A Gu ide to ADAPTIVE SELLING. for Call Centers SALES

Transcription

1 A Gu ide to ADAPTIVE SELLING for Call Centers SALES

2 About Talkdesk Talkdesk is easy-to-use, cloud-based call center software that helps growing businesses provide excellent customer service with phone support. Talkdesk makes it possible to have real time, personalized conversations with customers, without hardware, coding or downloads - all that is needed is a computer and an Internet connection. With Talkdesk, companies can have a call center up-and-running in minutes and have access to robust call center functionality including IVR, skills-based routing, call conferencing, comprehensive reporting, all in an intuitive web-based interface. Integrations with top business tools and CRM systems, such as Salesforce, Desk.com and Zendesk, make customer data easily accessible, so agents never have to wade through endless systems to provide superior service. For more information, visit TRY TALKDESK FOR FREE // 2

3 // A guide to adaptive selling for call centers // table of contents // INTRODUCTION // // The Importance of Adaptive Selling in a Call Center Setting // // How Salespeople Can Overcome Challenges in a Call Center Using an Adaptive Selling Approach // // The 4 Types of Customer Social Styles and How to Adapt the Sales Approach // // 13 Characteristics of Call Center Agents Who Excel at Adaptive Selling // // Tips to Enhance Adaptive Selling in Call Centers // // Tips for Managers // // Tools for Adaptive Selling Success // 42 CONCLUSION // 46 // 3

4 // INTRODUCTION // The call center industry is increasingly becoming aware of the added value brought by building more cooperative and long-term relationships with their customers. As a result, call center agents are providing each customer with a more personalized experience using an adaptive selling approach. Adaptive selling is the altering of sales behavior during a customer interaction or across customer interactions. Call center agents demonstrating this approach to selling use different sales approaches across sales encounters and continually make adjustments during the sales process based on perceived information and feedback from the customer. // 4

5 In order to engage in adaptive selling, call center agents must accurately assess the customer s needs and then correctly adapt their communication style, behavior and approach to fit the sales situation. In essence, they must develop a unique sales pitch in order to engage in a relevant sales conversation with the customer. This e-book contains information about the importance of adaptive selling in a call center environment, how to overcome challenges using an adaptive selling approach, the types of customer styles and how to adapt to each, skills that agents effective at adaptive selling possess and steps, tips and tools to enhance the adaptive selling process. // 5

6 01 // THE IMPORTANCE OF ADAPTIVE SELLING IN A CALL CENTER SETTING Adaptive selling is thought to be the most effective means of selling a product [4] and enhances the sales-performance [1]. It brings in more revenue, increases customer satisfaction and promotes a more positive company image. It is therefore a critical practice that should be incorporated into any sales strategy. Adaptive selling is useful in all sale situations, but is essential in three specific types of sales situations [2]: 1 When the sales situation is complex and the seller has many alternatives to offer the buyer 2 When the customers are diverse, with varying needs 3 When the sales relationship is expected to produce future profit opportunities // 6

7 In today s global economy, most salespeople in any company will encounter these sales situations on a daily basis. It is therefore imperative that they adopt an adaptive selling approach and continually learn how to perfect this approach. In order to be effective at adaptive selling, agents must assess the customer s needs and adapt their communication style, behavior and approach to fit the situation. // 7

8 02 // HOW SALESPEOPLE CAN OVERCOME CHALLENGES IN A CALL CENTER USING AN ADAPTIVE SELLING APPROACH Salespeople working within a call center setting face unique challenges that necessitate an adaptive selling approach. In order to be successful at adaptive selling, managers and salespeople must identify and understand these obstacles and skillfully overcome them while maintaining an effective dialogue with their customers. Below are 4 unique challenges faced by salespeople working in a call center environment and suggested solutions on how to overcome them using an adaptive selling approach. 1. THE CUSTOMER BASE IS GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED Call centers typically serve customers located in geographically dispersed regions. There is therefore inherent variability in how a customer will interact with a salesperson. // 8

