As a sales rep doing lead generation campaigns, dealing with complaints every day is pretty much a normal day in the office – be it through email, social media, web, mobile, chat, or voice. It is how you handle their complaints and issues that make all the difference.
Customer service or customer handling, whatever you call it is considered as one of the skills necessary for a successful lead generation campaign.
If prospects were unsatisfied with how you deal with them, expect to hear an earful of complaints. However, if you can identify the different types of complainers, it will be easy to deal with them. The 5 types of complainers you’ll meet.
The Meek Ones.
These prospects are rarely to make a complaint. They’ll simply say, “No” and hang up the phone. But that does not mean that you can ignore them. If you do, they are more likely to become other types of complainers, and I’m sure you don’t want that to happen.
How to handle them?
These prospects are very easy to please. Most of the time, a simple thank you, for answering your phone or a sincere apology, for calling them at the wrong time will do.
The Aggressive Ones.
These are the kind of prospects who complain loudly and at length. They have a low tolerance for excuses. Even when you apologize, they are more likely to make an issue out of it.
How to deal with them?
The best way to handle them is to be direct to the point and dig into the root of the problem. The focus should be on them and not on what you can offer.
Step 1: Explain. Point out why are you reaching out to them.
Step 2: Focus on their pain. Ask about their current setup. If they are experiencing any problems or issues within their organization.
Step 3: Offer solution. Based on their problem. Sight the benefits of your product that could help them solve their problems.
This way, you’re making sure they get what they need at the end of the conversation.
Related: Pissed-off Prospects in Telemarketing? Here’s How to Make It Up to Them
The High-Rollers.
These prospects are willing to pay but they expect the best product or service. They focus more on the end result. They don’t like excuses and they are more likely to purchase more if treated well.
How to handle them?
When these prospects complain, all you need to do is to listen actively to identify the cause of the problem. Identifying the problem allows you to provide a better solution and resolve the issue right away.
Related: B2B Prospecting at its Best: How to Find the Best Leads for Your Pipeline
The Opportunistic.
These prospects are the ones that are really hard to please. Why? They want more than they actually deserve. Every solution you offer is “always” not good enough.
How to deal with them?
The best defense against these complainers is to use quantified data to back up your claims. Also, it helps if you direct the solution back at them like “What can I do to make it better?” after their first “not good enough”.
Related: 5 Lead Nurture Tools to Turn Cold Singapore Prospects to Warm
The Chronic Ones.
These prospects will test your team’s patience as they can be the toughest challenge. Why? They complain, all the time. They use all channels to let you know even the simplest complaint that they have. Most of the time, they are the cause of all of your headaches. The worst part is, you cannot get rid of them quickly.
What can you do?
You have to have a lot of patience. Listen intently and remain calm when dealing with them. However, they can be considered a good prospect, especially when you deliver what you have promised.
Handling complaints can be tough. But identifying your prospects, how they react to problems, and how they complain allows you to know what techniques to use to handle them the way they want so you can turn them to be a real asset to your business.
