Using real life examples in your speeches provides credibility. Here are two techniques that will allow you to share those stories while respecting your audience member’s confidentiality.
Technique #1) Ask permission:
Ask the attendee if you can quote them when you speak to future groups. If they agree, you can use their name and story.
When you quote them say, “This person was in one of my previous audiences and they gave me permission to share this story with you.” This re-assures your current audience that you respect people’s privacy.
Technique #2) Share common themes:
Look for common themes from your audiences. Then share those stories by saying, “One of the most common things people say is …” You’re not violating confidentiality by stating a common pattern.
Use these two techniques to add a real-life perspective to your presentations while still protecting people’s confidentiality.
In honor of International Customer Service Week, here is another tip: If you are looking for free or inexpensive ways to reward your call center agents, pick up a copy of the book, “1,001 Ways to Reward Employees” by Bob Nelson. It’s available at Amazon.com and most bookstores.
When I was the call center training manager at Telus Mobility a few years ago, I loved using ideas from this book. It’s filled with inventive ways to reward employees. Examples include giving out movie passes, small gifts and food treats.
Obviously, small treats like this aren’t meant to replace core motivators such as salary, benefits and career growth. But, it does create a fun atmosphere for your call center agents. It also shows your appreciation for all their hard work.
In honor of Customer Service Week (Oct. 5-9, 2009), here is an article from my web site regarding coaching and motivating your CSRs: http://tinyurl.com/y94cxpt
Ideally, you shouldn’t read your entire speech word-for-word, in front of an audience. However, it’s perfectly acceptable to read a small portion of your speech. For instance, if you are giving very specific information, or quoting an author, it’s perfectly acceptable to read that passage word-for-word.
In fact, holding up a book or your notes and reading a paragraph from it, gives that passage added weight. The audience assumes it must be important, since you are reading it word-for-word.
I’ve even seen speakers read a story from their own book. Think about that! They wrote the book. But, reading from it gives their words added weight.
On the other hand, some people feel embarrassed to read a portion of their speech. They think an audience will assume the speaker isn’t prepared, since they have to look at their notes.
To counteract that possible perception, here are some “positioning phrases” you can use before reading a portion of your speech:
1) “This next idea is so important; I want to read it word for word…”
2) “Here is a direct quote…”
3) “Here is another great example/story/fact…”
Using these phrases allows you to read a small portion of your speech. You can use this technique – sparingly – for specific quotes, complex instructions and hard to remember points in your next speech.
The first major question your audience will have in the back of their mind is: “What is in it for me?” Your audience needs to know WHY they should listen. You need to answer the following questions in your presentation:
1) What is the impact to your salespeople’s job, department, and company?
2) Are there any bonuses or spiffs for selling this new product or service?
3) How does it affect their sales targets and commissions?
Answer the “Why” question first. Your sales team needs to know what is in it for them. By listing the benefits, you will have their full attention and motivation.
The second major question a sales team needs to know is: What is this new product or service?
Create excitement. Do a demo if you can. Or use testimonials from your focus group about how much it changed their life. Get people excited about using the new product or service. Give examples of real-life applications as part of your presentation. Show how they can use this product in their own lives. You want to create buy-in so your audience will support your product or service.
More questions to answer during your presentation:
1) Who is the target market for this new product or service?
2) How does this new product or service fit within your company’s current product or service lineup?
3) When will it be offered? What is the launch date? Is it a limited time offer?
4) Where will it be offered? What locations will be offering this product or service?
5) How does it compare to your competition? Be specific. Give case studies and market research so your employees can answer their client’s questions.
6) What type of warranty is offered? What is the return policy?
7) What add-on sales are available? How many options or accessories are being offered?
Use these questions to quickly and easily design a great product knowledge presentation for your salespeople. It will provide them with the information they need to sell your product or service. And make you look good in the process.
As many of you know, I just moved to a new house. So, I’ve spent lots of time on the phone, making arrangements with my local cable, phone, gas and electric companies.
One of my pet peeves is calling a company and navigating a sometimes nightmarish maze of interactive voice response (IVR) systems. You know, the kind where you have to “Press 1 for this” and “Press 2 for that.” Or even worse, systems that ask you to verbally describe the problem, and then tell you their voice recognition software can’t understand what you are saying.
Of course you can try pressing zero to speak to a live person. But, sometimes even that doesn’t work.
In my frustration, I stumbled across a site called Get Human (www.gethuman.com.) It’s an online database of thousands of utility and service companies, along with instructions on how to connect with a live CSR at that particular company.
I don’t know much about them. But the mere existence of a company like Get Human suggests that I’m not the only one frustrated by having to navigate several layers of an IVR system, just to get a live person to help me.
