Speech & Voice Coaching for Business
Training for Call Centres
* Diction, Phone Technique, Customer Service, Voice Quality
The telephone is a primary contact point for your customers and clients. Excellent phone skills are essential for your staff who are acting as ambassadors of your company.
There is often one chance to create a stellar first impression. A poorly stated, wordy, apathetic or awkwardly crafted phone greeting as a first point of contact will not win your customer confidence.
Book Kathy to visit your call centre to deliver Voice & Speech Training to your CSRs and / or Managers.
What should a customer hear from your CSR during the course of any phone call?
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You are the most important client we have.
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We have the best product / service in the world.I’m an expert.
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I can help you.
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We will have a long relationship because
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I can provide excellent service you as my customer for years to come.
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I understand your concerns.
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I will take care of business for you efficiently and accurately in a timely fashion.
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You don’t have to worry about a thing.
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I am confident, patient (even though there are time limits) and empathetic.
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Tell me what you need and I will do my best to serve you.
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I also have other things to help you.I am pleasant to deal with.
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You can ask me anything.
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I will listen to you.
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I will respect you.
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I will not interrupt you.
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I am smart.
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I can be trusted and we are reliable.
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I work quickly.
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I am an expert in all aspects of our product.
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Our company wants you as our customer.
That is what the voice of everyone on your staff should convey to EVERY customer on the phone …
all within mere seconds of delivering the company greeting.
You can say multitudes within seconds with the words you choose and the tone of your voice.
The Challenges of Telephone Communication
Face-to-face communication is entirely different from phone communication.
On the telephone, superior voice and speech skills are critical.
Below is an excerpt written by a communications expert which explains the advantages of face-to-face conversation:
“Experiments have shown that the most important information in conversations is inferred from facial expressions, with the smile being the most important cue (De Paulo & Rosenthal, 1988). Research on telephone conversations …indicates that in telephone conversations, nonverbal cues such as eye gaze, hand gestures, and head nods, which are usually closely tied in with vocalic strategies, are frequently replaced with vocal cues, and the interactants use a different set of turn-taking and other control strategies than in face-to-face interactions (Dittman and Liewellyn, 1967, cited in Rosenfeld, 1985). For example, listeners wait for the definite end of a sentence (‘final juncture’) until they start their reply. This, again, points to the importance of nonlinguistic vocalic cues to control communication.”
... Eva Jettmar, Dept. of Communication, Stanford University
Yet on the other hand, there are many ADVANTAGES to not being in person while communicating with a customer or client!
Click here to inquire about Kathy’s Call Centre Voice Training Seminars
Doing Business on the Telephone
“The telephone is a major part of communication today in business. Talking to people in real-time via electronic means is the most important way we connect to the world and it is often a first point of contact.
Not only does your speaking voice reflect on your employers and your company, but it’s also an indicator of your professional ability. When you’re talking on the phone, it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a designer label suit or leisure clothing. On the phone, you have no visual impact to rely on, no matter how much you’ve spent on your visual image. The caller can’t see you. Via telephone, your voice will be the most important asset you have when connecting with people.
If a client / customer asks you to repeat yourself because they didn’t understand what you said, that's a negative. The first impression you make is of critical importance , so the goal is to make a stellar good impression every time. You don’t get a second chance. Statistics say you only have about 4 seconds before judgments begin to form and confidence is gained or lost.
Your speaking voice will also be a major factor in the success of your live or distanced presentations, whether to a group or one-on-one. Don't make the mistake of taking the sound of your voice, and how your say your words for granted.
A timid or poorly developed voice may (unfairly) hinder how others perceive you. Sloppy or inappropriate speaking skills will not build trust with clients, audiences, superiors or co-workers. Imagine someone holding a Ph.D. yet speaks in a shy, or squeaky, or hooty, or shakey, or nasal voice …or using sloppy, lazy diction. This conveys a lack of confidence, or may even imply apathy.
It is difficult to have a successful, straightforward and productive conversation with a person is hard-to-understand, whatever the reason. It may translate into lost business.
A great speaking voice and good, crisp diction and an energetic demeanor will adds sparkle to a person's professional image. It reflects well on the company and/or the people team you’re representing. That could translate into earning a higher salary or increased promotional opportunities.
Learn about your voice, how to maintain it and improve your vocal quality before something goes wrong. Too many people come to me only after they experience challenges connected to their voice or way of speaking. If your company loses business due to sloppy, ineffective or problematic speaking habits on behalf of you or your staff, you should consider speech and voice training.
You need every competitive edge possible in today’s fast-paced business arena. Contact Kathy for options!
