Copyright 2015 © Century Interactive. All rights reserved.

7-STEPPHONE SKILLS TRAINING FOR YOUR

LEASING AGENTS

are an integral part of managing your property. Calls are 3 times more likely to convert than other types of leads. Are you making sure that your staff is trained to provide quality service to the prospects calling your leasing office? According to SalesForce, customer service is the most important factor in determining how much a customer trusts a company.

It’s crucial that your staff is trained to handle every call coming in or going out of your leasing office. Without proper phone skills, your team could be letting important leads slip through the cracks. Focus on these seven steps when training your leasing agents to handle phone leads.

It’s important to create an environment that’s free of distractions for both your staff and the caller.

Create the right call environment

If your staff uses cell phones, be sure they are in an area with a good network connection. It will be hard to get anything accomplished on the call if the phone signal continually cuts out. The caller may also view the poor connection as a reflection of your business.

Eliminate background noise, like music or loud coworkers, so your staff and the caller can hear well. A quiet workspace or quality headsets will also help your staff concentrate and listen better.

Don’t let your staff chew, eat or drink during a call.

Eliminate visual distractions in your leasing office by turning off the TV and asking your team to close any unnecessary computer windows when making a call.

Your employees should always have a pen and paper by the phone to write down each caller’s information.

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Before diving into the conversation, be sure your staff has the information they need from the caller. It seems obvious, but many times simple questions, like asking for a caller’s name, are overlooked. Train your staff to ask for the caller’s name, phone number and backup phone number at the beginning of the call.

It’s important that your employees write the information down and repeat everything back to the caller to ensure his or her information is correct. After getting the caller’s name, train your staff to repeat it back to the the customer throughout the conversation to create a personalized experience.

Don’t forget the small stuff

REMEMBER:

Name

Primary phone number

Back up phone number

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Don’t jump into business mode right away! It’s important that every call allows room to create relationships with prospects. According to the survey, “The Cost of Poor Customer Service” by Genesys Global, 38% of customers said that personalization is what makes a happy customer service.

Once your staff has gathered the caller’s basic information, have them build a little rapport. They should ask how the caller’s day is going and continue to use his or her name to build a relationship. It’s important to be aware of manners, tone of voice and personality to create trust with the caller. According to an American Express Survey in 2011, 3 of 5 Americans said they would try a new brand or company for a better service experience. Make sure your property’s service goes beyond addressing the caller’s needs by focusing on the customer relationship.

Relationships also lead to loyal renters, and loyal renters are some of your best marketing tools. Take time to build a connection to grow your property’s network. Renters will trust your community and gladly refer you.

Build a connection

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After asking “How can I help you today?” your team should allow every caller to fully explain his or her self. Does the caller have concerns, or want to tell you about another property he or she looked at and how it compares to yours? Give him or her that opportunity. Prospects will be more open to your staff’s guidance after they are able to share some background information, concerns or stories.

Don’t interrupt the caller! Your team can add their two cents once the caller is finished speaking. Train your staff to pause before chiming into the conversation, to avoid cutting the customer off. Customers will become easily frustrated if they feel like you don’t value what they have to say. Thank callers for taking time to provide you with the information you need to help them.

Good listening can be learned through continued practice. Common listening barriers are your staff member’s attention span, the caller’s speaking style and the environment your staff member is in. Remind your staff again how important it is to create the right call environment and get rid of distractions.

Listen to the caller

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Have your staff find ways to offer prospects extra value and attention during this portion of the call. According to the Annuitas Group, nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. For example: Is the caller a commuter? Have your staff give options for nearby public transportation.

Remember that callers don’t like to hear “no.” Customers won’t respond well to statements like, “We don’t provide that to residents.” Train your team to opt for statements like, “We can look into that.”

Your staff should guide and control the conversation, but not dominate it. First, your employees should repeat questions and requests back to the caller. According to Harris Interactive, consumers said that customer service agents fail to answer their questions 50% of the time. Callers will feel more confident in your staff’s ability to address their needs when they are certain your staff members know what they want.

Your staff should be asking the caller questions like:

Investigate the caller’s needs

Do you have any pets?

How many bedrooms do you want?

Are amenities like a pool and gym important to you?

How far away do you work? What is your commute like?

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Your staff can offer plenty of value during a call, but no one signs a lease on the phone. It’s your team’s job to get callers into your property! Train your staff to invite prospects in for a tour on the initial call. According to TeleNet and Ovation Sales Group, it takes an average of 8 call attempts to reach a prospect. It’s difficult and unlikely to get a caller back on the phone, so the time to set an appointment is always on the first call.

The secret to setting an appointment is to make the decision easy for prospects. Train your staff to offer callers two appointment options. If neither of those work for the caller, offer two more. When you offer prospects two avenues, they are likely to choose one.

The prospects calling in to your leasing office have several decisions to make throughout the day. Your staff’s goal should be to make this decision simple by taking the guesswork out of choosing a date and time. Make coming in for a tour easy for prospects, instead of another thing they have to fit into their schedule.

Set an appointment

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Train your staff to review key points of the conversation and ask if the caller has any lingering questions. Your team should also ask what the best time of day to call a prospect in the future is. According to the Marketing Donut, 80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls after the meeting. Be sure your staff gains permission to give prospects a follow-up call.

Before ending the call, have your staff double check the caller’s primary and backup phone numbers, and repeat his or her appointment time and date. If an appointment was set, your staff should provide the caller with directions to your leasing office and the name of the leasing agent who will be giving the tour.

Your staff should end every call with a personalized “thank you.” Prospects have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a place to live. Make sure callers know that your team wants to help them find a home.

Review what happened

The calls coming in to your leasing office are crucial. Make sure your staff is doing what it takes to Own the Phone every day.

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Own the Phone with

Rent Buzz is the only call review solution that actually makes your leasing agents better on the phone and helps you rescue fumbled phone

opportunities when they occur.

Rent Buzz ensures the right people receive quick alerts for opportunities that need attention.The alert explains what the caller was seeking, what the agent did, and why it’s been flagged as an opportunity for a return call.

It actually improves your leasing agents’ phone skills.Rent Buzz reaches out to the agent who is struggling with a particular skill to automatically provide training and makes sure he or she is certified to handle important calls.

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN OWN THE PHONE WITH RENT BUZZ.

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