By Kathy Sisk
Last time we discussed your prospect’s fears and the importance of using a script. Here are some tips on building an effective script.
A script provides a format to follow. You don’t recite it verbatim—that would make you sound like a robot. However, new agents are not good ad-libbing. Therefore, you need to learn how to read from a script and include branching capabilities for common responses. Nonetheless, this is only half of the overcoming call reluctance.
You must design your scripts to overcome the prospect’s fears. This will also address the agent’s fears. Remember, if the agent has identified the source of their call reluctance and has the right tools to overcome them, you’ve made progress in developing a method to overcome call reluctance altogether.
The prospect’s first fear is “The Approach.” The first thirty seconds of the presentation must overcome this fear, or you may lose the opportunity to continue your presentation.
You must tell the prospect who you are, the company you represent, and how you acquired their name. Respect their time and say why you’re calling. Your prospect wants to know this information, else they will interrupt you.
Your verbiage must be precise for the first twenty seconds of the presentation. You don’t want to give up your control and waste time with “May I speak with Mr. Johnson please?”; “My name is Susan Smith”; “Can I take a moment of your time?”; or “Would you have an interest in . . . ?”
Agents project greater control by saying, “I need to speak with Mr. Johnson, please. Say “please” as if you are making a statement, not an asking a question. Be sure to ask questions using proper voice inflection that ends your sentence as a statement, not a question, which brings me to my next point.
Another way agents give up control is by going high with their voice inflection at the end of every sentence. Instead, lower your voice inflection, like musical notes going down a scale. Proper voice projection increases the level of confidence in your voice, and prospects will feel more comfortable when they believe you know what you are doing.
In the next issue, I will finish this four-part series discussing the second and third fears of prospects.
Kathy Sisk Enterprises Inc. has forty years of experience providing call center setup, reengineering, assessments, training, script development, and project management services to centers globally.