer to see its value.

Handling Capability / Can Objections There are three steps in the strategy for handling Capability / Can objections: • Acknowledge the legitimacy of the buyer’s concern. Show the buyer that you understand it’s a reasonalble concern • Demonstrate your capability. Explain how you can provide the capability • Show proof, where necessary. Provide a source (s) of proof that genuinely supports your ability to meet the need Example: The seller is a bank officer meeting with the buyer, who is the President of a small company that is about to enter the International Market.

Buyer: Regarding the foreign exchange area, it seems to me I’d be better off going with one of the money center banks.

Seller: Uh-huh Buyer: Since the money center banks do have experience in that area, I suspect that they’ll be able to provide us with better foreign exchange rates.

Seller: Well, you certainly do want the best rates (acknowledges the legitimacy of the objection), but today you don’t have to be a money center to be competitive in the foreign exchange market.

Buyer: Oh ….. Why’s that?

Seller: Well, it’s a matter of having the right kind of information service. We’re in direct contact with the European market. So we’re always aware of the best prevailing rates. (Demonstrates

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capability of the seller’s organization).

Buyer: Uh-HUH. Well, what I think we should do is have you talk with Bob Townsend at Borax.

He just addressed this same issue. I’ll also send you a publication just put out by The Wall Street Journal, which I think will be of some help. (Shows proof by offering other supporting sources) Buyer: Okay ……… Sounds good.

Capability / Can Objections are handled most effectively by using a simple straight forward strategy. The major error that occurs in handling this kind of objection is failing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the buyer’s concern.

Step 4 - Ask for the order You may have to ask for the order several times before you get the sale, so make sure you vary your closing questions. Remain patient and be persistent without becoming argumentative.

Check Your Progress 3 5. What are objections and why do objections occur? .................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................

2. What is the recommended strategy to handle capability/can’t objections? ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................

10.5 CLOSING TECHNIQUES By this stage of the sale, whether on the telephone or face-to-face, you will have accomplished most of the hard parts. It’s now time to find out how well you have gathered information, qualified the prospect/customer, identified and committed them to their need, and presented your solution tailored to that need.

Here are a few closing techniques, or strategies, to give the buyer a final nudge to complete the deal.

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The Direct Close: Just Ask! Start by just plain old ASKING FOR THE ORDER. Remember 70% of sales people NEVER ask for the order. Just start here.

The 1-2-3 Close: A customer evaluates the benefits of the product in terms of cost of the product, quality of the product and the time of availability of the product. 5-2-3 closing technique accounts for all of these parameters at the time of closing so that the customer at the time of drawing conclusions is certain about what he is getting in terms of these parameters.

E.g. “So in short, Mr. Buyer, the Pulsar is not only the best performance bike in its class, it is also the best value-for-money product if you consider the low cost of ownership, and most important, it is available immediately – you can ride out of here on your own Pulsar, right now.”

The ‘Adjournment’ Close: This technique gives the buyer a chance to think over the deal. But such a technique should be employed only in the most adverse situations - like if the product is a high-ticket item and the buyer needs some more time to convince themselves, or if the buyer is a bit confused over what package to decide upon, or if the buyer needs to decide over the number of packages he needs to buy. Such a technique should be employed only when the TSR finds a possibility of a possible gain while devoting their time to the customer.

E.g. “Well, Mr. Buyer, why don’t you take a day or two to decide, and I’ll call you on Wednesday to get your signature on the order form. The discount offer is only available till Thursday, and I want you to get the benefit of it.”

The ‘Affordability’ Close: This technique is employed at the time when the customer has certain doubts about the product's price. Here the TSR highlights to the customer the different ways of viewing the price, such as the immediate cost of purchase versus cost of long-term ownership, onetime bulk payment versus interest-free EMIs, etc. so that the customer realizes that even though the initial cost of purchase is a little high, the overall ‘cost of ownership’ is very much affordable. The TSR over here can also highlight the intangible advantages of owning the product, over the price the customer has to pay for the product.

E.g. “Mr. Buyer, while I agree that the initial investment in this cooler is modestly higher than ‘X’ competitor, if you compare the cost of electricity you will save by using our cooler, that additional amount will be recovered within eighteen months. Thereafter, you start saving 20% of your power cost every month. That certainly makes our cooler much more affordable than the competition,

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right?”

‘ABC’ (Always Be Closing) with ‘Trial’ Close: First find out what is important to your prospect/client, and then keep asking them questions which help them discover which of your products is/are right for them. Narrow down the choices to help them move forward to purchase your product.

E.g. “So are you looking for a light coloured shirt or a dark one? Light? OK, so why don’t you try this blue shirt? It goes very well with your complexion.”

