Training x Design worked with a government organisation to bridge a specific skills gap between customer service and sales. It introduced elements of sales into the customer service experience, to help employees effectively deliver a new workplace initiative.

The team comprised 45 employees who were uncomfortable with an initiative that required them to have more of a sales approach to their customer service. The initiative was to drive customer uptake of new online services.

In consultation with the organisation, Training x Design customised a solution specifically to bridge the gap. It involved a Mystery Shopper exercise, to identify the quality of service provided before and after the training. This exercise had the added benefit of highlighting specific training gaps and business-relevant challenges. These were subsequently included in the training program.

 

The key learning outcomes addressed in this one-day workshop were to:

  • Understand the key steps in the selling process, and how to behave at each step
  • Understand your own strengths and areas of improvement in the selling process
  • Know the major selling pitfalls and how to avoid them
  • Know when and how to ask for customer commitment
  • Listen better, to improve overall communication
  • Emphasise ‘benefits’ instead of ‘features’
  • Use questions as the primary tool with which to uncover needs and problems
  • Use questions to overcome buyer complacency, and to break through the status quo
  • Use questions to qualify buyers, ensuring effective and efficient use of time
  • Overcome objections in a professional manner
  • Develop an effective personal sales process, which incorporates the use of products and tools
  • Understand and work with different buyer behavioural styles.

Feedback from Manager of Business improvement & Training:

This program gave us exactly what we were after: A consistent sales approach across all centres. It was handled with respect and commitment, meeting all of our requirements. The feedback from staff was great. I’m still hearing about it.
The only improvement from our end is that we should’ve done it right a long time ago.

Participant feedback:

  • Good to use of humour to promote messages
  • Great information for developing my personal skills
  • Very motivating,
  • Trainer knowledge was exceptional!
  • Raised awareness of my weaknesses – I didn’t realise the impact I had!
  • Useful techniques for handling objections, skills can be used for other situations
  • Renewed my enthusiasm. Will definitely be passing onto my staff at the next team meeting
  • Showed me how I need to be less pushy in sales
  • It has invigorated me