When running a sales floor, one of the more common yet irritating realities is that some people will just hang up. Sometimes they are just busy or not receptive, other times it might come down to something you did.
Either way, an abandoned call is a rejection, and reducing the number of abandonments is essential to your sales success.
There are many ways to reduce the rates of call abandonment on your sales calls, and within this guide we have compiled a list of several tried and true methods for improving your abandonment numbers.
Increase Call Center Capacity
If your sales representatives mostly take inbound sales calls, then one way to reduce abandonment is to simply increase the number of sales reps. Most customers are not willing to wait very long on hold – in fact, most studies show most customers hang up after a minute – and having an understaffed sales room is tantamount to leaving money on the table
If you find yourself frequently failing to answer calls, considering hiring additional help. You can also adjust the rotation of sales floor shifts to make sure you have the maximum number of agents on hand during peak call hours.
Offer Callback Options
This is another one that is specific to inbound sales centers. If you are experiencing higher call volumes, then offering a call-back option will reduce your rates of abandonment. This option reserves a new customer’s place in line while freeing them up to pursue other goals while they are waiting, minimizing the feeling that they’re wasting time.
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance
The five P’s ought to be an ingrained part of your sales culture. Every good salesperson understands that the secret to success is understanding what your customers want and how that connects with what you offer.
To help reduce signup abandonment, give your sales representatives time before each sales call to prepare. Giving them a chance to research their customer and what they need is the surest way to maximize sales rates, and minimize abandonment rates.
Listen to the Customer
Anybody who has spent time in the customer service sector or has spent more than ten minutes with the public cringes at the expression “the customer is always right.” While you do not have to go quite that far, you do have to remember that your customer is very certain about what they want and need.
Do not ignore what they say or pretend that what they have to say is irrelevant – listen and respond to their concerns. You might have a script you read from at certain points of the sales call, but sometimes shifting from that script to appeal to your customer produces better results.
Pay attention to what your customer says, and respond to their individual needs.
Minimize Probing Questions
At some point during the sales call, your representatives will have to ask for identifying information. This includes name, address, social security number, and more. The more questions the customer must answer, the more likely they are to abandon the call.
They might be genuinely interested, but too many details might scare them off or simply wear thin their patience. This can be especially troubling if you only just barely managed to convince the customer to buy.
Having software that minimizes the amount of information required for successful identity verification can help streamline your process, reduce wait times, and reduce signup abandonment. Look into the latest identity verification information being developed by companies such as CognitoHQ to always be on the forefront of new developments.
In Conclusion: Efficiency Matters
Business thrives on maximizing efficiency. Customers expect it and companies require it to succeed. As such, reducing signup abandonment comes down to providing an efficient experience for your customer. Some small talk is necessary to build rapport of course, but being able to accurately and quickly pinpoint customer needs and catering to them is essential to keeping them on board.