E.g. “So Mr. Buyer, I understand you have shortlisted options 5, 2 and 3. Suppose you were to go in for Option 5, it seems to me you will get everything that you are looking for, right?”

‘Assumptive’ or ‘Positive Assumption’ Close: Speak to the customer as though he/she is already your customer, with an assumption that the sale is already made. Customers tend to respond positively to the approach that they are not under any pressure to buy. Your positive attitude projects confidence.

E.g. "… and how do you wish to pay for this?" Or "May I request you to approve (Signature) this paperwork (Contract / Order form etc.)?”

Or else just write up the order, once you get the ‘nod’ or positive buying signals from the customer, and ask them how they would like to take delivery of the product and in what quantity.

‘Assumptive Walk-Through’ Close: This is similar to the Assumptive Close, in that the TSR speaks with the prospect as though the sale is already through. However the approach of the TSR here is to ‘walk the prospect through’ the experience of buying and owning the product and enjoying the benefits. Here is how it works: “Let me walk you through this so you get a complete understanding of how this is going to work for you.”

Then walk your prospect through the steps of your process, getting them to visualize a simple, effective means to move forward.

Finish with: “Most important, if you have any questions, I want you to call me so I can either help you answer them or put you in contact with the right people who can. I want to save you time and money. So please feel free to call me anytime.”

‘Method of Payment’ Close: Could be considered a way of assumptive closing:

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“Are you going to use a credit card or check to purchase today?”

‘Two-Choice’ Close or ‘Double-ended’ Close Offer two positive choices to the customer to choose from, it is not a choice between a yes and a no, but rather between two yeses.

E.g. "Would you prefer the delivery on Tuesday or Wednesday?"

"Will you pay by cheque or by cash?"

“Will you be purchasing one piece or more than one?”

The ‘Benefit’ Close / ‘Ben Franklin’ Close Reiterate the benefit of the products and pitch the ‘value proposition’ of the product. Add up the benefits the buyer will receive, and help the buyer understand that the benefits far out-weigh whatever objections they have brought up.

E.g. “So what you are looking for is a car that is fuel efficient, easy to drive and with strong safety features so your family is safe, right? Well, Mr. Buyer, I’m glad to present to you the MALTO, a ‘big-size small car’ which will give you a mileage of 59 kms per litre and help you save 55% of your fuel cost compared to other cars, while still giving you exceptional safety features not found in any other car.”

The ‘Yes-Ladder’ Close: The yes ladder close builds a chain of "yes's" to questions the TSR asks to help lead the customer into saying yes to the sale. To put the customer in the habit of saying yes, ask questions you're sure will get affirmative answers.

E.g. “So you see that the MALTO is more fuel-efficient than the competition right?” [Customer says yes] “And with a shorter turn radius, it is easier to drive in city than competitor X, right?” [Customer says yes] “And it also has better safety features than competitor X, right?” [Customer says yes] “So wouldn’t you agree that this is the best vehicle for your family?” [Customer says yes].

Check Your Progress 4 5. Describe any three closing techniques. ......................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................

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......................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................

2. Recommend three closing techniques that can be used to handle undecided customers. ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................

10.6 LET US SUM UP In this unit, you have learnt the importance of closing a sale. You have also understood the different types of closes, and when to use them. This unit has also covered in detail the different buying and non-buying signals that customers give, and the important role they play in successfully closing a sale. Finally, in this unit, you have learnt how to handle objections well and without stress.

At the end of this unit, it is important to remember this quote: “In every sale, somebody buys. Either they buy, or you buy.”

In other words, either the customer buys the product, or you buy the customer’s reasons why they don’t want to buy the product.

10.7 KEY WORDS �Buying Signals: Expressions of a customer’s desire to own the product. �Objection: Any reason a customer gives for not wanting to buy the product. Usually, objections are disguised requests for additional information.

10.8 REFERENCE AND SUGGESTED READING • Ziglar on Selling by Zig Ziglar • Soft Sell-The New Art of Selling byTim Connor, CSP, 4th Edition • The Spin Selling Fieldbook by Neil Rackham 10.9 ANSWERS Check Your Progress 5 5. There are at least six things a TSR needs to know, to be able to close the sale: Know Your Customer

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The strong you build your rapport with the customer, the better you know their needs, and the easier it is for the customer to say "yes" to the deal.

Know Your Product This improves your confidence as a TSR. Know The Competition The more we know about what experience the customer gets in buying and using the competitor’s product, the better we can show them the benefit of buying and using our product.

Know your ‘Value Proposition’ The ‘value proposition’ includes intangibles like buying experience, user experience, product quality, after sales service, expertise and knowledge of seller’s employees, special design features like ergonomic design, etc. that improve the value perceived by the buyer, in addition to the cost.

