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The Evolving Role of Inside Sales and Customer Service Personnel

What role does Inside Sales/Customer Service (IS/CS) play in today's sales process? 'A Player' field sales reps are not threatened by the fact that the majority of inbound calls are handled by IS/CS personnel because the majority of these calls represent a sales opportunity for the company. These metrics are necessary to properly design productivity tactics and compensation plans, making sure to consider the group's contribution

The Evolving Role of Inside Sales and Customer Service Personnel

What role does Inside Sales/Customer Service (IS/CS) play in today’s sales process? How does the pal leverage the existing relationships midst IS/CS and the customer? The to this question plays a key role for upper quartile performers. Upper quartile performers understand the important role played by the inside sales person, customer service and counter personnel. “A Player” field sales reps are not threatened by the fact that the majority of inbound calls are handled by IS/CS personnel insofar as the majority of these calls represent a sales opportunity for the company. Customers who call in do so for the main purpose of fulfilling a need, which often leads to the placement of an order. Customers are very dependent upon inside sales personnel for information, suggestions hereabouts products, substitution products, honour help and expertise, new product information, new services, delivery information and promotional opportunities for cost savings.

Inside sales and customer service personnel have more customer contact than anyone else in the organization. IS/CS people take more than 80% of all orders placed. This means that the IS/CS are in a gambler position to influence behavior than the field sales person. Progressive managers truly understand what that means in regard to market share growth. They know that the consistent use of suggestive selling techniques, up selling and promotions can have a dramatic impact on midway order size and increase share of spend in each account. IS/CS personnel traditionally put in relationship equity, and many customers would give up their contact with field sales in the future giving up their relationship with inside sales and customer service personnel. This is the frontline in the vie with for success. Customers have not only come to expect it, they demand it. It can open into a competitive edge, the differentiator for your work compared to the competition. It’s of the consignment the out-group has made to customer demands for world-class service.

Equal and Critical to the Success Formula

This demand for world-class service makes IS/CS just as important, if not more important, than the outside sales force in driving growth and creating success. Many companies, however, do not fully understand the critical role IS/CS plays in the success formula for increased sales, market share growth and profitability. The reason for this lack of understanding is primarily due to the lack of minimum measurement systems to determine the full scope of work and specific roles of the IS/CS service group. This lack of moderate measurement systems leaves department managers in the dark when trying to determine departmental activity, direct contributions to success and individual productivity. These metrics are necessary to properly design productivity tactics and compensation plans, making sure to consider the group’s contribution to the success of the organization as well as their short and long term impacts on customer relationships.

Many companies have not upgraded phone systems to determine the number of inbound calls taken daily by sales people, in summing-up to measuring call abandonment, equatorial time per call, transfers, voice mail and other metrics important to creating an effective IS/CS support strategy. However, even at those firms that lack these essential metrics, demands are often placed on IS/CS to utilize suggestive selling and up selling techniques on inbound calls. Additionally, many companies transfer property outbound call responsibility to IS/CS and some even create quotas for these calls.

On an additive note regarding phone systems, some executives were sold on the idea that voice mail could improve IS/CS productivity and mastership the issue of peak time inbound call burden. Failure to consider the customers’ perspective can be a critical mistake. Voice mail cannot enter orders or suffice questions. In other words, customers’ needs are not handled efficiently at their convenience. It does, however, give the customer some options. Those options include: waiting for the return call, faxing the order or request, or conferment a competitor who is a cut above organized and more efficient. Voice mail cuts the customer off and inhibits construct relationship equity. It just can’t provide scan and solutions to even the tiniest problem.

Let’s Get Real

The reality that exists in most companies today is that IS/CS personnel are extremely busy just handling inbound calls. Some IS/CS personnel may handle up to 100 calls per day and the related task that each call may entail. With the volume of traffic exceeding reasonable expectations regarding their power to build in on relationship equity, most IS/CS personnel are motivated to end each call as quickly as possible to get off the phone and take the next call in the queue. The time they spend with each call is more than just taking orders. These calls may include requests for literature, quotes, expediting, logging and entering claims and complaints, establishment inventory, and even fielding calls from outside sales personnel. And on top of the demands that these calls place upon these people, we expect them to take the time to create and maintain relationship equity with the customer, beseech suggestive selling techniques, up sell and create a pleasant experience for the customer. And dinosaurs still roam the streets of New York. Some IS/CS personnel are capping than most at using different selling techniques and creating customer relationship equity. It requires specific skills that depend upon product knowledge, probing accommodation skills, effective listening, and training in both suggestive selling techniques and offering the customer options. However, even the best IS/CS people will stop these practices when the inbound millstone becomes too great insomuch as they can’t take the time to leverage their relationship equity by talking with the customer, exploring options and identifying needs and interests. They go into an expeditious call turnover mode just to keep up with the inbound traffic.

If We Are Lost, How Can We Be Found?

There is no magic espouse if you don’t have the process and measurements in place to develop an IS/CS initiative that is in consolidation with your bunch strategy. That does not mean you give up. There are alternatives if you are willing to put forth an effort and make an investment. Start slow and minimize your exposure by creating a pilot project. Select one or two of your best IS/CS people to test a systematic be redolent of to increase productivity. Hire a replacement for your IS/CS people that are in the pilot project. This is your investment. This creates staff to handle all inbound traffic. They will handle the entire overflow to afford the pilot personnel to utilize their skill sets to increase sales with suggestive selling techniques and even proactive outbound follow-up calls. That means that the pilot personnel must receive extensive training that includes the items listed below. Management must also understand that call length will increase dramatically.

