1. Tell me how would you handle an angry call from a customer?
First, you need to allow them to vent their anger. If they are abusive, tell them you're willing to listen, but only if they stop using profanities. Next, hear what they have to say and note down key points. Third, re-state the main points so both of you are clear about the situation. Fourth, find a solution that fits within your company's policies and can redress the customer's problem. Fifth, confirm that the problem has been solved and that the customer is satisfied with the solution. You may not be able to do all of this in one phone call, but this is the essential process. The important part is to keep your cool at all times, and genuinely try to find a solution that will make the customer happy.
2. Tell me what do you understand by b2b, b2c and b2g?
B2B stands for business to business which describes commercial transactions between businesses such as between a web development firm and a reseller. Such transactions are big in volume and thus b2b is flourishing today the most.
B2C stands for business to consumer and describes transaction between business and consumer. It can be best explained by defining retail in which tangible goods are sold from stores or fixed location directly to the consumer.
B2G stands for business to government and is a derivative of B2B and is described as transaction between business and government in which a business entity supplies services or goods to a government sector or firm and can be stated as public sector marketing.
3. Explain what should be the priority in telemarketing according to you?
According to me customers should be the priority, if they do not buy we can not sell and thus they should be the foremost priority. The whole marketing sector runs due to end consumer so it should be our responsibility to make sure we have our customers satisfied and deliver what they expect from us. This can be only achieved if every individual from a telecaller to the ceo takes up the responsibility of delivering to the customer and works on their part the right way. If this little bit is done then telemarketing can be made more effective, easy and set to the right perspective.
4. Explain what will you do when a customer needs to be put on hold but is not agreeing to it?
Many times the customer on the end line objects to be put on hold as he fears to be kept long on hold, in such situations following tips can be helpful :
☛ Request the customer that it is important that he is put on hold. Make sure this is conveyed in a very polite way.
☛ Clear out the objective due to which the line needs to be put on hold.
☛ If the customer is very persistent on being on line as a co employee to retrieve the information that requires you to put the line on hold. During this be on line and keep the customer attended.
☛ You can also ask the customer to disconnect the line for now and that you will give him a call back.
5. Tell us what issues can rise from paying per appointment?
Here are a list of problems which are associated with paying per appointment:
☛ Poor quality.
☛ Rate of conversion is low.
☛ Requirements for more meetings is not solved.
☛ High competition.
☛ Suppliers face a lot of problems.
☛ Quality is deteriorated by quantity.
6. Explain what is the difference between telesales and telemarketing?
If you are new to telesales you will probably be asked this; they wish to see that you understand the different roles. The main objective of telesales is to close a deal following every call; it is to sell a product or service. Telemarketing is more concerned with raising brand awareness and carrying out market research.
7. Explain Are You Uncomfortable Making Cold Calls?
Any interview questions about your discomfort in sales should always be responded to with a "no" without any elaboration. If you are uncomfortable, reevaluate whether the position is right for you.
8. Explain an example of this behaviour?
Having given your strengths and weaknesses, you are then likely to be asked to give examples of when you have displayed this behaviour. Your credibility will plummet if you cannot give an example of the strengths you have stated. With the strengths listed above, a good response would be: "In my present job, I am often asked to handle difficult customer situations because my supervisor knows that I will handle them politely, efficiently and diplomatically and therefore only a few cases would ever get referred to her. Also, because of my strong interpersonal skills, I have often been asked to buddy-up with new team members, to make them comfortable in their new role at the earliest stage possible".
When asked to give examples on the weaknesses, you need to think very carefully, and plan in advance what your response will be, as many people dig a very deep hole here. A good response to the weakness quoted would be: "I had a situation once where I knew that a more experienced colleague was regularly absent from work following nights out drinking, but she would say that she had a migraine. When this happened my workload increased significantly. I undertook this willingly but I must admit I was annoyed that this person was taking advantage of me and the company. However, I decided to let the supervisor do their job and just get on with mine. In quite a short space of time, the issue was addressed and the problem was resolved".
9. Why did you leave your last position as Telesales Representative?
This is a tricky question because "anything you say can and will be held against you!" Be careful and only answer with a positive tone. You can say that you didn't find the job challenging enough for your skills, or that the workload was sporadic and you spent, say 40%, of your time on 'idle' mode. Never speak ill of your last employer because it shows that you will do exactly the same once you leave this one! Protect the image of your previous employer, and your current one will respect you for it.
10. What do you know about B2B?
B2B stands for business to business which describes commercial transactions between businesses such as between a web development firm and a reseller. Such transactions are big in volume and thus b2b is flourishing today the most.
In the telemarketing industry it is critical that you know how to use your voice and choose your words to project a positive image while placing or taking a call. Factors that impact image over the telephone are:
☛ Vocal quality
☛ Vocal tone
☛ Rate of speech
☛ Pitch of the tone
☛ Attitude
☛ Body language
☛ Use of appropriate words
12. Suppose you just called a customer then what are the steps you will follow during the call?
When making a call to a customer the call should be directed in the following way:
✫ Greet customer politely.
✫ Introduce yourself to the customer.