Know what makes you unique Using a comparative analysis of your competition and your value proposition, you need to understand what makes you unique – and strongly highlight that uniqueness to the customer.

Know when to close You must be able to read the customer’s ‘buying signals’. The right time to close is when the customer is ready to decide.

2. The following are the steps in the sale process: Lay The ‘Foundation’, Raise The ‘Pillars’. Start the relationship by building rapport, and continue to build rapport at every opportunity by providing the requested information and giving the right suggestions at the right time. The foundation of any relationship is trust, and the pillars are the benefits offered by your product to the customer.

‘Watch The Sky’. As the customer gets nearer to making a decision, she will start to give out signs that the time for the close is approaching. These signs would be in the form of specific questions related to the product. They could also be statements and non-verbal cues.

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Laying the ‘Roof’: ASK! The most common reason why people don't buy is that the TSR never asked for the sale.

Keep The ‘Windows’ Open. Listen for objections. Despite your best efforts to lay a solid foundation and close the sale, the customer might still have some objections that need to be overcome. Be prepared to meet your customer's indecision with a response that reinforces what you have been showing them. Give them the assurance that what you are offering is the right thing for them.

Check Your Progress 2 1. A buying signal is an expression of a customer’s desire to own the product. As the customer gets nearer to making a decision, she will start to give out signs that the time for the close is approaching. These signs would be in the form of specific questions related to the product. They could also be statements and non-verbal cues. You must be able to read the customer’s ‘buying signals’, as the right time to close is when the customer is ready to decide.

2. A few verbal buying signals that a TSR needs to be ready to pick up, are: o The prospect mentions a negative experience with a previous supplier. o The prospect asks for references o The prospect asks for a sample 535 o The prospect gives positive verbal nods, like “uh-uh”, “yes”, “right”, etc. o The prospect asks for your guidance or opinion o The prospect repeats a question that has been answered fully.

3. Buying signals are important, but can also be inconclusive if taken in isolation. They could simply be genuine questions to elicit more information from the TSR before taking a decision. To understand if the prospect is really interested in our offer or not, we also need to concentrate on the ‘NOT-buying’ signals. Here are a few non-buying signals to watch out for: o Will the prospect agree to a firm next step with you? If not, it may be time to move on.

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o Have repeated calls to a seemingly "hot prospect" gone unreturned? o When you speak to the prospect do you hear something like "I really like your proposal, but I need to do (fill in the blank) to get it moving forward"? o Another variation of the above: "We really want to move forward, we just need a bit more time", or "We really want to move forward, but we've had some other priorities come up."

Typically, the above are signs that the sale is not going to happen, at least on this occasion.

Check Your Progress 3 1. Any reason a customer gives for not wanting to buy the product. Usually, objections are disguised requests for additional information.

As a general rule, prospects are hesitant to commit to purchasing a product until they have convinced themselves they need it and that they are getting it at a fair price. They are often also concerned with factors like how to justify the purchase to others in the company or in their family, their relationship with their existing supplier, convenience, image and the risk of trying something new versus the comfort of the old product.

As a TSR, it is important to remember that an objection is not a rejection of the TSR personally. Top salespeople not only expect objections during the sales process, but actually anticipate and prepare for them.

Objections occur sometimes because of factors beyond the TSR’s control, such as buyer doubt, resistance to change, competition, inherently small buyer needs, or needs the TSR can’t meet with their product. However most objections fall into two overall categories: 1. Value Objections – Where the buyer raises doubts about the value, worth, or usefulness of the solution you’re selling, e.g., “That’s not much use to me,” “It’s too expensive,” “I don’t need it.”

Typically, value objections fall into four major categories: • no money, • no perceived need, or • no hurry.

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This type of objection if encountered, usually indicates that the TSR hasn’t qualified the prospect financially and conducted a thorough needs analysis.

2. Capability Objections – Where the buyer sees the value of solving the problem but raises doubts about the capacity or genuineness of the TSR, the TSR’s organization, or the product, e.g., “I don’t think you understand our business,” “I am sure it’s not as easy as you claim.

There are two kinds of capability objections: Capability/Can’t Objections – These kind of objections occur when you don’t have a capability to meet a need that is of high value to the prospect.

Capability/Can Objections – These objections occur when you do have a capability but the buyer doesn’t perceive that you have it.

2. Handling Capability / Can’t Objections The strategy for handling Capability/Can’t Objections has two steps: • Acknowledge that you can’t meet the need.

• Increase the value of the capability you do have. Reemphasize the importance of the needs you can meet by using Need-payoff Questions and Benefit statements.

The aim of this strategy is movement. However, since you can’t increase the buyer’s perception of your capability, you have to increase the value of other needs for which you do have the capability.

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