Successful call center agents are trained to pinpoint customer needs and resolve their pain points. This service-oriented approach to the customer experience uniquely positions call center agents to become successful upsell representatives, ultimately contributing to helping their company achieve revenue goals and improve sales effectiveness.
Here are 5 steps organizations can take to improve call center selling
- Differentiate between upselling and cross selling. Ensure agents understand that “upsell” is about encouraging a customer to buy an additional product that can transform or enhance the value of the customer’s primary product. Cross-selling is the process of suggesting the purchase of any extra product along with the primary one.
- Invest in training your agents. Most call center agents aren’t hired to sell your products and services. Take the time to train agents how to
- Identify the right circumstance for upselling a customer
- Move from a service interaction to a sales interaction
- Overcome customer objections
- Develop and communicate selling tools, best practices and decision trees to support effective and consistent call center selling. That said, every customer interaction is unique and so offer your agents some flexibility in their approach.
- Focus your contact center agents on specific upsell recommendations limited to no more than two offers. Laundry lists of offers could confuse, frustrate and turn-off your customers.
- Motivate call center agents with incentives. Balance on non-variable and achievement-based compensation to appeal to the call center agent’s desire to help people. For additional ways to motivate your call center agents, check out this blog on 10 Ways to Increase Employee Motivation in Your Contact Center
Not every customer and customer call will be a good fit for upsell offers. In fact, trying to upsell an angry customer caller could add to their discontentment and impact your reputation. Prioritize training, sales tools, focus and motivation to capitalize on selling through service to ultimately improve your call center sales.
