Telephone account management
This programme provides a highly pragmatic approach to building partnerships with telephonic accounts in a consultative and customer focused manner.
Level
Programme is appropriate for learners at entry, intermediate and advanced levels.
Objectives
- To appreciate the customer’s expectations and priorities
- To clarify the account manager’s role
- To develop a consultative approach to account management
- To build capability in solution selling techniques
- To identify different customer types and how to build rapport with each
- To build confidence through demonstrations and practical application
Process
Customer Expectations – Research on what customers want, their priorities, why customers switch. Two dimensions of service delivery – what / output and how / experience. Best / worst experiences.
Account Management – Definition of an account manager. Implications of telephonic account management. Role as expert (tell) vs. facilitator (ask). Exercise to identify personal preference. Implications and development.
Consultative Approach – Identify 4 styles of service delivery – acceptant, catalytic, challenging, directive – implications and use of these 4 styles.
Customer Engagement – 4Es engagement process – entry, exploration, execution, exit. Priorities at each stage (customer / account manager).
Building Relationships – Relationships as partnerships. Mean by a partnership. Customer perception ladder. Johari Window – trusted partner. Trust and credibility. Transactional Analysis.
Solution Selling – Key steps in solutions selling process. Use of questions to stimulate dialogue and elicit information. Developing a case for change. Proposition – features & benefits, areas of interest, questions, statements, likely concerns, proof to demonstrate value, etc.
Power Questions – Importance of questions – getting customers to stop & think. Types – open, probing, closed. Questioning funnel. Questions to avoid – leading, double, etc. How to formulate questions. Develop examples of powerful questions.
Making an Impact – Communication 3Vs – verbal, vocal, visual. Advocacy vs. enquiry. Skills – listening, questioning, rapport, summarising, silence, empathy decision-making, and feedback. Influencing strategies. Attitude – positive / can-do / solutions vs. negative / can’t-do / problems.
Telephonic Communication – Making a positive impact. 3Vs – verbal, vocal, visual. Telephone techniques.
Customer Types – Different customer types – doer, actor, friend, thinking. Self-assess own style. Influencing different types Mirroring and matching.
Practice – Demonstrations to model behaviours / techniques – practice learning through telephonic simulations based on a variety of practical scenarios.
Options
Programme can be adapted as a 1 or 2 day workshop for approx. 8 to 10 learners, with 1 or 2 facilitators, with the possibility of using professional role players.