The The HeartHeart Call Call Centre Centre

Call Cycle: Ten Gears in a phone call

Your first phone call in the HEART Call Centre may not be easy. You’ll be asking yourself questions like: “Why am I here?” “Is this going to help me in my job search efforts?” and “What have I gotten myself into here?”

Hopefully, understanding your call and being able to check goals in each call will help reduce stress and anxiety in connecting with someone new on the telephone.

Just remember You are calling on behalf of the HEART Call Centre and practicing your

interviewing, communication and networking skills with an actual employer Eventually, you will be calling employers to advance your own job search

efforts. You never know when a networking opportunity will surface. It may in your next call that you find out about a job that interests you Keep your networking hat on at all times. Practice as often as you can to develop and work on your skills.

Just like a 10 speed bicycle…..here are the 10 Gears to a successful call.

1. Introduction: Make a warm introduction on behalf of the HEART Call Centre. Take a deep breath and project confidence and warmth. The employer has never heard of the Call Centre before so make a good first impression.

Speak with the Expert. The Decision-Maker has to speak with you because you want to share some important information. When you project an important tone to the nature of the call, you will be taken very seriously at the other end of the line. You want to speak with the person who first connected with Partners for Jobs and had the job posting listed with the Job Posting Service.

Eventually, when you make the cold calls (as you warm up to the idea), the Decision-Maker will be the person in Human Resources or the Hiring Manager).

2. Ask permission for their time. Business owners are busy, companies are busy and sometimes, the

thought of asking permission will go a long way towards building a strong foundation in the early part of the call to get results you want.

3. Purpose of the Call and of the Call Centre.

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This is where you put your sales cap and sell the Call Centre for all of the positive things you know about it. You want to stay brief but focus on key words like….great service to you, the employer….and I want to help you solve your hiring needs.

4. Provide and receive information.

Conversations are successful when there is a give and take approach to their flow. Nobody wants to do all the talking and the same with all the listening. Your role is to get feedback and you need to keep the employer involved until you get what you’re calling for.

5. Verify…actively listen.

Active Listening means that you are able to identify what the employer’s needs are and meet them. Listen for problems and try to identify solutions.

6. Summarizing statements.

Provide feedback to your employer on what you heard and confirm if this is what they meant to say. Identify if the employer has any suggestions on how the service could be improved.

7. Actively Network- risk by asking for other leads.

Example: The employer sounds pleased and supportive of the Call Centre, and you are feeling confident about the call cycle, Ask the employer is he/she knows of other employers who may be interested in the service.

Repeat again the advantages of the Call Centre…..Follow-up call being made, free service, employers can call in with comments later….

8. Wrap-up.

This is the pay-off. The employer has spent the time speaking with you and you want to thank them for their participation and feedback.

Ask them if there is anything else you can provide them.

9. Final Message. On behalf of the HEART Call Centre…..thank them once again for taking advantage

of this great service.

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