Recently, Ashlea Harris shared some strategies on effective call center coaching techniques. One interesting thing we’ve found over the years is that there not much more terrifying to a new teleprospecting agent than having to listen to his or her own call. However, we also find that within a few short weeks, good agents are asking to hear their own calls and become truly engaged in call calibration sessions. Here are a few key things we want our new agents to be thinking about as they listen to their own calls and that managers need to highlight in coaching sessions:
- What first impression am I giving to contacts I speak with? – The opening statement sets the tone for the conversation and can make or break the call. It important to sound professional and to accurately convey the purpose of your call.
- What am I doing well? – I find that most agents have two or three things that they’re doing really well, but in their nervousness and uncertainty, they don’t hear those things. It important to point those things out but also to look for ways to capitalize on them. Some agents are really good with the technology. Others are great at building rapport. Others have a soothing tone of voice. Whatever it may be, you have to recognize what piece of the puzzle you’ve already got in place before you can start sorting through the rest of the pieces. Individually, each one is not enough to make a great call. As you begin putting the pieces together, a picture of a quality conversation begins to emerge.
- What am I missing? – Agents typically focus so much on their own speech – every um and uh, every pause, every time they could have asked a question differently – that they forget to listen to what going on with the contact. It important to point out small clues that can open the window to a more in depth conversation. Listen for things like