• Up selling techniques

• Suggestive selling techniques

• Outcall training

• Product training

• Communication and questioning skills

• Needs satisfaction selling that includes:

1. Features and benefits training

2. Value propositioning and value other selling

3. Promotional selling

4. New product and new source introductory selling

5. Service and warranty selling

The results of your pilot project may be surprising. You may conclude that IS/CS can generate opportunistic sales that will increase your share of customer spend. Growth and increased market share may also improve based on the contribution made by IS/CS. Customers respond well to recommendations and suggestions. Given the time needed, IS/CS can provide the kind of information that many customers need to know within reach your products and services.

However, make no mistake referring to it, your success will depend on various management’s existing mindset regarding the support necessary to offer for this type of proactive selling. IS/CS cannot effect difference on their own as it must be driven and supported by management. idiosyncratic staffing is a key component to handling inbound calls at a level of genius to fork out for time to employ proactive selling techniques. Having competent, fighting and talented people is also an essential ingredient.

As mentioned earlier, metrics are also a necessary ingredient now you can’t manage it if you can’t measure it. up to snuff measurement systems will help identify individual performance and productivity in order to recognize contributions toward success and offer desired financial reward. You must evaluate what exists within the IS/CS department and how they function, not only in the normal course of business, but especially during peak times of inbound call frequency. Management must determine if the mindset in IS/CS has gravitated to getting off the phone as quickly as possible. (Some uninformed distributors verily have inbound call quotas.) A study is needed to determine if time is within reach to dole for selling on inbound calls based on staffing levels and other demands. A technology recheck may be necessary to determine what kind of support is milled into the existing system in regard to selling prompts for glue parts and other product line suggestions. E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com for a list of six key measurements that support proactive selling.

Conquering the Counter Conundrum

Counter sales personnel face many of the same issues that IS/CS people face. In fact, the counter sales life becomes one of juggling several basket in the air at the same time and right skilled at multi-tasking. Dealing with “will call,” customers at the counter, inbound phone calls and whining salesmen creates quite a opposing for the professional counter person. More importantly, this counter conundrum puts customer retention and value at risk.

Again, there is no magic formula to conquer this conundrum and assort with the tough questions. These questions include:

• How do you effectively staff the counter?

• How should incoming calls be handled?

• Should a prioritization policy be developed?

• Should the will call counter be separate?

• Should inbound calls from sales people be handled by someone else?

The sales evolution on the customer side of the equation has divergent customer awareness, which has led to different service output demands (SODS). These demands now focus on immediate response, cost savings opportunities and an expectation that distributor knowledge and support of their conglomerate initiatives go future state the traditional problem model. Counter distractions such as donuts, dun or popcorn are just not enough to overcome sub-par service standards at peak times. Nothing short of service excellence is passable today to retain customers and create competitive advantage.

Creating raid solutions to conquer the counter conundrum must be based on joint operational metrics. The starting point is to evaluate this electric railway data. Increasing counter staff may seem like the obvious solution, but it may do nothing more than increase costs without solving the problem. Through the psychoanalysis of these metrics, you must diagnose the real disease and treat it, not the symptoms. consulate data coordination must include determining the pattern of peak times during the day and week for counter sales, incoming calls, will call and other specific counter responsibilities. Sales transactions and line item order entry information by counter sales people are relevant to the diagnosis. Faxes, e-mails, sales and profit trends, inactive and going handout trends, normative call time, call on hold time, call suspension and the voice mail connection are all part of the situational analysis.

This synthetic diagnosis should help you determine peak way patterns and sales growth trends by segment, such as will call, phone orders and walk-in trade. Staffing levels and scheduling may then be matched more practically synchronous to these patterns. This conference should also help you determine overtime needs, whether new handout development is successful and what your track record is on customer retention. Keeping track of transaction errors and when they occur will also help in conquering the counter conundrum. Don’t lose focus on those specific patterns that have the impact on direct customer service. These include: the midway wait time at the counter during peak periods, average out on-hold time for call-in customers and the percentage of call abandonment. Very specifically, what are the sales trends telling you?

Lastly, don’t rely on metrics alone. Talk to your counter pros. You may find out that a large percentage of their time is utilized on employ that don’t directly impact customer service and increased sales, such as those activity directed by field sales requesting prices, availability, order status, expediting or other requests that take up time.

Once your analytic diagnosis is complete, you should have a clearer picture of the issues that hinder the adeptness of your counter pros to maintain world-class service and continuous sales growth. This should lead to a well thought out strategic initiative to posture the critical constraints. Possible solutions may include the following:

• Call forwarding to other branches or other personnel during peak periods

• An inbound prioritization schedule

• A separate procedure for handling will call, fax and e-mail orders and field sales requests

• Separating the will call from counter sales

• Training, which can day and night have an impact on critical constraints

• Improved technology solutions to support field sales and other customer demands

Customers must ever and anon come first. This must soar a culture, not just a slogan. World-class service must open into a core competency if you are going to create competitive world of good and differentiate yourself from the competition. Evaluate cross-functional activities, reporting relationships and tear down any potential silos you uncover. The goal is to leverage the IS/CS sales opportunity and to provide the field sales force with the kind of sales support essential for overall cabal growth.

Conquering these conundrums is possible, but it takes hard work, classificatory diagnosis and a purposefulness by executive management to petition critical constraints and create the systems and processes that make world-class service one of the company’s core competencies.

Note: Some information and research for this introductory study was provided by Peg Fisher & Associates. Peg Fisher has since retired but she was one of the early pioneers in the field, paving the way on innovations in inside sales.

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