9 Adapting to the varying needs of a heterogeneous customer base may be challenging. SOLUTION Train your agents to adapt their sales approach to fit the unique needs of the customer. Teach them about the four social types of customers and how to adjust their approach based on the customer type. Create a team-based organization with agents who are trained with specialized skills and knowledge (e.g. reside in a specific location or are proficient in a foreign language). Employ agents within the geographic regions where your customer base is located and ensure that calls originating from specific regions are directed to agents from that region. This will facilitate the adaptive selling process. 2. THE SALESPERSON DEMOGRAPHIC DOES NOT MATCH THE CUSTOMER DEMOGRAPHIC With agents working in limited geographic regions and the customer based dispersed across the country or world, the demographics of the salesperson likely will not match that of the customer they are interacting with. Thus, understanding the unique situation of the customer and their needs may be difficult. // 9

10 SOLUTION Train your workforce to understand cultural differences, differences in purchasing behavior and specific values within your target demographic. They should use this information to adapt their approach to selling a product or service. They should interact with the customer in a culturally appropriate manner, make an effort to better understand the specific needs of the customer and make appropriate product recommendations based on the information gathered. 3. THE METHOD OF COMMUNICATION IS LESS RICH THAN FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION Call center agents cannot rely on environmental and non-verbal cues to detect a caller s level of product knowledge and intent to purchase but rather on the customer s choice of words, tone of voice and level of excitement about the product. Thus, attempts to qualify the customer and match behavior to a customer s specific situation may require more skill and effort. // 10

11 SOLUTION Train your agents to become acutely aware of changes in tone, speech content or attitude and adjust their behavior accordingly. They should adapt to the customer s needs by being more professional (e.g. knowledgeably discussing the product) or casual (e.g. engage in small talk or telling a joke) depending on the situation. They should also effectively tailor the conversation to fit the customer s needs, rather than follow a script verbatim. 4. SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS BEING ABLE TO TOUCH A PRODUCT OR BE GUIDED THROUGH AN IN-PERSON DEMONSTRATION ARE NOT AVAILABLE Call center agents have the disadvantage of not being present with the buyer and the product. They must engage the customer using only verbal forms of communication. SOLUTION Agents should engage the customer in more personalized and individualized interactions. They should attempt to gain a comprehensive understanding of the customer using call center software that provides // 11

12 detailed information about the caller (e.g. demographics, previous call recordings, voic s, s and social media postings) and use this information to tailor the conversation to their specific needs. Call center salespeople must solely interact with customers over the phone and therefore face unique challenges. In order to be successful, they must personalize the conversation, be acutely aware of any changes in the customer s behavior, become competent handling customers from diverse geographic locations and adjust their sales approach accordingly. If they are aware of these challenges and well-prepared to overcome them, they will be more effective and efficient salespeople. // 12

13 03 // THE 4 TYPES OF CUSTOMER SOCIAL STYLES AND HOW TO ADAPT THE SALES APPROACH Customers vary with respect to their personality, communication style, behavior, thought processes and approaches to making a decision. When salespeople can understand the customer s social style and adapt their sales approach accordingly, they can increase their chances of a successful sales outcome. According to research conducted by Merrill and Reid [3], there are four social styles composed of specific traits. Below is information about the four proposed social styles of customers and how salespeople can adapt their sales approach to each style. // 13

14 1. THE ANALYTICAL» these individuals are precise, business-like, rational, self-controlled and serious;» they are motivated by details and facts;» they are excellent problem solvers and like rigid timetables;» they tend to be reserved in their interactions with people;» they tend to disregard personal opinions when making decisions. HOW TO ADAPT TO ANALYTICAL CUSTOMERS» respect and support their principles, way of thinking and approach;» don t challenge their knowledge of the product or point of view;» be systematic, exact and logical;» communicate the pros and cons;» provide facts, history, data and financial details in a structured and organized format;» demonstrate results;» use guarantees or warrantees to reduce perceived risks. // 14

15 2. THE DRIVER» they make decisions quickly and have a need to achieve;» they are assertive, decisive, controlling, smart, stubborn, determined, focused, impatient and independent;» they are task oriented and want relevant information in order to make decisions quickly;» they are efficient and effective;» they may not care about personal relationships, except as a means to their goal. HOW TO ADAPT TO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE DRIVERS» be professional and efficient;» identify their objectives and support and assist them if possible;» don t waste time with small talk;» be efficient and to the point;» establish rapport quickly;» use facts and logic;» focus on results;» provide options so that the customer feels they are in control;» use a timeline for expected results. // 15

