BUILDING RAPPORT WITH CUSTOMERS IN OUTBOUND CALLING

Sustainability of business is very crucial these days. How do the firms sustain? It’s through the flow of its sales and the constant demand for its products and services among the existing as well as potential (new) customers. Why should a customer stay loyal to a particular brand of products or services? It is totally dependent on the rapport that the organizations build with their customers over the years.

One thing none of the business organization should forget is that the customers are the king when it comes to business. Outbound call centers are not exception to this rule. So, building rapport with the customers is a key element to sustainability in the case of outbound sales call centers or in the telemarketing industry.

Why Rapport with Customers Is Important?

Rapport is simply a state where you can make the customers feel comfortable or would be able to win the trust of the potential customers. A good rapport is the first stepping stone to build a long term relationship with your customers.

When you have a strong relationship with a customer, you tend to have more influence with that customer. And if you are successful at building a good rapport with your customer, then you might be able to bag some loyal customers for the business. A good rapport with customers can foster a positive image about the organization among the community and thus enhances sales and growth in the market.

So, it’s important for outbound call center callers to know a few simple techniques to help them build rapport over the phone, while outbound sales call center employees can also do their bit to make this process easier.

Following are the few factors that should be kept in mind to build rapport with customers:

• Know your customer: The name and age of the customer is mostly available to the employees of the outbound call centres. So, that should give them a fair idea about the preferences of the customers. Like, if the customer falls into the age bracket of the 30s, then probably that person would be financially independent and thus the call center employee can pitch to sell him/her the highest category product.
• Carry A Positive Approach: While addressing the problems of the customers in case of an outbound calling, it is very important to keep a positive outlook. The outbound call center employee should try to give solutions to the problems of the customers.
• Be A Good listener:  Be it outbound call centers or telemarketing services, it is very important for the call center employees to be good listeners. They should have enough patience to listen to the problems or needs of the customers or potential customers. They should listen not for the sake of hearing the problems, but with the intent to listen to the customers so that they can fix the mess!
• Do not keep the customer waiting:  Yes, you read it correct! It is one of the most annoying things to do. If you mean business or want to address the problems of the customers, then the first thing you need to keep in mind is that, do not keep the customers on” hold-on” mode for long. That would really annoy them.
• Be Empathetic: Show interest to the words of the customers and also try to assure him/her that the problem would be resolved. In case you are from telemarketing services, make sure you win the trust of the potential customers with your statements of conviction.
• Be Friendly: While on call with your customers, you can’t show your gestures or facial expressions to the customers. Then how will you act friendly with them? It is simple! By the way you speak, your tone of the voice as well as the voice modulations will play a vital part to portray you as a friendly caller.
• Do not Rush: Go as per the pace of the customers. Don’t be in a hurry to finish the call because that might act negatively and put off the mood of the customer or potential customer.
• Ask Questions: The outbound sales caller should keep asking relevant questions to the customer just to make sure that he’s able to understand the needs and problems of the customer in a better way. Questions of the callers also show that they are active listeners.
• Don’t Sound Mechanical:   Outbound call center employees as well as telemarketing sellers are required to sound cheerful, positive and as empathetic as possible. Because, if they sound, they have read a typical script and just reading through it, then the customers would not feel at ease to talk with them or even can get offended. In short sound as human as possible so that the customers do not portray you as a robot without any emotion.
• Show Respect:  Always greet customers with respect. Few people like to be addressed by their surname while some people even do not mind to be addressed by their nicknames. The call center agents should clarify on that part before going ahead with the conversation.

In order to be effective, call center agents must aim to build rapport on first contact and throughout the customer relationship. Because rapport building is a long term process and can’t be built overnight.

There are few things that should never skip the mind of the telemarketing people or outbound sales call centers callers. Like, the tone of the voice, positive approach, active listening skills, patience and empathetic nature, a way of greeting the customers. In case they want to sustain in the existing business or if they are looking for the expansion of the customer base in the market. Do you agree with the points discussed above or you have some more points in your mind? If you want to add up to the list of how to build good rapport with the customers from the end of an outbound sales call center, then please feel free to help us enhance and modify the stated list.