FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tom Ellis
March 11, 2008 Ellis Communications, Inc.
Phone: (417) 881-5635
Email: tom@elliscomm.com
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Every telecom wants to improve its financial
performance and there are several ways to do that. These steps involve making
the most of two assets that are already in place – employees and customers.
“Employees who understand their telecom and deliver superior customer service
help the company succeed,” says David Saxby, president of Measure-X, a company
that specializes in helping telephone companies improve their customer service
and sales. “Customers who understand the benefits of a telecom’s products and
services and who are happy with the way they are treated also boost the bottom
line.”
Saxby offers the following 10 tips on improving a telecom’s financial
performance.
Tip No. 1. Develop employees’ sales skills. “Invest time and money to
give employees the skills they need to communicate with and listen to customers
and sell the value of the products and services you offer,” Saxby says.
“Customers come to you for solutions. They want someone to help them make the
decision that will benefit them.”
Saxby says employees must know how to develop rapport with customers, make
customers feel they are special, ask the right questions to understand
customers’ needs and provide customers with a solution and then help them make
buying decisions.
Tip No. 2. Recognize outstanding employee performance. “How certain are
you that every person in your telecom is committed to meeting the standards you
have established for customer service?” Saxby asks. “Set up a system to
recognize those employees who meet or exceed your standards.”
Employees should be rewarded as soon as possible and they should clearly
understand what they did right and how it helped the company, Saxby says.
Tip No. 3. Measure employee satisfaction. “A simple employee survey can
provide you with invaluable information,” Saxby says. “Structure the survey to
be anonymous and as objective as possible. Ask about available benefits,
training programs, professional standards, likes and dislikes, the quality of
internal communication and how they like to be recognized for a job well done.”
Tip No. 4. Show where the company is headed. “Do your employees know the
mission of your telecom and the role they play in making it a reality?” Saxby
asks. “It’s easier for them to go the extra mile for customers when they
understand the company’s vision.”
Tip No. 5. Get employees involved. “Don’t be afraid to share sales and
expense numbers and teach everyone how to read a profit-and-loss statement,”
Saxby suggests. “Invite everyone to offer strategies on how to increase sales
and decrease costs. Convert their ideas into goals and get them involved in
meeting those goals.”
Tip No. 6. Empower your staff. “Knowledge is power,” Saxby says. “The
more your employees understand your company, its philosophy and its marketing
strategies, the better they can do their jobs. Do employees understand what a
customer is worth to the company? Do they know the financial loss to the company
if their behaviors drive customers away?”
Tip No. 7. Listen to customers. “Ask your customers to rate your business
and do this on a regular basis,” Saxby says. “How do they rate your customer
service and friendliness of employees? What additional products do they want you
to offer? Use the results of these surveys to set benchmarks to measure your
future progress.”
Tip No. 8. Set the standard. “Train every employee on how each customer
should be greeted and why that is important,” Saxby recommends. “Role play with
employees to be sure they have first-hand experience on what the standard
means.”
Tip No. 9. Increase product knowledge. “Customers rely on your staff to
give them factual information to help them with their buying decision,” Saxby
says. “If your staff has the ability to accurately answer their questions and
provide additional information, your customers’ confidence will skyrocket, as
will the likelihood of a sale.”
Tip No. 10. Practice, practice, practice. “Management should be the coach
for your team,” Saxby says. “Role play various customer-buying situations with
your staff. Role play the new customer, the demanding customer and the
unfriendly customer. Your employees will be more confident when they feel they
have the skills to handle any type of customer they may encounter.”
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Measure-X is a measurement, training and recognition company that specializes
in customer service and sales skills. For more information on Measure-X, call
888-644-5499 or visit its Web site at
www.measure-x.com.
