Customer Service Management Training 101 Chapter 5 Excerpt: Training for Excellence

Training for excellence reaps big rewards. Your employees perform their best. You get results and reach your goals. Whether you are asked to conduct a formal training session in a classroom setting, train a new employee on the job, show a coworker how to perform a task, demonstrate a new procedure during a meeting, to your boss, or bring an employee up to speed on a new practice, training effectively and training thoroughly is the only way to will achieve all your goals.

How effectively you train determines how effectively your employeess will learn. Trainers who take the time to fully understand the material they are training and know how to best present the material become the most successful trainers. When you take adequate time to prepare the material you will use to train your employees on technical job skills and customer service, and you know how best to present it, you set your team and yourself up for success. Consider that the more you train, the better trainer you will become; the more you train, the better your employees will perform.

The only way to satisfy customers is to know HOW to Satisfy Them!

Unless your employees know what is expected of them, they cannot be expected to perform their best. Well-trained employees are your access key to achieving your goals. When your employees are fully trained, they will know what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and that is the only way they can perform their best. What you expect is what you are going to get. When you invest the time to train, you earn the right to expect the best and to set the bar high.

Effective training begins by knowing who needs what training, so it makes sense that the first step is to analyze the training needs of your team. Because learners are not one size fits all, understanding how each of your employees learn best will help you plan the most effective delivery method.

After analyzing your needs and your employees’ learning styles, you can plan the most effective means of conducting the training. Insuring that you know your material thoroughly, selecting the best delivery method, choosing the location, and scheduling the time frames are all important considerations when planning.

Training employees to do the jobs they were hired to do includes training the technical aspects of their duties, training company policies and procedures, and training customer relations to make sure they are giving each customer the level of service they deserve. In addition, it may help your team do their jobs better if they understand the big picture, meaning what other departments do and how they interact with yours. Following up after any training will ensure that your employees are using their new skills correctly.

Finally, conducting meetings is included in the training chapter because meetings offer training and teaching opportunities. Opening, leading, controlling, understanding group dynamics, and closing your meetings effectively will enable you to conduct meetings that your employees and coworkers will view as productive and worthwhile.

Understand Learning Styles

People learn in different ways. An approach that works well with one employee may leave another feeling frustrated. Three distinct learning styles have been identified: visual, auditory, and tactile. Knowing which style fits each of your attendees will help you plan productive training sessions. However, you will not always know your employees well and in those cases, combining all three styles into your training will increase their ability to grasp the material.

Visual learners learn by seeing. These employees are “let me see it” learners who retain well when they read or see the material. These types of learners easily understand training manuals, graphs, handouts, diagrams, and visual aids. They do well in independent environments where they set their pace; when in classroom settings they may become bored if the pace of class moves too slowly.

Auditory learners learn by listening. These employees are “tell me” learners who thrive in classroom settings. Lectures and class discussions are effective training tools. Group reading out loud and listening to tapes are both effective methods for presenting material. They may have difficulty grasping printed material.

Tactile learners learn by doing. These employees are “show me” learners who need a hands-on experience. On the job training works best for them. Touching and doing an activity is important. Demonstrate the task and then have them demonstrate it. Tell them what to say and then have them say it. This is the most effective style for most people, so try to incorporate this method into any training opportunity.

People learn best when material flows logically. Whatever method you employ, material that moves seamlessly and systematically from one step to the next will help your attendees understand the material. When planning your training sessions, go through the material as your employees to make sure it flows well.

Incorporate all three learning styles when possible. When you do not know your employees’ learning styles or you have a combination of all types, varying activities to incorporate all three styles is the most effective method to train. Have the members of your team read alone and then take turns reading aloud. Lecture, then allow time for group discussion and question and answer activities. Demonstrate with hands-on activities to bolster understanding for all employees.

Eliminate distractions from training. In any training environment, outside factors can cause people to lose focus. Think of factors that can be bothersome for your employees. Noise can be distracting when it interferes with learners’ ability to concentrate. Physical discomfort can be distracting when they must sit for a long period of time, sit on uncomfortable chairs, are in a cramped space, or are too hot or too cold. Lighting can be a distraction when it is too dim to read or too bright that it causes learners to squint.

