| tart --> | | | | the customer cannot get orders and other information |
| How can the distributor take advantage of existing | | | | requests handled at the customer's convenience. The |
| relationships between Inside Sales/Customer Service | | | | customer has several options: 1) wait for a return call |
| personnel and customers? This age-old question has | | | | from the distributor; 2) FAX the order or request if |
| caused managers to implement a variety of | | | | possible; or 3) locate a different supplier who is |
| approaches in the attempt to tap perceived potential, | | | | organized for the customer's convenience. |
| but many fail and the question persists. Why? | | | | The effect of many Voice Mail systems is to cut the |
| Most firms do not have adequate measures installed | | | | distributor off from customers. In today's service |
| to determine who does what within an Inside Sales | | | | economy, the practice of organizing the company for |
| Customer Service group. For lack of measures, it is | | | | its own convenience can be the cause of lost orders |
| not possible for management to define department | | | | and customers. Further, installing Voice Mail may |
| productivity or level of activity much less individual | | | | preclude analysis, definition, and solutions to the real |
| productivity. | | | | problem. A staff deployment problem may exist. |
| 1. Without consideration for the level of inbound call | | | | Although Voice Mail appears to solve the problem by |
| activity, it is common for management to want Inside | | | | smoothing out peak incoming call times, customer |
| Sales/Customer Service personnel to use suggestive | | | | inconvenience is at issue. |
| selling techniques during inbound calls. Further, some | | | | The lack of appropriate Inside Sales/Customer Service |
| firms also assign outbound sales call responsibility. | | | | measures is also the cause of:o management |
| 2. The reality of many Inside Sales/Customer Service | | | | misperceptions about the Inside Sales/Customer |
| operations is: they are very busy handling inbound calls | | | | Service primary function. This is the distributor's front |
| from customers. Their motivation is to handle each call | | | | line. It is the customer's primary interface with the |
| as quickly as possible so they can get off the phone | | | | company. Through this job function, the distributor |
| with the customer and take the next inbound call that | | | | proves or disproves a commitment to service |
| is waiting for them. In a given day, one individual may | | | | excellence.o management tactics designed to increase |
| handle upwards of 50-100 inbound calls and related | | | | productivity without consideration for their impact on |
| tasks, e.g., taking and processing orders, mailing | | | | existing customers. Any decision that cuts the |
| requested literature, preparing bids or quotes, | | | | distributor off from customers must be seriously |
| expediting, providing price and delivery information, | | | | evaluated.o inappropriate compensation practices. If |
| checking inventory, and so forth. | | | | the distributor cannot measure individual productivity, it |
| 3. Although some Inside Sales/Customer Service | | | | is not possible to recognize it much less compensate |
| people are better than others at using suggestive | | | | for it. |
| selling techniques during inbound calls from customers, | | | | If management wants to take advantage of the Inside |
| this practice depends upon:o product and applications | | | | Sales/Customer Service opportunity, the first step in |
| knowledge, probing skills, knowledge of suggestive | | | | this process is to evaluate what exists in that |
| selling techniqueso having others in the department | | | | department today. Questions managers need to |
| who are available to handle other inbound calls | | | | answer include: |
| Even experienced personnel will stop this practice | | | | 1. Are existing personnel so busy handling incoming calls |
| when incoming call levels peak. Why? Because they | | | | that the mind-set is to get off each call as fast as |
| do not want to take the time during calls to talk with | | | | possible so they can take the next call? Conversely, |
| the customer, identify needs and interests, discuss | | | | do staff have time to sell on inbound calls? If not, what |
| options available, and make recommendations. In other | | | | do we need to do to make time available to them? |
| words, they switch to a different mode during peak | | | | 2. Do we have the necessary base measures in the |
| incoming call periods. Their motivation is driven by the | | | | department to prove there is or is not time available to |
| need to handle each call as quickly as possible so they | | | | increase productivity? What measures do we need to |
| can take the next call. | | | | install? |
| One strategy used by some managers is to remove | | | | 3. Have we trained our people to know:o our products, |
| Inside Sales/Customer Service personnel from the | | | | value-added services, and what questions to ask |
| 'order desk' so they can make outbound calls to | | | | customers to identify their needs and interests in using |
| customers assigned to them. For example, an hour a | | | | them?o what promotions are available?o what direct |
| day is set-aside for several days a week for them to | | | | mail materials are available for them to mail to |
| make these calls. However, when they return to the | | | | customers? What questions should be asked |
| 'order desk,' they are faced with callback messages | | | | customers to determine their needs for our materials? |
| from customers who requested them. | | | | What questions should be asked to identify if others at |
| Although management may perceive this strategy as | | | | the customer's location need our materials besides the |
| a method for increasing Inside Sales/Customer | | | | buyer? |
| Service productivity, this approach must be well | | | | 4. Have we installed computer support systems that |
| managed. Again, the lack of measures of this function | | | | help prompt people to use suggestive selling |
| is a direct cause of problems here. | | | | techniques? |
| Desired increases in productivity within the Inside Sales | | | | 5. What measures do we need to install to identify |
| Customer Service group have also prompted the | | | | individual performance and productivity so we can |
| installation and use of Voice Mail systems. Taken from | | | | recognize individual contributions and reward |
| the customer's perspective, what this often means is: | | | | accordingly? |