✫ Make clear the objective of the call
☛ Who are you calling?
☛ What are you calling for?
✫ Give complete information of the product or business you are promoting.
✫ Make the customer understand how the objective of the call can be beneficial for him/her.
✫ Close the call with a warm end note.
Random bulk messages used for telemarketing purposes are called spam and the process is termed as spamming
14. Explain why do you want to work in telesales?
If you are new to this career you can expect this question early on. This is where your preparation comes into play. Provide an answer that provides some personal reasons why you want to work in telesales and give a reason that is relevant to the specific job. If, for example, the job is with an insurance company, say that you are keen to enter the insurance industry because it is an interesting and constantly developing market.
15. Explain What Do You See Are the Key Skills In?
Common sales interview questions and answers revolve around how you view the skills involved in a specific sales technique or aspect of the sales process. For example, "What do you see are the key skills in closing a sale?" Answers to these types of questions should always focus on responding to the buyer's concerns and on how the product or service will benefit the recipient.
16. Explain what have you done to promote great customer service?
Firstly, know what you think great customer service looks like. Look for situations and examples when you had an idea, a client, or customer call, where you personally went that extra mile.
Did you change a process or procedure? Or perhaps a staff member you mentored, coached or advised delivered a great customer service win or result for your team, brand or business.
17. Please tell me what are your strengths and weaknesses?
Many interviewers will ask you to name your strengths and weaknesses. Typically, people find it easier to express their strengths, but struggle when it comes to identifying even one weakness. Part of the reason for this may be that they do not want to disclose a particular weakness, as this may result in them failing to be successful in getting the job.
A good initial answer (bearing in mind you are applying for a telephone position) to the 'strengths' part would be "I have been told that I am an excellent communicator, especially on the telephone, but I feel I have good interpersonal skills generally and find it easy to get along with all sorts of people".
For weaknesses you need to think of something which is really a strength but put it across as a weakness. It is also important to make it clear what you are doing to address that 'weakness'.
A good example would be "I am a very conscientious worker and I get irritated by colleagues who don't share this value and take any opportunity to take time off work or do the minimum required when they are there. I am learning, however, that these people generally get found out and I leave it to my supervisor to recognise these problems and address them".
An answer such as this would probably make the interviewer think "well that's not such a bad thing, actually".
18. Explain have you ever had conflict with your team leader or manager?
This can be your answer: No, my work ethic is strong, so there's been no reason for conflict. However, at times I have had disagreements on how to resolve a particular problem for a customer, but I have always been able to talk it out and find a solution that my team leader has supported.
19. Explain what do you do if the dialer puts a Do Not Call number through to you by mistake?
As soon as I know that this is a DNC number, I will apologize at once to the customer for the error and assure them that their number will be immediately included in our internal DNC list. I will also make a note in the CRM application so even if the system error happens again the next agent won't be forced to deal with an escalated problem. I will also report the problem to my team leader or manager as soon as I hang up.
For survival in the telemarketing industry it is extremely essential that one possesses or acquires the ability to effectively listen and comprehend. Some of the effective listening strategies are as follows:
☛ Understanding yourself
☛ Being yourself
☛ Never losing the personal touch
☛ Your attitude
☛ Be willing to listen
☛ Setting personal goals
☛ Being motivated
☛ Listening actively
☛ Paying attention
☛ Asking questions
☛ Sending appropriate feedback
It is vital to have clear objectives before initiating conversation with the customer; what is your end goal? Ensure you are aware of the parameters, rules and regulations within the company. For example, if the issue is over money, can you refund it? What else can you offer to pacify the customer?
It is important to remain calm, confident, be clear and always remember to ask questions. The interviewer is looking for a patient and composed response. If you are still unsure about how best to approach role-plays contact your local recruitment consultant who should be able to offer you thorough advice.
22. Tell us do you like making cold calls?
Obviously, the answer has to be yes. Go on to explain that you enjoy the challenge of calling a new person and trying to close a deal. Say that cold calling can teach you sales skills that can be transferred effectively to when you call previous customers. You can quickly learn to become better at sales when cold calling.
During interviews, difficult or awkward questions could come your way. The intention is not to catch you out, but to test how you operate under pressure.
This question is (again) in the format of competency-based interviewing, so remember to outline the specific actions you took to motivate your team, as interviewers want to see evidence of hands-on experience.
Make sure to describe all processes undertaken. For example: Did you use incentives to motivate the team? Did you implement training programmes? Did you improve internal communications to help engage staff? Did you implement or revisit career development plans to make the team feel valued? Did you take the time to understand each individual's motivations?
Be clear and precise and be sure to convey any previous first-hand experience you have - they will want to feel confident that you can handle similar issues within the new role.
24. Tell me are you able to work with multiple phone lines?
Yes, this has been part of my training, and my previous job entailed handling several lines. I have good multi-tasking skills and my previous employer can vouch for this.
25. Tell me what are the techniques that help build the trust of the caller?
The following techniques help you build the trust of the customer on the other end of the telephone.
☛ Speak confidently
☛ Take control of the situation
☛ Show genuine interest
☛ Go above and beyond the call of duty
