by Johnny Gailer
I imagine you're thinking, "What?! That's the way my outside guys are able to make me so much money."
Let me clarify: I don't want to take their mobility away from you. Instead, help your employees forward calls from your store to their cell phones rather than having them give out their cell number directly. Here's why:
If you let customers call employees on their cell phone directly...
#1. Your customers are not YOUR customers, they're your EMPLOYEES
Many Win owners have come from other companies, and brought an established customer base with them. You probably want your employees to succeed but I'm sure you don't want them taking your customers away when they move on.
Allowing your employees to use their cell number as the primary mode of contact, makes them your employees customer. Not yours. And it opens up to the potential of a huge loss in revenue.
The customer may be loyal to their salesman, but when customers have to call your store first you have the opportunity to create customer loyalty.
2. You don't have the ability to know what communications are going on between your employees and YOUR customers.
You will have a good idea of exactly how many inbound calls your employees are getting and how much effort outside sales people are putting into growing your customer base versus just taking orders.
If an outside salesperson is only taking as many orders as calls he receives, you know whether he has time to get on the phone and in the field getting more business for you. And you can get him the training and the direction he needs to start growing your company.
# 3. Remember: Cell phones break, and cell numbers change.
If a customer is used to one individual in your company then that customer may not know your store's phone number. And when that employee breaks or loses his cell phone and the customer needs an order fast, you need to be able to intercept the call before it goes to a competitor.
Having all calls go through your store first ensures the customer will get the assistance they need.
#4. You lose the ability to create a positive, consistent impression of YOUR brand.
Every time a phone call is answered, you have the opportunity to brand the conversation and intentionally create a positive impression of your company.
Most companies have a specific way of answering the phone.
"Good Morning . . . You've reached Winsupply, this is Johnny."
A consistent way of answering calls sets the tone for each conversation, and lets the caller know they can expect the same great service as the last time they called.
It also labels the communication as a conversation with YOUR COMPANY, rather than the employee, and helps to create customer loyalty with your company even after the employee leaves. Meaning they are your customer and not your employees.
Another way many companies brand their company is with a professional Welcome Message. The Welcome Message answers the phone with a consistent greeting, sets the tone, and many times offers an up-sell opportunity or current information. Then it rings through like a normal call.
Here's an example of a winonhold Welcome Message: "Thanks for calling Winsupply - your source for quality supplies. Don't forget we're offering 20% off tools through the end of June" . . . ring, ring "Winsupply, This is Johnny."
The ability to brand each conversation is powerful and offers you a great opportunity to create a positive impression of your company and increase loyalty with YOU.
BONUS REASON: If you forward your calls to your cell, it is just fun to know your customers think you're at your desk when you're really not.
If you need help forwarding your customers' calls to an employee's cell phone, let us (or the guys in Dayton if you have the Cisco system) know. We may be able to help point you in the right direction.
If your phone system is too old for this feature, please don't allow the practice of letting your employees use their cell with customers. The cycle will be hard to break when you do get a new phone system that allows for call forwarding.
When you do get a new system, brand each conversation by forwarding your calls to outside employee's' cells instead of allowing them to use their cell phone directly.