Fact-finding skills
Featured in the Call Centres: Maximising Performance training manual
By Tony Lockwood
Category: Sales Skills
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
Your organisation exists to provide customers with a product or service which meets their needs. To do this effectively, it is important for front-line staff to focus on what information is required to determine whether an appropriate solution can be offered. This training activity looks at fact-finding skills, such as developing questions, identifying needs – both stated and unstated – as well as how to recognise the benefits customers will gain from particular features of products or services. Another challenge in terms of gathering information comes from the fact that some customers will state their requirements very clearly, and some won’t! We therefore need to have the skills to look for clues in what the customer tells us, and almost develop a sixth sense for what is needed.
As an introduction to the training activity, first ensure that all the participants understand the need to identify and perceive customer requirements. The first part of the training activity, therefore, focuses on questions, and learning falls into three areas: questions to ask that get answers to the things you need to know; questions which must be phrased in an effective manner; and questions which must be presented in an appropriate sequence. The next part of the training activity encourages the participants to focus specifically on the products and services offered by their own organisation. In small-group exercises, they are asked to identify the core products offered and state which customer needs these products meet. A further group exercise gives the participants an opportunity to consider situations where customers have stated and unstated needs.
Who is it for: How do participants identify what customers need? How can they effectively find out during a telephone discussion? This training activity is intended for use by trainers to provide participants with the basis for developing fact-finding skills, focusing p
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 8 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:45:00 |
| No of Pages: | 20 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers with all members of call centre staff. It enables experienced participants to review their present performance and more recently appointed staff to understand what they can do to improve performance and profitability within the call centre.
Download the training activity, Fact-finding skills as featured in the Fenman training manual; Call Centres: Maximising Performance