Prepare for Training Sessions

As you know, planning before you begin any activity will build your confidence and increase your effectiveness. Before jumping into any training, it will help you to identify your specific training needs. Who needs training? What kind of training is needed? These questions are easy to answer for new employees or when you are training a new procedure, but it is wise to analyze where each employee is in their development plan so you will know specifically who needs what. Planning before you begin any type training will enable you to target and tailor your training to both your employees’ needs and the needs of your business.

Analyze what and who you need to train. For formal material you are assigned to train, the what and who are already answered for you. If you are identifying what additional technical, policy and procedure, and customer service training is needed, you will need to analyze your employees’ personal development plans.

Plan your delivery method. No matter whether you are conducting a formal training class, leading a self-paced session, or providing on-the-job training to an employee, you will be more effective when you plan all aspects of your training.

Here are some general training tips:

? Instructor led—Vary your delivery by reading out loud, having attendees take turns reading, and reading to themselves; follow up with group discussions, brainstorms, and question and answer activities; incorporate fun activities such as games, role play, or competitions.

? Self-paced—Before beginning, briefly review the material with attendees; check on them periodically; tell them what to do if they run into a problem; follow up with discussion, and allow time to answer questions.

? On-the-job—Keep distractions to a minimum; demonstrate, then allow the employee to perform the task; make sure the employee understands the task before moving on; follow up with discussion and allow time to answer questions.

? General—Schedule short breaks frequently; take stretch breaks; pass out a piece of candy for an afternoon pick-me-up; change or alternate activities frequently.

Prepare yourself for training. Whenever and however you train, establish a relaxed, open atmosphere by maintaining a positive attitude, keeping focused on the material, staying relaxed, encouraging student participation, and focusing on the end goals. Write an introduction to begin your training. Whether you tell a story, ask a question, or begin with a warm-up exercise, make these first few minutes interesting. Keep your intro short and stick to the basics. Explain the purpose for the training and discuss learning objectives. And always remember to practice beforehand.

Establish time frames for training. Think about your hours of operation, busy periods, and employee coverage. Create a schedule to which you can conform. When you make employee training a priority, your employees will make it their priority.

Choose the right location. Plan a setting that is conducive to training. For instructor led or self-paced, find a suitable room or area. If you are training a group, a U-shaped, rectangle, or round table works well because learners can face each other for discussions and you can move easily within and around the group. If your employees will work independently, find a desk or table for them to work through the material. For on-the-job training, try to find a location where traffic and noise will be minimal.

Train thoroughly

Training thoroughly means providing your employees and coworkers with the necessary tools to do their jobs. The only way you can expect excellence is by training for excellence. Being fully trained in products, services, and company policies will enable everyone on your team to find the right solution for each customer.

Train technical skills. When analyzing what and who you need to train, consider that the only way your employees will perform capably is by knowing how to find the right solution for each customer. Take sufficient time to train employees on products, services, and other technical skills. Before allowing employees to interact with customers, make sure they have the necessary tools to interact well with customers.

Train company policy and procedures. Train your employees as to how policies and procedures apply to their customer interactions. Teach them how to solve problems and make good decisions. Also, tell employees how far they can go to satisfy a customer and at what point should you should be involved in decisions. In addition, you might consider training your team on the big picture; that is, what other departments do and how they impact and interact with your team.

Train customer relations. Once your employees have completed their technical training, spend time training them on how to interact with customers.

This includes:

? Making a great first impression by smiling, making eye contact, maintaining an open, relaxed demeanor, keeping facial expressions friendly, dressing appropriately, and being properly groomed.

? Projecting a positive attitude by being helpful, interested, trustworthy, reassuring, respectful, and reliable.

? Communicating effectively by listening completely, speaking courteously, and clearly, using correct grammar, asking the right questions and appropriately answering customers’ questions, and making each customer feel valued.

? Building relationships by greeting each customer, finding the best solution, and making sure each customer is satisfied.

? Specific steps you expect your employees to take when interacting with customers, such as greeting them, helping them, handling problems, and escalating situations to you.

Follow Up after Training

When you complete your training, your job as a trainer is not done. How will you know if your employees really grasped the material? How will you know they are performing as they were trained? And what if they are not able to employ their new skills right away? The only way you will know they are using their skills correctly is to follow up after training.

Spend time with attendees afterwards. Observe how they apply the skills you trained. Listen when they speak to customers. Watch how they interact. Sit with them and observe their work. Pay attention to all details. Ask questions to make sure they have the correct understanding. Correct behaviors before bad habits form.

