AT&T Technicians: Delivering the WOWEDFactor = Success In SellingCase Study

•  Question One: Is it possible to teach service technicians to sell effectively?  My answer: Absolutely YES.

• Question Two: Would the best strategy be to teach conventional selling techniques, like "how to close a sale" and "how to handle objections"?  My answer: Absolutely NO.

Had an opportunity to develop and deliver a series of seminars for AT&T technicians on how to sell extended warranty agreements to their business customers when they were on a repair call.  Initially the request to us was: "Teach our people techniques to get clients to buy the agreements."  In essence, the request was for the zero-sum manipulative selling stuff. (e.g., "The 10 key words to get people to buy now!"  "The 5 most effective closes."  "How to handle objections.") My take on these approaches: they only service to compromise the perception of trust and integrity - not enhance it. 

Our response to the request: use the Ethical Selling System approach to selling and lead with the WOWEDFactor.

Let's  re-visit our WOWEDFactor definition.  It's a humanizing, engaging or connecting interaction that builds value for the person who delivers it and the company s/he represents.  So, when the AT&T repair person comes into a business and their telephone system is down and they leave and the system is up, I submit the WOWEDFactor has been delivered.  The result: perceived trust and integrity.  Further, after the WOWEDFactor, the repair person is perceived as a trusted resource ... not a someone trying to sell something.  As a result, their recommendations about other services the client might consider investing in (i.e., extended warranty) are given more credence.  

In sum, their success in selling extended warranties would have much more to do with their being able to deliver the WOWEDFactor components of "humanizing, engaging or connecting interaction" than an ability to "close a sale." This is the essence of the Ethical Selling System ... delivering humanizing, engaging or connecting interactions will enhance the value of transactions.

We developed the seminars around this position.  AT&T client letters we were fortunate to have received:

AT&T - Peggy Chitwood, Services Manager California (Ethical Selling System - Maintenance Contracts) 

I would like to take a moment to thank you for your help with our Post Warranty Maintenance Contract Sales. The seminar was well planned, informative, enthusiastic and enjoyable. The comments I received from our technicians were nothing short of positive. And now for the good news, our Post Warranty Maintenance Contract Sales increased by 417% in the month following the seminar. Thank You! Your strong and focused counseling has greatly increased my own efforts.

AT&T - Dan Herbst, Area Manager Illinois (Ethical Selling System - Maintenance Contracts) 

I wanted to convey to you my thanks and appreciation for the outstanding job you have done in the Illinois area of General Business Systems. The training program you developed and presented to 130 of my technicians and managers played an important role in our dynamic improvement in selling maintenance contracts to our out of warranty customers. Although the numbers are proprietary, I can assure you that our improved financial results paid your reasonable fees many times over. Perhaps what impressed me the most is your desire to follow through and make certain that we have achieved our expected results.

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If your company is not getting the selling results it needs to get, call me for a complimentary consultation on how the Ethical Selling System might work for you.

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000