16 3. THE AMIABLE» they are respectful, willing, agreeable, friendly, supportive, soft-hearted and responsive;» they are team players who focus on innovation and longterm problem solving;» they value relationships;» they engage with people they feel they can trust. HOW TO ADAPT TO AMIABLE CUSTOMERS» establish a personal relationship;» discuss personal issues (interests, family, etc.);» collaborate with the customer;» openly discuss the issues in a conversational format;» use personal commitments and specific guarantees;» be agreeable;» demonstrate low risk solutions;» don t take advantage of them. // 16

17 4. THE EXPRESSIVE» they are intuitive, charismatic, assertive, responsive, enthusiastic, creative, nurturing and engaging;» they have strong persuasive skills, are talkative and gregarious;» they can see the big picture clearly;» they build relationships to gain power;» status and recognition are important to them. HOW TO ADAPT TO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE EXPRESSIVES» focus on relationships and facts;» take the extra time to discuss all aspects of the product and company;» be energetic;» summarize main points;» include short, concise stories;» give them recognition and approval;» appeal to their emotions by asking them how they feel about the product or service;» focus on the big picture. // 17

18 THE FOUR TYPES OF SOCIAL STYLES CONTROLS EMOTIONS ANALYTICAL DRIVER Critical Indecisive Stuffy Picky Moralistic Industrious Persistent Serious Exacting Orderly Pushy Severe Tough Dominating Harsh Strong Willed Independent Practical Decisive Efficient ASKS TELLS AMIABLE EXPRESSIVE Conforming Unsure Pliable Dependent Awkward Supportive Respectful Willing Agreeable Dependable Manipulative Excitable Reacting Egotistical Undisciplined Ambitious Stimulating Enthusiastic Dramatic Friendly EMOTES In any sales situation, a call center agent should quickly and accurately determine what social style the customer is displaying and adapt their approach accordingly. This assessment will become more accurate with training and experience, but also depends on the skill of the call center agent. Ensure that your call center sales agents possess and continually enhance skills necessary to assess the customer and adapt their approach accordingly. // 18

19 04 // 13 CHARACTERISTICS OF CALL CENTER AGENTS WHO EXCEL AT ADAPTIVE SELLING Call center agents who effectively engage in adaptive selling strategies customize their sales approach to each customer. These agents are more successful, meet customer s needs faster and generate more revenue than those who are less effective at adaptive selling. It is therefore critical that managers recognize, reinforce and promote these characteristics in their call center sales force. Adaptive selling is the altering of sales behavior during a customer interaction or across customer interactions. Below are 13 characteristics that call center agents who excel at adaptive selling possess: // 19

20 1. INTERPERSONAL FLEXIBILITY Call center agents who implement adaptive selling techniques must be able to adjust their sales approach based on: the communication style of the customer, the behavior of the customer and the unique buying situation. In order to accomplish this, they must be able to form an immediate relationship with and adapt to many different types of customers. 2. EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS Effective communication with a customer is critical to adaptive selling. The adaptive selling process involves adjusting one s communication style to fit the needs and preferences of the customer. This facilitates trust and enhances the relationship with the customer. // 20

21 3. DOMAIN-SPECIFIC PERCEPTUAL SKILLS Call center agents who can perceive large, meaningful patterns between variables in their domain are more effective at adaptive selling. They analyze information quickly and effectively use it to progress their relationship with the customer. They recognize different sales situations, observe the reactions of the customer and make instantaneous strategic adjustments accordingly. They effectively categorize the customer in order to qualify them and predict their future behavior. 4. EMPATHY The salesperson engaging in adaptive selling must be able to understand the perspective of the customer and have empathic concern for their situation. They must understand that customers vary in terms of their needs, situation and resources and adjust their sales approach accordingly. // 21

22 5. INTRINSIC MOTIVATION Salespeople who are intrinsically motivated gain a sense of pride, accomplishment, satisfaction and enjoyment from their achievements at work. The strongest performers are usually salespeople with high intrinsic motivation. This is because intrinsically motivated salespeople strive to improve their job performance, try new tactics with customers and seek out greater job responsibilities, training and feedback, all of which result in an increased performance. 6. CONFIDENCE Salespeople with confidence in their ability to use a variety of different sales approaches and to alter their sales approach during a customer interaction are more effective than those who lack confidence. Salespeople must have social confidence in order to quickly develop rapport and build a relationship. They must also have confidence with the product or service they are selling, their sales skills and their company. // 22

