The Power of 30 Seconds™

Social media is now mainstage for sharing, tweeting, YouTubing and Snapchatting almost every aspect of our daily lives—including venting about negative customer experiences with businesses. In fact, according to Zendesk, nearly half of consumers share their negative reviews on social media.

In one click, a business can become the disgust of a dissatisfied customer along with hundreds of their social media allies—and the damage can quickly go viral if anyone feels compelled to share or retweet. The world shows no mercy from behind the desktop monitor or mobile phone.

That’s why independent agencies must work consistently to improve the customer experience, particularly when it comes to inbound sales calls.

The first 30 seconds of any sales call sets the tone for the entire customer experience. This brief window has the power to either help welcome a new customer to the agency family, or stain the agency’s reputation as the newest trending hashtag in Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Avoid digital persecution by improving your interactions with customers, starting with the first 30 seconds. Next time your agency’s phone rings, keep these tips in mind:

Establish an effective call workflow. Start your conversations by offering customers welcoming words. Sincerity, a pleasant tone and a steady pace go a long way toward making callers feel confident they’re working with a high-quality, helpful agency. Listen for understanding, not rebuttals. Once you fully understand a customer’s needs and concerns, you’ll ask not just any questions, but the right questions.

Build a positive customer experience. Own and emit positivity. Always tell customers what you can do rather than what you can’t. As much as possible, avoid using negative terms. If they somehow creep into the conversation, follow negative words with something positive.

Maintain the human element. The extraterrestrial beings known as voicemails are no substitute for human interaction. According to Forbes, about 80% of your future business won’t leave a message if they get your voicemail. Make it a priority to have a live person answer agency calls whenever possible.

Demarcus Johnson is communications coordinator for Trusted Choice®.