Customer service now requires more customization

The way that brands relate to their customers has evolved with the development of new digital channels. So, companies like Atento, dedicated to the management of customer experiences, have incorporated new channels into their services. At the same time, the client, better informed and naturally more demanding, wants closer and more personalized attention, like having a personal advisor who understands their needs, and offers them tailored products and services. A result of this new reality is an opportunity to create a new sales service model that focuses on offering end customers a high-value proposal through highly-qualified agents who, assisted by Artificial Intelligence tools and analytical technologies, optimize decision making and the resolution of complex problems. The SME segment is probably the one that best responds to this sales model. And if we consider that the United Nations reports there are more than 200 million companies in the world in this very segment, we can assess the high potential of commercial activity that can be developed under the Inside Sales model. The professionalization of the sales profile, as well as the technological tools used to make it more effective and durable, are the basis of a service that changes the paradigm of traditional telemarketing sales. Inside Sales Professional Profile The Inside Sales profile does not correspond directly to the professional telemarketing profile, since each of them performs different functions. Telemarketing in general is based on a single call with a previously defined script in which the professional focuses the customer’s attention on purchasing a product. By contrast, Inside Sales identifies and captures business development opportunities with current and potential customers through remote sales tools and using advanced analytics. Inside Sales services come to offer a more complete service to end users which generates a better and more personalized Customer Experience. The Inside Sales professional has the following characteristics:

• Consultant role. By having a complete vision of the client’s journey with the brand, the Inside Sales Agent provides personalized advice, understanding the real needs of the client.
• Specialization through training. It is not limited to training the professional in the product or service they represent, but they must also have extensive knowledge of the sector in which it operates.
• Use of Digital Channels to communicate with the client. Social Networks, Instant Messaging, Chats, Video calls… are the tools that an Inside Sales professional uses to communicate with clients.
• Use of analytical capabilities and Artificial Intelligence. This aspect is decisive because it achieves a double objective: on one hand, it makes the professional activity more effective, and on the other; it increases success in sales and, therefore, the Customer Experience.

Inside Sales versus Outside Sales The Inside Sales model allows contacting far more leads in much less time, as well as developing different tasks in parallel, to avoid off-peak moments. It also allows more time to research customer needs and speed up the closing of the sale. It also allows the Inside Sales professional to cover some geographic areas that, due to their dispersion, are difficult to access and, therefore, often profitable for a face-to-face seller. But, for a customer with higher long-term value, a face-to-face meeting will probably be needed to ensure the sale and retain that client in the future. Great advantages of the Inside Sales Model

1. Volume. There’s no doubt that the commercial activity generated remotely offers more leads and a greater return, since the time of displacement and waiting is avoided.
2. Savings. As a result, the Inside Sales model generates more contacts in less time, and therefore is cheaper. The savings in travel, fuel, food, etc., is substantial (it is estimated to be a savings of 50% to 90%).
3. New consumers. Millennials, and even more so Generation Z, don’t need, and many don’t even like, that physical contact that previous generations demanded. In addition, they are self-sufficient when it comes to finding out about a product, which saves time and dilutes the need for face-to-face advice.
4. Analytics. The client’s research task is part of an Inside Sales service, and thanks to various analytical tools, we can better understand their business and their needs.
5. Employee experience. Improving the employee experience is a fundamental lever today, since it’s proven that a satisfied employee offers better customer service.

Sectors of application of the Inside Sales model The sectors that have the best chance to increase their sales ratios using an Inside Sales model are mainly those that offer products and/or services – of limited complexity and investment –  to SMEs and to the self-employed, as well as to large companies, where the purchasing decisions involve more decision makers. Taking all this into account, some of the most opportune sectors could be Technology and Telecommunications, because they allow the offer to be personalized and tailored to each business, as well as in the Healthcare sector.