23 7. LEARNING ORIENTATION Salespeople who are curious, actively seek to learn from their environment and continually improve their performance based on previous experience and acquired knowledge are more effective at adaptive selling than those who do not. This is because they are more willing to accept failures as a natural part of learning and have a belief that if they fail they will have learned something about the customer and selling in general. They will therefore recover and learn from an unsuccessful transaction faster than those who are not learning-oriented. This contributes to their ability to excel at adaptive selling. 8. EXPERIENCE Through experience, salespeople improve their skills and develop more comprehensive knowledge of the product they are selling, customer types and selling strategies. This knowledge base facilitates the recognition of a variety of selling situations and thus enhances the effectiveness of adaptive selling. With experience they are better at customer qualification, prediction of the customer s future behavior, product recommendation and have // 23

24 more effective selling approaches. Experienced salespeople are more confident and spend less mental capacity on perceptual tasks (e.g. evaluating the needs of the customer based on their presentation), thus will more effectively engage in adaptive selling. 9. MOTIVATION/INTEREST TO UNDERSTAND THE BEHAVIOR AND SITUATION OF THE CUSTOMER Salespeople who are intrinsically motivated to understand the behavior and unique situation of the customer are more effective at adaptive selling than those who are not. With acquired knowledge of the customer, they are better able to adapt their selling strategy to suit the customer s needs. 10. EXCELLENT MEMORY SKILLS Effective salespeople possess excellent memory skills and refine their memory skills with experience. They memorize specific facts about the product, company and related information and use this information to their advantage. They adjust the amount of information or facts they present to the customer based on the customer s social style. // 24

25 11. FAST, ERROR-FREE DECISION MAKING SKILLS Salespeople who are effective at adaptive selling are quick to respond to the customer s question, concern or issue. They make quick decisions relying on intuition, experience and expertise. They only transfer calls when necessary and adequately address all of the customer s needs faster than agents who are less skilled. 12. SELF-MONITORING SKILLS Salespeople who are effective at adaptive selling will actively self-monitor, understand how their behavior is affecting the customer and adapt their self-presentation accordingly. This enhances the effectiveness of their interaction with the customer and will facilitate the relationship building process. // 25

26 13. EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF FEEDBACK Effective salespeople will continue to engage the customer once the transaction has been completed. They will seek feedback and look to improve their performance when necessary. They look to continue the established relationship and make themselves available for future questions or transactions. In the call center environment, agents who effectively engage in adaptive selling utilize expertise, personality characteristics and acquired skills to adapt to the customer s needs in order to sell products or services. These adaptive selling characteristics should be assessed during the recruitment process, enhanced throughout training and monitored during calls to optimize their utilization. // 26

27 05 // TIPS TO ENHANCE ADAPTIVE SELLING IN CALL CENTERS As more and more companies rely heavily on a sales force of call center agents and customers are becoming more informed and adept consumers, call center agents who engage in adaptive selling are critical to the company s success. Adaptive selling is the altering of sales behavior during a customer interaction or across customer interactions. Below are 14 tips to enhance the adaptive selling techniques of your call center agents: 1. GAIN DOMAIN-SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRODUCT/SERVICE Salespeople should acquire expertise and specific knowledge about the product or service that they are selling. They should be an information powerhouse and have the skills to effectively answer any question or concern addressed by the customers. // 27

28 TIP Spend time training agents to thoroughly understand the product or service and to feel competent selling it. They should understand the technical aspects of the product or service, any potential issues (e.g. compatibility issues, limitations, etc.) and how to effectively use the product or service. They should maintain constant communication with the technical and support teams so they are always up to date on current issues and features. 2. GAIN SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE CUSTOMER Salespeople who personalize their interactions and have a good understanding of the customer are more effective than those who do not. TIP Ensure that your team is well prepared with call center software that displays the entire history of the customer when a call is placed or received. // 28

