4 Reasons Sales Agents Need to Have Customer-Centric Mindsets

In a recent article, Lance Zingale discusses how lasting success for companies requires emphasis on customer lifetime value. In order to boost customer lifetime value, Zingale says that companies need to do the following:

1) Focus on improving every step in the entire customer journey with touchpoint analytics.

2) Utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to help customers with chatbots and messaging channels.

3) Maximize machine learning to provide service tailored for the specific needs of customers.

4) Implement quality incentive programs and top-tier training to ensure sales and customer service mesh together instead of being in silos.

Zingale’s article goes into great detail on each of these tips. To read more about these four ways companies can maximize their customer lifetime value, please click here.

4 Reasons Sales Agents Need to Have Customer-Centric Mindsets

The main point we took away from Zingale’s article as it relates to call centers is #4, customer-centric strategies. Companies want their call center agents to provide high-quality customer service and deliver ROI in the form of higher sales conversions. It’s no longer good enough for companies to have strictly sales-focused agents who are constantly pushing for more. Even for sales positions, call centers need to hire agents who are naturally adept at showing empathy and train them thoroughly in customer service in addition to sales. The following four call center agent tips explain why sales agents need to have customer-centric mindsets:

1) Stronger Trust

Many customers call companies in frustrated or angry states of mind because a product or service didn’t deliver as promised. Because of this, they want more than simply a solution to their problem; they want empathy and emotional validation. Call center agents that show genuine empathy towards customers will build trust with them, which will lead to people being more open to hearing about potential product or service offerings.

2) Mutual Respect

Empathy and a customer-centric mindset will also help agents avoid presenting themselves as robotic. This will lead to customers feeling like they’re being respected as people and not as potential revenue for the company. If customers feel they’re respected, then they’ll be more inclined to show respect to the agent in return.

3) Less Annoying Experiences

You know how irritating it feels when a telemarketer calls you at dinner? Yeah, most people feel that way. Worse yet, many people feel that way when they call a company as well. One of the most annoying things call center agents do at times is push products or services while ignoring the customer’s complaint. This tactic of being overly pushy is clearly not an indicator of a person with a customer-centric mindset. If a call center properly hires and trains the right people, these annoying experiences will be reduced and customers will be more likely to be satisfied with their calls.

4) Better Relationships

When customers can contact a call center and feel comfortable knowing the agent on the other line is focused on helping them, the overall relationship between the customer and the company will be strong. People are more likely to develop loyalty to companies that care about them, even the sales agents.

This blog post is based on an article from CustomerThink. To read the original article, please click the link below:

4 Ways to Optimize the Lifetime Value of Customers in 2018 – Lance Zingale