Structure – anything composed of parts arranged together in some way; an organization (dictionary.com)
Structure is something that is used in all aspects of life, from building a house, to having a healthy relationship, running a business, and even putting together a safe vehicle. It is the main pillar in all things that we do as humans. So why wouldn’t we want our phone calls that involve our paycheck to be any different? Creating a structure for our phone calls does a few very important things. It creates consistency, paints a professional picture of the organization and associate, and gives the customer a lot of detailed information quickly.
Having a structure to our sales calls creates consistency amongst our sales force as well. It is already a challenging environment when each person comes to the table with their own strengths and weaknesses, let alone when we don’t have a uniform way of speaking to our customers. Each company runs on a certain set of fundamentals and value systems and when those things aren’t followed the entire system breaks down from the ground up. So ultimately creating structure helps to build a strong culture amongst the company, creates uniformity, and ensures that our faces in the company are coming together on a united front. This is a great way to present any type of business to a potential client.
How does that structure then benefit a customer? Structure, based on the definition creates organization. When we can start a process with a potential customer in a clear and organized fashion, we are presenting a professional front. There is nothing worse than speaking to someone that is going to assist you with a large purchase, and as a customer, you are concerned that the salesperson has no idea what they are doing based on what is coming out of their mouth. You can be the most competent and talented sales associate, however, if you are not presenting yourself and your material in an organized fashion, your customer may not stay engaged and go elsewhere, especially if there is any type of waiting involved. In a world that is focusing on instant gratification, if someone doesn’t like how they were spoken to on the first call, they will most likely not call back even if they must wait for an answer or product. They will call someone else who seemed more competent and upfront on the first impression.
Having a specific structure on the phone creates an efficient and educational experience for the customer and ensures the salesperson that they have not forgotten any details. There is no point in spending 15-20 minutes on the phone when a conversation can be 6-8 minutes long and cover all the same information. When a sales associate is organized and leading a customer through the call, there is plenty of time to answer questions, but both the sales associate and customer are kept on track. When someone calls a dealership, they need information. So the goal of the sales associate should be to educate the customer in a thorough and efficient manner. This shows that the associate is on top of their game and keeps the customer engaged in the conversation. If we let a customer lead the call, there is a high potential that details are missed, and the end goal is never reached. We need to make sure that the structure we are using gives the customer what they need and gives the associate the appropriate opportunity to do their job as well. When you have the right structure and organization both parties involved should have the opportunity to win. The customer gets the information that they need, and the sales associate can turn a fresh up into an active customer.
So, at the end of the day, the structure is what all systems are built on. A phone call to a dealership is no different. It is just another step in the process of a greater business machine. We need to remember to stick with the fundamentals if we are going to create a strong and lasting business and the phone is a crucial part of it all.
As the Vice President of Phone Ninjas, Chris delivers leadership, coaching, and mentorship to 55 team members providing software sales and phone skills coaching. He fosters powerful partnerships and collaborations with leaders across various business sectors, establishing expectations, communicating vision, and escalating performance to maximize productivity and effectiveness.