29 3. CATEGORIZE THE CUSTOMER Salespeople who quickly and accurately categorize the customer type can adapt their sales approach to fit the specific need of the customer. TIP Ensure that your agents are well trained on the 4 types of customer styles and how to adapt their sales approach based on the type of customer. 4. ADAPT TO THE CUSTOMER S COMMUNICATION STYLE Adapting to a customer s social and communication style will facilitate trust and the building of a relationship. TIP Train agents to recognize their own style of interacting, how to recognize a customer s specific style of interacting and how to adjust their style to fit the customers. // 29

30 5. QUICKLY BUILD RAPPORT Effective salespeople not only sell a product, they sell a relationship. They should quickly build trust and establish an excellent relationship with the customer. TIP Salespeople should build an alliance with the customer and convey the message that they will be working in collaboration to solve their problem or find them the best product. 6. PERSONALIZE THE INTERACTION Salespeople who would like to excel at adaptive selling should offer their name, build a personalized relationship and tailor their conversation to the needs of the customer. This will increase the comfort level of the customer and will facilitate trust. They should also use the information they have about the customer to customize the interaction and sell the most appropriate product. // 30

31 TIP Encouraging your agents to offer more personalized information during their customer interactions starts with equipping them with the right tools. Call center software that provides real-time comprehensive information about the caller such as caller demographics, previous call recordings, voic s, s and social media postings allows agents to provide more personalized service. Using this information, agents can better understand their customer and tailor their conversation to their specific needs. 7. EMPATHIZE WITH THE CUSTOMER Salespeople should understand and identify with the customer s needs and communicate empathy for that individual. This will facilitate effective problem solving, selling and upselling. TIP Train salespeople to be able to think about the situation from the perspective of the customer. This will help the agents understand the feelings, needs and desires of the customer. The more information they have about the customer, the easier this process will be. // 31

32 8. TAKE CONTROL EARLY AND KEEP CONTROL Effective salespeople should take control of the sales process and feel confident in their abilities to lead their customer towards a successful sales transaction. TIP Train your agents to use acquired knowledge about the customer to anticipate their needs and lead them in the most favorable direction. They should always be confident and competent and never let the customer steer the conversation. 9. MATCH THEIR BEHAVIOR TO THE SITUATION Salespeople should adapt their sales behaviors to the characteristics of the customer and specific situation. For example, if the customer is in a rush, the agent should notice that and change their sales pitch to be more concise and immediately effective. TIP Train your agents to become acutely aware of changes in tone, speech content or attitude and adjust their behavior accordingly. They should know when to rely on the sales script and when to change course to adapt to the customer. // 32

33 10. ACCURATELY IDENTIFY THE CUSTOMER S NEEDS Salespeople should identify the customer s fear, needs and desires; even if the customer doesn t directly verbalize them. This is an extremely important skill and can be a distinguishing factor between good and excellent salespeople. TIP Train your sales team to identify the spoken and unspoken needs of a customer. Ensure that they have comprehensive information about the customer in order for them to accurately assess the situation. 11. ANTICIPATE THE CUSTOMER S NEEDS Salespeople should always be one step ahead of the customer, proactive and capitalize on opportunities to up-sell. They should know the answer to the customer s question before they ask it, offer helpful solutions and address anticipated issues before they happen. TIP Ensure that your team has access to relevant information about all products. This includes all features, potential service issues, costs, compatibility issues, etc. They should use this information, as well as the information about the customer to anticipate the customer s needs. // 33

34 12. EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFY AND DEFINE SALES SITUATIONS Salespeople should use good listening skills to classify a specific sales situation. They should accomplish this by noting tone of voice, rate of speech and the types of questions asked. TIP Train your salespeople using recordings of previous interactions with agents that exemplify this process. Also, be sure to continually monitor for effective listening behaviors and classification of sales situations. Provide immediate feedback to the salesperson so that they can learn from their mistakes. 13. EFFECTIVELY SELECT COURSES OF ACTION Based on the information gathered from the customer (e.g. level of interest, tone of voice, degree of excitement expressed), salespeople should choose the most appropriate course of action. They should base their decision on intuition, previous experience and expertise. TIP When training salespeople, ensure that they have a comprehensive understanding of all (or as many as possible) potential courses of // 34

