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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAFN Follow-up Report AFN Sales Training #1 Follow-up Report Cathy Carrier and Associates 1257 Tolman Creek Road Ashland, OR 97520 541-488-3325 cathy@gracion.com February 3, 2005 AFN first sales trainin9 follow-up Page 1 At the beginning of the two hour training I asked participants what they thought of AFN, and of salespeople in general before covering the basics of selling. Perceptions and attitudes A couple of people did not like salespeople at all. Most found them helpful1Nhen the buyer had a specific need. On the whole nobody wanted to be selling AFN. The range of response was from arms crossed- I will only speak when spoken to-to perhaps I can think about selling it. I heard excuses of why UB doesn't want to sell AFN. A few being: AFN is in debt, we started out mark1eting it too strongly and are still feeling the repercussions, and mainly we are too busy. Some wanted to turn over every AFN call to someone else. The UB staff have a utility billing deadline and that is what drives them. They have no time to talk to people about AFN. They are on the phone and have five more calls waiting; it feels like too much. There is definitely a dislike for AFN. AFN selling problems from the participants · They feel overworked and think AFN is the reason. · Billing deadlines are the priority. · ISP's don't have answers for customers and refer them to the UB. · They get a lot of tech calls they aren't equipped to answer. · If a custorner does want AFN, the install time is too long and they go with Charter. · They don't feel they are part of 90 N. Mountain. · They don't see any advantage in "pushing" AFN. AFN first sales trainin9 follow-up Page 2 . Some ideas frolm US · Have AFN brochures already at new homes. · Have the US staff go out with the installers, this has been done before, they'd likE~ to continue. Special offers so customers will sign-up easily. Add more staff. . During the training we discussed the features, advantages, and benefits of AFN TV/Internet. SOrTle did not know a lot about the product. Some refused to say what, if anything, they knew. You have to know the product before you can sell it properly. I don't think a sin~lle person has AFN, either because they don't live in the city or they have Charter. Customer Service is one of AFN's biggest advantages. The US staff is kno'Nn for it on the UB end. I made sure they were aware of that and that they were one of the advantages and benefits of AFN. I've included the list we came up with. This list will be added to in the next training. We covered the sales basics of developing rapport and relationship, as well as finding and meeting customer needs and closing the sales. This will also be covered again at the next session. Recommendations . Give UB staff headsets to leave their hands free for computing and looking up any info they need. . Get an answering machine that will answer the phone when they are all on the phone. The phone now rings and rings and adds to the impression that the staff has to hurry. That system can be worked out. * Better cornmunication between the UB staff and Dick and the AFN staff, informal as well as formal. AFN first sales training follow-up Page 3 . Give US staff basic AFN product and technical knowledge-in plain English. . Provide opportunities for the US billing staff to work with, touch, and experience the products themselves. . Hold ongoing, quarterly, sales sessions to continue to teach sales basics and receive feedback of their experiences. . Find ways to do US work more efficiently. . Consider having the US staff limited to five and use the other two just for AFN. . Hire morE~ installers to get the installs done more quickly. This will prevent the salespeople from using slow installs as an excuse to not sell AFN. It will also alleviate their perception that selling AFN is futile. I asked for feedback at the end of the training. Here are the responses. What they found useful · Features, advantage and benefits · Expressing concerns, open format · Talking about the different channels · Some sinlple ideas to help improve service What they disliked · Presenter needs to spend time in the office to see what is being done to see the wholE~ picture · What was suggested will take too much time What would you change? · Shorter nleeting time · Focus more on ways to sell AFN, less on US staff input AFN first sales training follow-up Page 4 . Need to address (and accept) fact that office is so busy now-very hard to interject time for AFN How did the content of training relate to your job? · Very weil, any info on AFN is useful · Again YOLJ need to see the whole picture · Approach is very AFN, need to realize tons of processes that happen at US What would you like to see at future trainings? · Charter lineup vs. AFN · Am actual AFN TV to go through basics on the menu, learn about remotes · More technical aspects/open forum with installers · Reminders about the features, advantages and benefits. · For tech problems, simply written one sheets with bullet points (not long information). If this is the problem, then the solution is 1-2-3. · Explanation about other departments. The differences of permits and fees between planning and US office. · Focus on narrowing the field of potential customers, possible follownup calls from US Ileads Features, Advantage, Benefits (FAB's) FEATURES High speed internet Digital converter Locally owned Locally operated Good service Interactive TV guide Local programming committee One bill for cablE~, utility, water and sewer Excellent installers Four tiers Community tier ADVANTAGE Local customer service and support One bill for all Locally owned- nnoney stays in the community High speed internet (not the phone line) Specific time for install Service call response time AFN specialist Different/Special channels Wisdom, NASA, FSTV BENEFITS Rates lower overall Choice Broadband One bill Money stays local and increases Eight-fold Channel line-up: Nickelodeon, VH-1, MTV, ABC Family, Animal Planet on basic for kids. Live, local people on the phone Customer service ~ AFN Sales Training #2 Follow-up Report. Cathy Carrier and Associates 1257 Tolman Creek Road Ashland, OR 97520 541-488-3325 cathy@gracion.com ~tfarch 23, 2005 c AFN sales traininq follow-up Page 1 AFN Training Follow-up #2 Training content The second sales training focused on the features, advantages and' benefits (FAB's) of AFN. We reviewed our list from last time and added additional attributes. Some of the additional FAB's are- · LocaIISP's-bring money and jobs into the community · WiFi-Wireless Fidelity · Professional Installation · We have many channels on the basic tier that Charter has on Expanded-more value for the money. Compared Charter and AFN lineup and tiers. We discussed the selling points and FAB's associated with the comparison. We reviewed the various promotions that AFN is offering and how best to sell them. We also discussed something that AFN is considering, the possibility of offering new subscribers an opportunity to get a month free and then upsell them fronl there. This was somethin!g the UB staff said during the first training would make their jobs more manageable, as well as be able to add more customers for AFN. Chris Barber came in to train on the remotes. Dan Nelson gave us infornlation about HOTV. Both of these sessions were great and done in an easy to understand manner. Requested information We covered rnuch of what the UB staff wanted to see at future meetings. Here is the list, from the first report, of what was requested. The first four were covered. The last two can be done internally. · Charter lineup 'vs. AFN. · An actual AFN TV to go through basics on the menu, learn about remotes. · More technical aspects/open forum with installers. AFN sales training follow-up Page 2 . Reminders about the features, advantages and benefits. For tech problems, simply written one sheets with bullet points (not long information). 1f this is the problem, then the solution is 1-2-3. Focus on narrowing the field of potential customers, possible follow-up calls from US leads. Recommendations . · The US staff continue to have technical training about AFN. · Continued interaction between US staff and AFN staff. · US staff ~Jo out with an installer. · Design a way for the US staff and the AFN field sales staff to work in conjunction to help sell AFN. AFN was foisted upon US several years ago. There appears to have been no adjusting of the way the system works to really assist AFN or the US. These recommendations are intended to open a discussion, not point a finger, about what could be done to assist everyone with selling AFN in a structure that is not geared for'it. .