For businesses that rely on phone calls to get leads, nothing is better than when the phones are consistently ringing.  While getting phone calls is a great step towards getting good leads and improving sales, there is still the work of closing the sale after answering the phone to consider.

There are many businesses that rely on getting leads through phone calls, including disaster restoration professionals and remodelers.  Those who answer the phones at these offices need to exhibit a certain level of sales skills and customer service to close the sale and improve revenue.  Every phone call is a sales opportunity and poor phone skills will cause your business to lose these opportunities which will lead to lost revenue.

In this guide, we will discuss good phone skills and customer service strategies that will help those who answer the phones at your office close more sales.  If you feel like your business could benefit from an increase in phone calls for more leads, RestorationMaster can help with our lead generation services.

Importance of Customer Service

When people call a restoration or remodeling professional, they want to know that they are talking to a professional they can trust and who will care about fulfilling their needs.  This is why customer service on the phone is so important.  Put simply, customer service is the support that a business gives their customers, which includes answering their questions, addressing their concerns, and helping them troubleshoot issues.

The people who call your business are interested in your services and providing good customer service will help them feel valued and make them more likely to convert.

Phone Skills and Strategies to Make the Sale

Excellent phone skills and strategies could be the difference between closing a sale and losing an opportunity when you get a lead through the phone.  The following tips will help your business close more sales and improve revenue.

Answer the Phone

This may seem like it doesn’t need to be said, but phone calls should be answered every time.  It is best for every call to be answered by a live employee, but you can also use interactive voice response (IVR) to ensure that every call gets answered.

If you use IVR, you need to make sure that the customer gets to a real salesperson as quickly as possible.  The longer they are stuck in the IVR, the more likely they are to hang up and call someone else.  You should test your IVR and see how long it takes to get through to a live person.  If you find that callers can get stuck in the IVR for too long, evaluate your process and identify what could be holding them up so they can get through faster.

Transfer Calls Efficiently

If a customer calls the main phone line and they need to be transferred to someone else within your company, they should be transferred quickly.  People are used to the seamlessness of doing things digitally which makes it important to provide a seamless phone experience.  Make sure the process for transferring calls is as efficient as possible.

Know the Customers

Everyone who answers the phones at your business should have an understanding of who your customers are, including their needs and expectations.  One of the ways you can get a general idea of the needs and expectations of your typical customer is to survey them after you have completed your services.

When talking to customers on the phone, ask them about their needs and what they expect so that you can provide the best information.  Knowing the needs and desires of your customers will help you provide better customer service and increase the likelihood of a sale.

Listen Actively

When talking to a potential customer, it is important to be an active listener.  Your customers want to know that they are being heard and that you are taking their concerns seriously.  Let the customer fully explain their situation and make sure you understand what they have explained before giving a response.  Showing empathy by actively listening to their explanation and understanding their perspective can go a long way.

Make sure to affirm what they are saying by telling them that you understand their perspective and ask them some follow-up questions to get more information that will help you better help them.

Be Friendly and Engaging

When speaking to customers, it is important to be friendly and engaging so that the customers feel comfortable talking to you.  Use a friendly tone and affirmation language to show that you understand their pains and concerns and let them know when you need to take a minute to do some research to help answer their questions.

Provide Fast and Accurate Answers

Potential customers are more likely to turn into a sale when they are talking to someone who is knowledgeable and can provide quick, accurate answers to their questions and concerns.  It is important that the employees who answer the phones for your business have the knowledge and expertise to answer as many questions as possible without needing to take time to do research while on the phone.  It also helps for those answering the phones to have computers and other technology available to them so they can quickly search for information that is valuable to the customer.

The answers you provide on the phone for potential customers should not only be quick, but also accurate.  Employees who answer phones should have a complete understanding of the services you provide, products you use, timelines for certain projects, and availability of your crews so they can provide accurate information.  If a customer asks a question that cannot immediately be answered, reassure them that you will find the answer and get back to them as soon as possible.

Providing fast and accurate information builds trust with your brand which will help convert potential customers.

Deal with Caller Objections

When trying to sell a caller on a restoration or remodeling project, they may object to your pricing or scheduling.  When this happens, it is important to work with the customer and try to overcome these objections, so they do not call a competitor.

If the customer objects to the pricing, you can take a couple of different approaches.  One approach is to negotiate the price if possible.  You can try to come down in price to secure their business, but you should not go so low that the business will not make a profit.  The other approach is to demonstrate the value of your services and why the quality of work you provide is worth the price.

If the customer objects to the scheduling, work with them the best you can to schedule the work when it best suits their needs.  When it comes to restoration, it is important to address the issue as quickly as possible as waiting to start the restoration will only make the damage worse.  Let the customer know if they are dealing with a problem that requires an immediate response to create a sense of urgency.  This will motivate the customer to schedule the work sooner.

Schedule the Job

The main goal of the phone call is to make the sale and schedule the work.  As you discuss the project and timeline for the work with the customer, ask them directly when they want to schedule the work.  This will motivate them to commit and schedule the project to secure the sale.  The best strategy is to schedule the job and secure the sale as quickly as possible, but within reason, after answering the call.

Lead Generation Services from RestorationMaster

It is difficult enough for businesses like restoration and remodeling contractors to get enough calls, so it’s important to use effective skills and strategies to convert the calls you do get.  Implementing the above-mentioned tips will have your sales team ready to better serve your potential customers and convert them into sales.

For some contractors, generating enough quality leads through phone calls can be difficult.  If your business could benefit from generating more leads, our professionals at RestorationMaster can help.  We work with disaster restoration and cleaning contractors across the U.S. to help generate more quality water damage leads and mold leads.

RestorationMaster provides lead generation services through our website restorationmasterfinder.com (RMF).  RMF generates quality leads through highly optimized, geo-based web pages that attract local search traffic and get calls from those looking for disaster restoration services.  We offer exclusive leads for your service area, meaning that the leads are sent directly to you, and you will not have to compete with other businesses in your area to close the sale.

You can call us at (888) 846-1992 to learn more about how we can help your business with our lead generation services.