35 action. Provide immediate feedback to the salesperson about the effectiveness of their chosen course of action and any possible alternatives. 14. SKILLFULLY PERFORM TASKS WITHIN A STATED DOMAIN Once a decision has been made, salespeople should execute an action plan flawlessly. They should do so in a timely manner with the resources they have available. TIP Ensure that salespeople are making effective use of collaborative methods. They should utilize team-member s expertise and experience when executing an action plan. Developing a call center sales force that excel at adaptive selling should be a priority for every call center. Below are tips for managers on how to focus on hiring, training and monitoring agents who are skilled at adaptive selling. // 35

36 06 // TIPS FOR MANAGERS Adaptive selling, or the altering of sales behavior to the unique needs of the customer, is increasingly becoming more necessary in a call center environment. Call centers are focusing more efforts on hiring, training and monitoring call center agents who excel at adaptive selling and as a result are seeing an increase in revenue and customer satisfaction. Managers seeking to employ a workforce of call center agents who excel at adaptive selling should consider the following tips: 1 Identify and communicate any challenges to adaptive selling. Make this a collaborative process with call center agents, feedback from customers and upper management. 2 Communicate the importance of adaptive selling. Call center agents who understand the rationale of training exercises are more willing to engage in them. // 36

37 3 Train call center agents to accurately identify the four types of customer styles and how they can adapt their sales approach to fit the unique customer s needs. 4 Train your salespeople how to influence the buying behavior of customers from geographically diverse regions. 5 Train your workforce to understand cultural differences, differences in purchasing behavior and specific values within your target demographic. They should use this information to interact with the customer in a culturally appropriate manner, better understand the specific needs of the customer and make appropriate suggestions. 6 Train your agents to become acutely aware of changes in tone, speech content or attitude and adjust their behavior accordingly. They should adapt to the customer s needs by being more professional (e.g. knowledgeably discussing the product) or casual (e.g. engage in small talk or telling a joke) depending on the situation. They should also effectively tailor the conversation to fit the customer s needs, rather than follow a script verbatim. // 37

38 7 Identify call center agents who effectively engage in adaptive selling. Reward their excellent use of adaptive selling techniques and make them role models for other agents. Use recordings from their customer interactions to train all agents. 8 Train call center agents to effectively use feedback from the customer to alter their behavior and style of interacting. 9 Consider administering the ADAPTS for hiring decisions and also as a measure of effectiveness of training protocols (administer the scale before and after the training). The ADAPTS is a scale that measures the motivation of the salesperson to practice adaptive selling, the capabilities required to practice adaptive selling as well as actual adaptive selling behaviors [5]. 10 Hire experienced salespeople as sales experience positively influences adaptive selling. // 38

39 11 Limit strict adherence to scripts and encourage personalization. Call center agents should be encouraged to customize the interactions with the customers. 12 Adopt a rational, flexible selling strategy. Autonomous agents who are allowed to adapt their approach to the specific needs of the customer are more effective. 13 Ensure a customer focus. The customer s interest should be placed first in order to develop a long-term, profitable relationship with them. Implement an all decisions start with the customer in mind policy and ensure that it is a mainstay of corporate values and practices. 14 Facilitate pride within your call center agents. Your salespeople should be proud to represent your company, sell your product and be part of an amazing team. Develop this sense of pride with team-building exercises and statistics on performance. Continually recognize and reward excellent customer interactions. // 39

40 15 Equip your team for success. Give them the proper tools to execute flawlessly. Encourage the use of call center software that integrates multiple systems (e.g. CRM, helpdesks and social media) in order to increase their effectiveness. 16 Increase the salesperson-manager relationship. Better salesperson-manager relationships are related to better adaptive selling outcomes. 17 Increase behavior-based monitoring. Effectively monitoring, rewarding and continually evaluating a salesperson s performance leads to more effective adaptive selling and an increase in performance. 18 Don t limit the assessment of the effectiveness of adaptive selling to outcome performance. Analyze metrics such as customer satisfaction (with the interaction, product and company), customer retention, the quality of the established relationship, the customer s overall brand awareness and the likelihood of repeat business. // 40