That reminds me of a quote in marketing guru Seth Godin’s blog where he says, “The only reason to answer the phone when a customer calls is to make the customer happy.”
That really hits the nail on the head. Lengthy IVR systems drive customers nuts. I know it’s important to direct the call to the right department within a company. But, complicated IVR systems and menu choices just frustrate callers.
Instead, companies should design their IVR tree with no more than four possible prompts per level (i.e. “Press 1, 2, 3 or 4″), and no more than two levels before reaching a CSR. That would increase customer satisfaction and lower call abandon rates.
I just read a great Newsweek.com article about how customers are affected by the music they hear, while on hold, waiting for a customer service rep.
This article is timely, since I’ve just moved to a new house. As a result, I’ve spent quite a bit of time on hold, calling my local utility companies. I agree with the Newsweek article’s statement that customers are more likely to remain on hold, rather than abandoning the call, if they think they are making progress towards speaking with a live CSR.
To give the impression of making progress, some companies interrupt their hold music every 30 seconds, to give an estimated hold time, i.e. “Our average waiting time to speak to a CSR today is three minutes.” The potential drawback of that is the caller may hang up if the announced hold time is too long. For instance, I hung up when my insurance company said their average wait time was 15 minutes.
Of course, the ultimate solution to reducing abandon rates and hold times is to ensure your call center has enough CSRs scheduled for the projected call volumes. But that’s an discussion for another day.
Congratulations. You have been asked to speak at your company’s summer employee barbecue or winter banquet. Making a great impression will boost your career. But the wrong move could embarrass you right out of a promotion.
Here are five tips to make your employee event speech a success:
1) Keep to the theme of the event:
If the banquet theme is, “Above and beyond the call”, tell a story of exceptional service. If the theme is, “The best is yet to come” share a story about wonderful opportunities in the future.
2) Keep it light:
It’s a party. People are there to have fun, not listen to a serious speech. Leave policy announcements and new product launches for another time. Humorous, entertaining or inspirational stories are more appropriate.
Prior to the banquet, you can ask your call center or sales team for anecdotes you can share with the rest of the company. Focus on stories that are uplifting. You want to show how your team’s hard work has paid off in improved customer service and sales.
3) Keep it brief:
Corporate holiday events are celebrations. But dinner and speeches can take several hours. Keep your speech as short as possible so people can hit the dance floor (or go home) at a reasonable hour.
As the CEO, President or department VP/Director, your holiday speech to your team should be ten minutes or less. You want to acknowledge their hard work, congratulate them on their accomplishments, and wish them well for the holidays.
4) Keep it simple:
Employees normally bring a date. So don’t use company jargon in your speech. Instead of saying, “Our 3G implementation increased EBITDA by 10%”, say, “Adding new technology boosted our results by 10% and now it’s time to celebrate!”
5) Keep a “cheat sheet” if you give thanks:
Thank people that contributed to a successful year. Here’s a tip: write the names down so you don’t miss anyone. There is nothing worse than publicly leaving someone out.
Use these five tips to avoid disaster and make a great impression at your company’s next employee event.
What sabotages your speech before you even start? What causes your audience to tune you out? What creates a huge obstacle for even a great speaker? The answer is: the wrong meeting room setup.
Different room layouts create different group dynamics. Choose the right layout and have a successful speech or training session. Here are the recommended room setups for various group sizes and presentation types.
For an interactive training session with 10-30 people:
Use several small round tables with 3-5 people each. I use this room layout when I need maximum interactivity. It is great for exercises, role-plays and simulations.
It allows participants to network with each other. It builds relationships and boosts morale. When I was training managers to coach their employees, this layout built teamwork and trust in the group.
For a brainstorming session or focus group of 6- 12 people:
Use a boardroom setup with a single table surrounded by chairs. When I was Manager of Training at Telus Mobility, I used this room setup for planning sessions. This layout encourages group discussions.
It is great for short (less than 2-hour long) meetings. Keep in mind that certain seats (such as the head of the table) garner more “power” and confer a higher status. Make sure you are sitting in one of these “power seats” if you are the discussion leader.
For a keynote speech with audiences of 30+ people:
Use a “theater” style setup with a shallow “V” shape. This is a classic setup for large audiences. It focuses all the audience attention upon you as the speaker. Have the chairs arranged in a slight inverted “V” shape. You want both arms of the “V” angled toward you onstage. That makes it easier for people sitting at the side of the room to see you. Otherwise, they would have to turn their heads awkwardly to see you onstage.
This layout works well for short (45 minute) lectures. However, it limits your ability to run interactive exercises or role-plays. It is better suited to lectures rather than training sessions.
So, choose the right meeting room setup and maximize your chances of a successful speech or training session.