Look for teaching and training opportunities. Keep in mind that the more you train, the better trainer you will become. The better trainer you become, the better your employees will be equipped to handle any customer in any situation. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to help employees and coworkers improve their skills. If you see someone doing something incorrectly, train immediately if it will be a quick fix. If it is an employee, say something like, “Let me show you how I would like you to do that.” If it is a coworker, try, “I’ve found a better/easier/quicker way to do that. Mind if I show you?” For a task that will require in-depth training, schedule a time when you can get together. Utilize the learning method that works best, but if you do not know it, try to incorporate all three styles.

Train employees to conduct market research. As a direct link to your customers, your employees are in the best position to conduct market research. Train them to pay attention when customers give feedback. Also, teach your employees to ask key questions, such as “What else can I do for you?” or “Is there anything we aren’t doing that we should?” When they listen to what customers tell them and then relate both positive and negative comments to you, you will have a good idea of how well you are satisfying all your customers.

When you look for and act on training opportunities, you improve the skills of your employees and coworkers and make it easier for customers to do business with you. Well-trained employees translate to satisfied customers. Be a good teacher. Tell, show, demonstrate, help, stand behind, nudge, and offer encouragement.

Conduct Productive Meetings

Meetings are used for many purposes and meetings frequently offer training opportunities. Whenever you conduct a meeting, be on the lookout for an opportunity to train. It might be something as simple as sharing the terrific way one of your employees handled a customer. It might be explaining a new procedure one of your coworkers suggested. Or it might be clearing up confusion on a procedure. Running meetings effectively and efficiently will make you stand out as a dynamic leader who looks for ways to make things better.

Plan purposeful meetings. Surely you have been to meetings that were time wasters: those that lasted too long, did not follow the agenda, allowed too much discussion time, control was not maintained, or those where you came away wondering why you were even needed. Whenever you plan a meeting, make sure your purpose is clearly defined and invite only those who actually need to attend.

Follow this general format for meeting planning:

? Decide the purpose for your meeting.

? Decide who needs to attend.

? Prepare an agenda to keep everyone on track. Email it to the attendees prior to the meeting.

? After checking with key participants, set the date and time (including an ending time), then notify all attendees with the details.

Lead meetings effectively and efficiently. Unless you are waiting for a key person, always start on time, whether or not all members are present. Open your meeting by welcoming the group and clearly articulating the purpose. Establish ground rules by stating whether the meeting is open to discussion, if questions are allowed only after the presentation, if it is a brainstorming session, and so on. Stay focused on the agenda items and do not get off track. Acknowledge each person’s input and allow time for all people to speak.

Make good use of question and answer time. Asking good questions encourages participation, guides the direction of the discussion, enables you to keep control, and helps the group to reach agreement. When planning your meeting, note questions you want to ask and check them off as the meeting progresses.

Maintain control during your meetings. How much control you keep depends on the type of meeting you are conducting. Knowing how much control to maintain is one of the most important components of running a successful meeting. When you are planning your meeting, decide how you are going to control the discussion, move through the agenda, and reach agreement. Regain control when someone starts dominating the discussion by stating that you want to give everyone time to share their thoughts. Likewise, if someone is getting off track, tactfully interrupt and bring the discussion back to the agenda.

Understand group dynamics. In any group, norms will emerge. Norms are unwritten rules that dictate acceptable behaviors by the group members. People who deviate from the accepted norms will typically be dealt with through peer pressure. Someone who sits in the wrong chair might be expected to move. Someone who continually arrives late to meetings might be given a project no one else wants to do. Norms also include a pecking order within the group. Learning how the attendees fall in the pecking order will enhance your understanding of the group. Watch who talks, who is quiet, what nonverbal communication cues are given. Groups are most successful when the meeting leader understands the dynamics of the group and encourages all members to actively participate.

Conclude meetings by energizing attendees. When planning your meeting, plan also how to end it as well. If possible, include an end time in the agenda and make sure you tell the attendees how much time will be allowed for discussion. When it is getting close to ending time, start summarizing what was accomplished. Discuss accomplishments, review individual and group commitments, and actions to be taken. Thank the group for attending. End by saying something positive, such as “You did a great job coming up a solution that will work! Thank you.”

excerpt from Customer Service Management Training 101, available on amazon.com