| Does that sound harsh? Yes, it does but in | | | | for agents, but without the ability to properly |
| today's world of increasing telephone | | | | speak and to be successful in vocally deliver the |
| communications, it is the truth. With the | | | | message, the desired results may not be |
| predominance of Call Centers taking over varied | | | | attainable without utilizing the skills of a |
| functions that influence many areas of the | | | | professional vocal trainer. |
| population on a day-to-day basis, the need for | | | | The ability to be able to speak with the proper |
| Vocal Empowerment in the Call Center is critical | | | | vocal skills for 6-8 hour shifts does not entirely |
| to both corporate profitability and individual | | | | rest on the agents' vocal skills or lack thereof. |
| employee success. The "sound of your agents" | | | | Part of poor vocal performance is related to |
| has a direct result on the degree of satisfaction | | | | physical posture, work-space ergonomics, and |
| that customers rate your company. Often | | | | facility environment. With a brief evaluation of the |
| customers equate poor vocal skills with | | | | call center facility, and by utilizing some fairly easy |
| intelligence, interest in problem-solving, and | | | | recommendations, in conjunction with formalized |
| complete understanding of the situation of the | | | | Vocal Training, can vastly improve the |
| caller. | | | | performance of the agents, but also will translate |
| Unfortunately, not just call center agents, but | | | | into greater employee satisfaction. |
| many of us live a vocal lie. Our voices - what we | | | | The ability to stave off high employee turn-over |
| say and how we say it - does make the | | | | is an additional benefit of proper vocal training. By |
| difference of whether we get the job, the next | | | | addressing the physical comfort and vocal |
| promotion, or even making it through the | | | | performance, employees are more likely to stay |
| interview. | | | | within their current job. |
| In the Call Center industry, managers grapple with | | | | The essence of Vocal Empowerment is made up |
| performance measurements when metrics on | | | | of 5 Elements of Effective Voice: Interest, Clarity, |
| some agents exceed minimum standards due to | | | | Authority, Language, and Listening. When these |
| the need for repeated information and customer | | | | skills are mastered and become second nature in |
| frustration with comprehension. Agent recruiters | | | | daily speech, confidence and success follow. |
| are always "listening" for clarity and good vocal | | | | Interest - Interest is an intellectual skill requiring |
| skills in the next training class that is being | | | | that you orchestrate the rhythms of your sound. |
| assembled. Corporations continue to search | | | | Clarity - Clarity is a physical skill requiring the use |
| geographic locations where dialect is minimal and | | | | of an active, exercised mouth. |
| the potential pool of employees is plentiful. I have | | | | Authority - Authority is an emotional skill that |
| seen that with proper short-term training and | | | | expresses your credibility about what you are |
| long-term coaching, call center agents can achieve | | | | speaking. Requiring self-confidence and cleanly |
| proper vocal excellence. | | | | executed emotional and physical choices. |
| Most people think that how they speak as an | | | | Language - Language is the process of being able |
| adult is part of their personality and not a physical | | | | to respond to others with words and phrases |
| skill set that they can change. That is not true. | | | | which demonstrate interest, are clearly |
| Through vocal coaching, the agent's vocal ease | | | | understood, and are informative, knowledgeable |
| and ability to be clearly understood without | | | | and helpful in evoking a sense of authority. |
| physical strain can be achieved. We learn our | | | | Listening - Listening is an act of respect and |
| sound, our speech, and our vocal image from our | | | | openness to others. |
| environment. Fortunately, we can change that as | | | | I am more convinced than ever with the global |
| easily as we first learned to speak. Improper | | | | community that we all participate in, the need for |
| vocal skills learned and uncorrected as a child | | | | clear and concise communications is vital to our |
| trying to communicate with those in our world | | | | continued ability to work together in an |
| can be reversed. | | | | atmosphere of respect and trust. |
| Call Center Managers and Supervisors must invest | | | | When considering introducing Vocal Empowerment |
| in the vocal skills of all agents - whether they | | | | training, insist that training class uses interactive, |
| have discernible problems or not. Enhanced | | | | job-centered exercises and techniques that meet |
| self-confidence and greater ability to concisely | | | | every call center agent's special performance |
| deliver the corporate message is an investment | | | | needs in order to produce individuals who speak |
| that will pay dividends for the agent, manager, | | | | and move clearly with interest and authority. |
| and corporation. | | | | Demand that the vocal coaches and trainers have |
| There is no shame in needing this extra skill set | | | | completed professional voice training and are able |
| to be learned and practiced. Many of the "basics" | | | | to illustrate before and after samples of their |
| of education have been overlooked in the last | | | | work and results. Request professional references. |
| several decades of progressive education. The | | | | You are asking your agents to undertake a |
| skills of reading and comprehension are often | | | | physical, emotional and challenging course. The |
| discussed, but the lack of proper vocal training in | | | | trainers must be able to have a complete |
| pre-school and throughout elementary grades has | | | | understanding of physical and vocal |
| all but disappeared from the curriculum. There are | | | | interdependence and be empathetic to the agents |
| many training courses, schools and programs that | | | | while still being able to effect a tremendous |
| address the needs of remedial reading and | | | | personal change to varying degrees for your |
| comprehension, math, etc., but there are only a | | | | staff members. |
| handful of experienced vocal coaches that are | | | | The success of your call center, the job |
| training outside of the performing arts industry. | | | | satisfaction of your agent staff, and your |
| Most Call Centers budget for the latest in | | | | company's customer image are dependent on the |
| technology, and many purveyors of software for | | | | ability to attain vocal empowerment for your |
| scheduling, scripting, up-selling, and process training | | | | employees. |