Call Flow-Driven Training Development And Its Benefits

How do you begin developing a course in telephone sales or customer service? The typical approach is to start by flip charting. When developers "flip chart," they sit together in a room and toss ideas on flip charts, regarding which topics or ideas to cover in the training program. The first idea may be for a complete module. Someone else may chime in with a great technique for dealing with a certain type of objection. This is the common approach, but it is not the best approach.

Unfortunately, flip charting first leaves out the most important step in any development project - identifying Best Practices. At FCTC, we start by asking, "What specifically do you want the participants to be able do as a result of the training?" Although this question does focus on best practices, smart developers get even more specific than that. We begin by identifying the specific skill steps and actual wording that we want the participants to use on the phones. In other words, you can never be too specific when identifying best practices.

Does this approach leave out the telephone associate's creativity? Absolutely not. What it does do is eliminate many of the less-effective sales/servicing habits that are probably common in the center. It does not, however, force an agent to use exact wording, like scripting. We believe in getting participants to master skill steps, each with built-in examples of what to say. There is creativity in every step.

The Birth Of Call Flows

A Call Flow is a process flow that illustrates all the steps to any type of telephone call. A service Call Flow will include Greetings, Verification, Questions, Proactive Responses, etc. We include them in the order that they should occur on the phone. Each step will include examples of what to say. Additionally, our Call Flows include a column with quick tips and instructional points that we covered in the training course. These items remind the agents about the best ways to handle any individual step.

What Is A Best Practice?

When developing Call Flows and training content, the most critical success factor is the quality of the Call Flow. In other words, the steps and wording examples that you choose must be excellent - not just average - or your new Call Flow will cause mediocrity on the center floor. When we say Best Practices, we mean it.

At FCTC, our designers work extensively with the client team to produce the best Call Flow steps. We listen to agent calls and capture the "typical" way that they take calls today. We look at the current training and interview managers and agents. From these discussions we create a blended Call Flow. This is a combination of the skills and steps that the client wants to continue doing, overlaid by our selling or servicing skills. By the end, we have the very best Call Flow.

Call Flows And Call Types

How many different Call Flows do you need? We say one Call Flow for each of your common Call Types. A Call Type is a unique type of customer discussion. In the service world, typical Call Types include Checking Current Bill, Requesting a Credit, Asking for a Supervisor, Adding an Additional Product to the Account, Canceling Service, etc. Sales Call Flows are usually fewer in number since many centers are set up to handle a single Call Type (e.g. Inbound Sales Inquiry Call). Call Types may become more numerous in sales centers if they also Cross-Sell or Up-Sell.

The Call Flow As A Development Tool

Our development team has been using Call Flows to create training content since we started working with call centers in 1994. Once a Call Flow has been created and approved by the client, the rest of the development process is easy. A simple way to look at it is, "If it didn't make it into the Call Flow, it probably does not need to be in the training program."

Call Flows As A Starting Point For Role-Plays And Measurement Activities

The greatest benefit of starting with Call Flows is Probably that your measurement exercises will be easy to create. At the end of any instructional section, trainers should demonstrate (live role play example) whatever part of the Call Flow they have just covered. Participants then do the same, receive their feedback, and the exercise is complete. Participants are then ready to take the new skills to the phones.

Summary

Call Flows are easy to create, as long as each member of the development team understands why they should be created (first) and how to create them. Before you develop your next skills training program, create the very best Call Flow you can, and then watch your center thrive.