What makes a great phone call?

[Katie]

Walt,

Though I'm surely a little late to the party, I still have some things to contribute. In my times managing a call center and listening to countless calls, my two biggest pet peeves were calls that sounded scripted, (as you mentioned) and additionally not building value in the customer coming to the dealership.

If value is not built in the appointment/visit then chances are, you're going to experience a no-show. After all, do you go to a store if there isn't an impressive sale? Usually not.

The key to a good call, IMO, is having the right about of natural sounding conversation, with value building in doing business with your dealership.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

my two biggest pet peeves were calls that sounded scripted, (as you mentioned)

I've said it before and I am sure this won't be the last time I'll have to say it; It's not a script when you know it by heart. If people take the time to learn some of the proven scripts being used in our industry, they will achieve much greater success than just shooting from the hip.

 

[Craig]

I've said it before and I am sure this won't be the last time I'll have to say it; It's not a script when you know it by heart. If people take the time to learn some of the proven scripts being used in our industry, they will achieve much greater success than just shooting from the hip.

There is a reason scripts get created....they work. As Jerry said the real pros in any field script their work, once it becomes automatic and you can adjust or customize it on the fly it's no longer a script it's a pro doing their job of presenting their product.

I can tell you from the personal embarrasment of having Jerry mystery shop our store, I wish our salespeople had scripted their calls......would have sounded like much more natural sales conversations.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

There is a reason scripts get created....they work.

Right on Craig!

Your team getting any better? Would you like another try?

 

[Katie]

I've said it before and I am sure this won't be the last time I'll have to say it; It's not a script when you know it by heart. If people take the time to learn some of the proven scripts being used in our industry, they will achieve much greater success than just shooting from the hip.

Jerry,

I agree with this to a point. I'm not saying we didn't utilize scripts - we surely did - after all, how else would you train new employees and ensure quality? However, there were some cases in which the BDR's knew the scripts so well, that they still sounded as if they were reading them. They lacked the ability to put their own personality into the phone call and make it sound more natural.

Just wanted to be sure you knew I wasn't discounting the idea of using scripts.

 

[Katie]

I wish our salespeople had scripted their calls......would have sounded like much more natural sales conversations.

Agreed. I think that anyone taking a phone call should have some sort of script in mind or in front of them. However, the script should only be used as a guideline to ensure all bases are covered, IMO. It shouldn't be read verbatim - or without your own personality. People are intelligent, they can pick up on these things.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

They lacked the ability to put their own personality into the phone call and make it sound more natural.

Yes I agree on this. Happens more with left brained people when you put them in a BDC. Kind of tough to teach personality. This is something I do coach on quite often when I hear BDC agents working with customers.

Mitch Gallant has an Internet rep that is awesome at interjecting personality when on the phone. He builds rapport better than anyone I have ever coached. Of course those Canadians are all lay downs on the phone. Ehh!

 

[Katie]

Yes I agree on this. Happens more with left brained people when you put them in a BDC. Kind of tough to teach personality. This is something I do coach on quite often when I hear BDC agents working with customers.

That's one of the things that angered me about the hiring process of BDC reps where I was before. It seemed like they just wanted to get butts in the seats, rather than hiring quality. Then, when people were not making progress with Quality Phone Calls, they blamed it on the training. While I'm always willing to take myself to the next level of providing proper training, you said it best, you just can't teach personality to some people. I even tried the whole "Console me, I just had a death in the family...what would you say?" approach. Since we were dealing with subprime customers, they were dealing with the loss of their good credit, so I thought it was a good anology and role play. It worked on some, not on others.

It ended up being that we got 90% of the quality appointments from 10% of our reps.