It is 5:02pm and an Underperforming Agent is Leaving the Center
What should you be doing right now to improve your sales? Deliver a Pep Talk that Will Pay Dividends Tomorrow.
Brad is one of your agents. He has rarely had a truly successful sales day in his eight months with the company. Usually, his numbers are close to the bottom. As far as you can tell, he is worth keeping because he tries hard. You do not sense laziness, but, at some point soon, this agent needs to come off the bottom and move to the middle and stay there.
What should you be doing right now? It is time to talk with this agent. Do not let another day go by where low performance is considered acceptable. A simple pep talk can be the ticket to higher performance.
There are three parts to this quick conversation. If your agent tells you that his ride is waiting, assure him that this will not take more than two minutes. Also assure him that this conversation is for his sake, not for yours.
1) Tell Him about His Performance and Your Concerns. Be Specific. Be Brief.
Brad, I want to talk with you about your performance. As you know, your production has been near the bottom of the stacked rankings almost every week. Youve been responsive to my coaching, which I appreciate, but we are not seeing any substantial improvements. At this point, I need to put the responsibility for improving your results back on you. Coming back into the center tomorrow and performing at this same level is not an option. I believe in you and believe you can do much better, which is why Im giving you this opportunity. Please take it seriously so you will sincerely consider your options and solutions tonight.
2) Ask the Agent to Make an Improvement Plan
This needs to be a very specific plan the agent implements the next day, not a long-term, multi-tiered plan. In other words, what will the agent start doing differently ± immediately when he returns for the next shift.
So, heres what I need from you. Tonight, think about what you need to do to get better immediately. What can you do, starting on your next shift, so that your dialogues are different and they have more of an impact on each call? Keep it simple and focus on the parts to the call that will influence the customer the most. When you arrive tomorrow, I will ask you for your plan, but the goal is not to give me a plan. The goal is to implement your plan, starting with your first phone call. Im confident that, if you do this and really consider the areas of the call that need the most improvement, you will create an excellent plan and will get the results you need.
3) Gain Agreement and Commitment
Make sure you have the agents buy-in, that he or she will make the plan and implement it first thing in the morning.
Have I got your commitment that you will make a plan and be ready in the morning to implement it? Do you understand how important this is?
Try this approach. When an agent underperforms consistently, drastic change is necessary. If agents do not improve after coaching, put the responsibility for improvement back on them and ask them to build their own immediate improvement plan. You should get some great results.
What should you be doing right now with your time? Find that agent. Send them home with a plan. Increase your teams sales and create a great success story.
Tags: improved sales coaching, improving agent performance, inspiring agents, pep talks for weak agents, strong floor management