Making Assumptions
It’s very easy for a salesperson to make assumptions about their customers early on in a call. They want to assert their prowess on a phone call; they want to take control. And so they should – telesales representatives should always be in control of their call.
Making assumptions can be dangerous however, and they come in all shapes and sizes…
Do your sales agents assume what a customer’s situation is?
Agents often will assume because a customer doesn’t have a full-time job, they won’t be able to afford the service you provide. I have spoken to a lot of people that don’t work, have lost their jobs or are disabled and will still sign on the dotted line.
Do they abandon their process if they’re speaking to someone who’s first language isn’t English?
A lot of agents will not give the correct level of service to customers who aren’t English or whom have a difficult accent to follow. These customers need the representatives to be even more attentive, yet they tend to be given up on because English isn’t their first language. In my experience, they can be some of the nicest people you speak to when you give them the opportunity to speak freely and ask questions, because they respect your patience with them.
Do they abandon their process if a customer is being cold with them?
Agents will tend to give up if a customer isn’t putting the effort in to build rapport, or if they’re not reciprocating the same level of kindness the agent is demonstrating. They’ll assume this customer will never buy the product because they don’t like the agent. These kinds of people don’t need to like the seller to like the service – it’s about efficiency.
Making assumptions means abandoning your process and painting all your customers with the same brush. You can see how ridiculous it looks. Agents should approach each call as if there was there no connection between their current customer and the preceding customer, because… there isn’t. Just because you have previously spoken with a super direct customer who didn’t buy, doesn’t mean the next one will be the same. Just because you once spoke to a 20-year-old didn’t buy, doesn’t mean the next youngster won’t. You can see my point.
The best salespeople adapt to their customers, to their surroundings. Making assumptions will be the death of any consistency salesman strive for.
Assumptions can also damage an agent’s mindset, and it affects their resilience because they feel that their day isn’t in their control. How each call is approached is very much in an agent’s circle of control.
Salespeople can’t go into work with their fingers crossed they won’t get a certain type of customer that day. They will not last long, so it’s important for agents to understand this concept. If they understand this, they WILL be in control of all their calls, and all the customers will get the service they deserve.
Don’t Make Assumptions.