Consider the following question: Is your business handling incoming callers optimally, and converting them into appointments or sales as often as possible? Between high call volumes, understaffed teams, full voicemails, and automated cell phone forwarding (bad reception and all), the answer is most likely No.
But missing callers and failing to deliver a tremendous first impression comes with a heavy cost in terms of lost business and revenue. Therefore you should take the time to review your call handling procedures and follow these five tips for converting callers into happy, paying clients.
Table of Contents
1. Use the Caller’s Name
A personal touch allows even the briefest, most ephemeral contact to make a deeper impression on callers, and their names are the perfect place to start. When your staff receives a call they should get into the practice of remembering the caller’s name and using it appropriately during the conversation. Name usage, particularly when used with a warm and cheerful tone of voice, builds an immediate rapport and can convey undivided attention and respect.
And remember, respect and a relationship, even one only a few seconds old, can count for a lot when a customer is comparison shopping.
2. Collect Info for Follow Up / Recovery of the Lead
The truth is that each and every call to your office is an opportunity—an opportunity that shouldn’t end when the call is over. Too often lukewarm prospects are lost due to a lack of follow up or recovery efforts on the part of the business.
When your staff receives a call they should immediately enter it into a call tracking system, along with the customer’s name, phone number, email address, and the content of the call. By recording this information you put your office in a position to follow up with the customer over multiple channels. This follow up can then be further personalized with the use of the customer’s name and a brief discussion of their need, concern, or problem as appropriate in order to carry the conversation forward until the prospect is ready to commit.
3. Incentivize
Incentives are a powerful force when it comes to nudging undecided callers into to favorable decisions. Have a monthly sale, discount, or special offer that adds value for the caller, which your staff can then use to help market your service during the call itself.
This incentive helps clients feel rewarded for calling and can create a positive sense of urgency as they then act to take advantage of the special offer before it is too late. Team members can also highlight special services or business features like same day service, free delivery, or group rates for a similar effect.
4. Track Data
Data is knowledge and knowledge is power. By tracking all incoming calls in an online system, managers can help identify problems, ensure that all callers are followed up with correctly, and check to see that conversion rates are at the proper levels.
Without this data collection it may be impossible to tell if your company is quietly hemorrhaging business due to poor call handling procedures.
Always remember that the qualities and the training of the staff answering your telephone play a huge role in determining how well you turn callers into clients. That in mind, we invite you to try Reliable Receptionist. Our trained digital receptionists are your best solution for handling incoming calls quickly, professionally, and efficiently.
We would love to discuss some solutions to your call handling needs, so call today at (925) 627-4200!
