While prospects calling into your business are usually hot leads, it isn’t always simple to get them to commit to your business by the end of the phone call. Even if a consumer is ready to buy or make the appointment with your company, phone handlers still need to have a sales mentality to make sure the conversation ends in the commitment. Getting the commitment can be difficult, – especially if you aren’t prepared ahead of time for objections that may come your way.
Call handlers need to have a lot of skills in their back pocket while talking with potential customers. Besides being the first impression of your business, call handlers have to understand how to set the appointment; they need to apply a salesperson type of approach.
Your employees won’t book every call into an appointment (sorry!). However, there are certain skills they can acquire to book even the most difficult caller into an appointment. Some of the objections they may face and will have to overcome, as well as skills they’ll have to present, are listed below:
Pricing
Common Pricing Objection: “HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?”
Pricing is a common theme that your call handlers have to overcome. Sometimes quoting a price, or even a range of prices, isn’t the right thing before setting the appointment. It is more important to deliver the value your business provides.
Make sure to express why a caller should choose your company and not look at just a price point. Indicate what differentiates you from your competitors, such as customer service, finance options, or longevity.
Explaining the full value of the service or product, or explaining your thorough vetting process to ensure they get an accurate price quote once you know the full scope of their need can help the caller see beyond the one-time fee.
It is also important to note that to overcome pricing objections, the call handler must have control of the call from the get-go. Some callers will want to jump immediately to price—this makes it harder to defend against this type of caller.
Start building the value of your company and its services/products right away.
This way, if and when price comes up, you can respond with value statements first, so that they aren’t only focused on your company’s price point, but what you can deliver that makes it worth the price. In most instances, the caller will see that your value is far more important.
Presenting Value
One of the most important skills for a successful phone call is to present value for what the caller cares about. Asking the right questions and explaining value from the beginning will result in fewer objections later in the conversation.
As mentioned, it is important to not wait for an objection before explaining the company’s value statements. Explaining the company’s value sets the client’s expectations to be confident that they know what to expect in their appointment and by doing business with your company.
Presenting Value Examples:
“Our company has won awards for best customer service 3 years in a row, so I am confident that you will be satisfied with our services.”
“We have been in business for 20 years and are experts in the industry. You are in knowledgeable hands.”
Value statements let callers know what sets your company apart from the competition. They also help provide information to the caller that they need to make a key decision: will they do business with your company or not?
Scheduling
Scheduling is another common type of objection a caller may have when it comes time to book the appointment with your company.
Common Scheduling Objections:
“I’m not sure when I can come in; I have to check my schedule.”
“That time doesn’t work for me. I’ll have to call you back.”
“I’m not sure when I can set an appointment yet; I have to think about it.”
This could be a scheduling issue on the caller’s part; for example, they have to check with a spouse, or they don’t have access to their calendar. There may also be a conflict with the office’s schedule; the time slots that are available do not work for the caller.
If the caller has to check with someone else before booking an appointment or has to check their calendar, it is important to focus on urgency with the caller.
Asking questions about the caller’s needs will bring the focus back to their issue. The best way to do this is to ask questions about the nature of their problem. Once the caller’s need is the main focus, let the caller know they can make an appointment and call back to change the time if needed.
If that still doesn’t work, it never hurts to allow the call handlers to double-check with a manager about their schedule to see if someone else can be squeezed in, or if any appointments can be re-arranged. It may be worth it if you are gaining a new life-long customer.
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