How To ‘Cross-Sell’ And ‘Sell Up’ Over The Telephone

Call centres are a land of lost opportunities. Every call whether arriving or departing is an chance to do a sale or to build a pipeline for a futurity sale. At the really least there is scope for merchandising a bigger quantity (selling up) or to sell additional products / services (cross-selling). Here’s a 10 point plan which, if enforced wish immensely improve call centre productivity.

1. Prepare for each call

·Adjust your mindset. Portion your client to buy more products and services that are beneficial to them is 1st class client service
·Decide in advance what client commitment you would-be like by the end of the call. Is it an order or is it commitment to the next stepping stone?— e.g. to take another follow-up call next week or an introduction to the real decision makers or influencers
·Prepare your opening and the questions which need to be asked to define inevitably and wants for your propositions (see below).

2. Cognize your sales propositions

To take a simple, neutral example, if your product is a coffee cup that keeps the coffee warm 4 times longer that an ordinary cup. Define the potential WIFM (‘what’s in it for me?’) for the customer. It could be that the user loves hot coffee and won’t drink it cold. This means that every time they have to take a call or are interrupted they have to re-visit the peddling machine. This mightiness take them 5 minutes which on an average day could cost them 20 minutes total. (1hr 40mins per week). What else could they be doing with their time? What’s the chance cost and what’s the direct cost in terms of salary? Once these price are quantified they represent the real value of your proposition.

3. Define the questions to be asked

Have a list of questions to ask that lead to shaping inevitably and wants for your propositions. Client inevitably are logically based. For example, I need a car to get me from A to B and about any car wish get me there. I want a BMW because I enjoy the praise and prestige. Inevitably are the tip of the iceberg and are really easy to identify (by you, and your competitors too!). Wants are more harder to access and the marketer inevitably to develop the trust of the client which is built on personal credibleness and trust coupled with the ability to ask intelligent, incisive questions; and of course, harnessing the skills to actively listen to the answers in order to summarise the customer’s inevitably and wants accurately and concisely.

4. Actuate the client to answer your questions.

Many ‘chat-show’ hosts are not particularly nice at questioning and yet their guests are open, and normally effusive with the information they give. Why? Because they are actuated to do so because they are normally there to promote a book, film or suchlike. To facilitate a similar environment once devising or receiving calls we must: a) take control of the call and b) actuate the client to answer our questions. For example: “Mr Brown, in order for me to do sure that I tell you just about the products and services that are most relevant to you, may I 1st of all ask you several questions to define your potential requirements?” Or, “Mr Brown, to change us to ensure that we are an effective provider for ABC Limited it is essential that we have an up to date image of your situation and requirements, so would-be you mind if 1st of all I ask you a few questions?”

5. Summarise client inevitably and wants

Before presenting your idea, product or service, summarise the customer’s inevitably and wants exploitation the following structure:
·Thank the client for giving you the information
·Ask them if it would-be be helpful to summarise the key points to check your understanding of their requirements
·Feedback the key points from your notes if appropriate (the client wish probably correct any misunderstandings en route)
·Check that you have a reasonable and accurate understanding and ask them if they have thing to add.

6. Present relevant propositions

Based on the accepted summary, only present the ideas / products / services that are relevant to the customer. Link the advantages of your propositions to the customer’s inevitably and wants. Avoid the ‘pitching’ of digressive propositions. Emphasise the benefits — the ‘pay-offs’ in relation to their inevitably and wants. As you present, test the customer's commitment, e.g. “how’s it sounding so far Mr Brown?”

7. Have relevant proofs to hand

Through the above process you wish generate a nice match between the customer’s requirements and your offering. To gain the customer’s commitment you need to develop their belief that your resolution wish work. Your claims need substantiation or evidence to overcome any client doubt or scepticism. Nice examples of proofs are: client references; case study materials; charts; brochures; product information sheets; press releases etc.

8. Expect objections and prepare for them

Objections are a sign of genuine client interest. Without them, sales are seldom made! It’s imperative that we unearth any objections as the one to fear most is the one we don’t cognize about! Most objections raise their heads on a regular basis and can be anticipated. Get together with your colleagues and develop ‘best of breed’ answers.

9. Develop an information base

Unless you are dealing with a ‘one-off’ contact / sale, develop an information base on the institution / individual. Whether on a sophisticated CRM system or on ‘shoebox’ record cards, support details of all previous conversations, in particular their inevitably and wants. Develop a check list of the background information you would-be like to collect for each customer. Use this as an aide memoire for the questions to be asked in conjunction with the ones required to define inevitably and wants for your offering.

10. Follow-up and support the initiative

Every “no” gets you closer to a “yes.” Based on your conversion ratios and average sales value activity out how more each “no” is worth. It can be quite motivational! A “no” now is not necessarily a “no” forever. Gain the customer’s commitment to the next stage even as if it’s only to take a follow-up call in 6 months. Ne'er trust on the client to move back to you (usually they don’t). Support control of the sale and support the momentum going. If all else fails, qualify the client out and get on with thing else. This in itself is a win.

In summary, our experience is that you wish ‘sell-up’ and ‘cross-sell’ more effectively by following these practical guidelines. Furthermore, evidence powerfully indicates that customers wish more promptly buy into your company’s added-value across-the-board if you with success integrate the guidelines into your sales approach.

Jeff formed and jointly-founded Quantum (www.quantum-sales.com) in 1992. Prior to Quantum, over a 20-year career, Jeff built a wealth of experience across a number of companies and industries - moving from sales into sales management, general management and on to become a Divisional Director. With a well due reputation as a high quality adviser and senior management adviser he has been a central numbers in Quantum's growth.