Success Stories

The "Sell More" Call Centers

Business-to-Business catalog sales challenges and solutions
 

Client Description

  • Call Center
  • Office Products
  • Business-to-Business
  • Inbound Service & Sales

Problem

Aggressive goals for revenue growth were handed down to all divisions of this 20-year-old company with offices in the US and Canada.

They had already begun requiring their inbound catalog sales representatives to offer promotional products and quantity discounts. But the “buy-in” was low from seasoned front line staffers who had originally signed on to take orders and provide customer service.

The management team and training teams had collaborated on various selling strategies and training activities. Some people met their goals and many did not.

Operations invested in tools for identifying the best offer for the individual customer. Training was provided on what to say and how to say it and the offers and conversion rates increased. Yet, many customer cues were being missed. Now that the focus was on specific offers, listening seemed reduced. They were getting the tougher up-sells but not meeting customer needs as well as they wanted to.

For a company accustomed to conquering great challenges, failure was not an option. Fresh solutions had to be found quickly.

Why Caras Training

Since 1990, Caras Training has designed, tested and implemented sales methodology that is easy for non-salespeople to learn and use. We invented “non-intrusive selling” and have taught it to tens of thousands of trainers, front line staffers, coaches, supervisors, managers and executives.

We know that when selling is introduced to folks who prefer to be in “customer service”, there are key steps that must be taken in order to help them strike the right balance.

These proven steps include:

  1. Helping staff come to the realization that selling and service must be linked in order to thoroughly satisfy a customer’s needs. The right examples, activities and observations make this transition simple.
  2. Teaching them how to break the “pushy sales rep image” and sell value.
  3. Practicing appropriate service-sales methodology that fits into a brief powerful call so everyone’s time is used well.
  4. Providing follow-up activities their coaches can use to reinforce and re-train every month for the next year.

This unique and powerful training and implementation model, when customized for a company’s culture, audience and products, provides solid selling skills learners can use to achieve more sales and more satisfied customers, concurrently.

Process & Deliverables

Caras Training used a 3-person team of Sales and Training Experts to collaborate with our Client and deliver training and implementation that got results. Because our client’s front line staff is large and their sales goals were high, this program moved forward slowly and methodically over a 12-month period. Each department’s opinions and concerns were incorporated.

Results

What would it be like for you if your results were as good as this successful client’s?

  • Within 3 days of training, up-selling conversion rates increased by 200% consistently.
  • Managers who came from customer service with little comfort with sales, report being able to demonstrate and coach to the new sales methodology with ease.
  • Re-training "toolkit" activities are being used by sales coaches and trainers to advance skills during 20 minute monthly meetings.
I – Understand
  A. Site visits and interviews to understand challenges and opportunities.
  B. Review of current tools for training, monitoring and coaching.
II – Report & Recommend Action
  C. Report on observations and challenges and identification of stellar performances whose behavior can be mirrored.
  D. List of “missed sales opportunities”.
  E. Recommendations on how to capture these opportunities in every customer facing situation.
  F. Action plan for changing behavior including:
    1. Product training using web tools
    2. "The Service Sale" training for front line sales, front line service, managers and quality assurance
    3. "Coaching the Service Sale" training for supervisors and managers and quality assurance
    4. Toolkit of 20 Team Meeting activities for coaches to use to reinforce new behaviors and skills
III – Build Operational Consensus
  G. Presentation to Directors and Managers.
  H. Collaboration with Directors and Managers to select top 6 missed sales opportunities to address immediately.
  I. Presentation of training recommendations to Training Department Leadership.
  J. Collaboration with Training Department on go-forward plan.
IV – Develop & Deliver Training and Tools for Sales and Coaching
  K. Development and delivery of pilot 3-day classroom sales training program (15 hours for front line).
  L. Development and delivery of pilot 2-day classroom coach training program (10 additional hours for managers).
  M. Rewrite and re-organization based on observations and feedback.
  N. Roll-out to Managers with Caras Trainers.
  O. Trainer Training for client’s trainers in all locations.
  P. Roll-out to all associates.
  Q. Delivery of toolkit activities to Managers.
  R. Managers and Coaches conduct ongoing team meetings for re-training and advanced training.