41 19 Adaptive selling takes time; assess, monitor and reward accordingly. A salesperson should be able to spend the time and effort necessary to understand the unique needs and situation of the customer and to develop a strong relationship. Do not limit this process with unrealistic service level KPIs or managerial expectations. Reward excellent relationships that are established in a timely fashion. 20 Enhance role clarity. Salespeople will perform optimally when there are clear expectations as to what behavior is preferred in different situations. Managers looking to enhance their call center agent s effectiveness at adaptive selling should consider the aforementioned tips when recruiting, hiring, training and monitoring agents. Effectively engaging in this process will likely enhance the success of a call center s sales operation. It is a small investment that will result in huge returns. // 41

42 07 // TOOLS FOR ADAPTIVE SELLING SUCCESS The tools and resources available to call center agents can have a huge impact on the agent s effectiveness. Ensure that your team is performing optimally with these tools: 1. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) SOFTWARE THAT PROVIDES A DETAILED HISTORY OF THE CUSTOMER Customer relationship management (CRM) software that provides a detailed history of the customer such as demographics, buying preferences and previous interactions with the company. Before contacting a customer, a salesperson should consult their CRM in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the customer. // 42

43 2. CALL CENTER SOFTWARE THAT DISPLAYS THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF A CUSTOMER Call center software that displays the entire history of a customer by integrating CRM, helpdesk systems and social media can be invaluable to a salesperson engaging in adaptive selling. If it is an inbound sales call, the salesperson will have the entire history of the caller in their browser before they answer the phone. They should quickly review the most relevant information before they answer the phone and during the earliest part of the conversation in order to personalize the conversation. For outbound sales calls, the salesperson should consult the consolidated information about the customer in the call center software, as this will reduce the redundancy of searching through multiple systems. // 43

44 Adaptive selling is the most effective method of selling, increases customer satisfaction and promotes a more positive company image. 3. CALL CENTER SOFTWARE THAT PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE ANALYTICS Comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of adaptive selling training and implementation using call center software that allows for detailed analysis of data as well as customer surveys. Assess customer satisfaction (with the interaction, product and company), customer retention, the quality of the established relationship, the customer s overall brand awareness and the likelihood of repeat business. // 44

45 4. CALL CENTER SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS FOR CALL MONITORING Call center software that allows for systematic, standardized call monitoring practices will allow you to ensure that your team is delivering consistently excellent service and effectively engaging in adaptive selling processes. // 45

46 // CONCLUSION // As call centers are becoming more aware of the value of established relationships with customers, they are focusing more on adaptive selling. As a result, salespeople working in a call center environment are becoming more adept at understanding and meeting the needs of their customers and selling and upselling a product or service. Effective adaptive selling has an enormous impact on the relationship with the customer as well as their impression of the agent, product and company. It results in more successful sales transactions, greater customer satisfaction, and a more favorable company image. Adaptive selling is therefore crucial for any company s success. // 46

47 // REFERENCES // [1] Franke, G.R. Park, J.E. (2006). Salesperson adaptive selling behavior and customer orientation: a meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3), [2] Giacobbe, R.W., Jackson, D.W., Crosby, L.A. & Bridges, C.M. (2006). A contingency approach to adaptive selling behavior and sales performance: selling situations and salesperson characteristics. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 29(3), [3] Merrill, D.W. & Reid, R.H. (1991). Personal Styles and Effective Performance. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC. // 47

48 [4] Spiro, R.L & Weitz, B.A. (1990). Adaptive selling: conceptualization, measurement and nomilogical validity. Journal of Marketing Research, 27 (1), [5] Williams, Kaylene C., and Rosann L. Spiro (1985). Communication style in the salesperson-customer dyad. Journal of Marketing Research: // 48

49 About Talkdesk Talkdesk is easy-to-use, cloud-based call center software that helps growing businesses provide excellent customer service with phone support. Talkdesk makes it possible to have real time, personalized conversations with customers, without hardware, coding or downloads - all that is needed is a computer and an Internet connection. With Talkdesk, companies can have a call center up-and-running in minutes and have access to robust call center functionality including IVR, skills-based routing, call conferencing, comprehensive reporting, all in an intuitive web-based interface. Integrations with top business tools and CRM systems, such as Salesforce, Desk.com and Zendesk, make customer data easily accessible, so agents never have to wade through endless systems to provide superior service. For more information, visit TRY TALKDESK FOR FREE // 49

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