Call Center Confidence with Cutter & Catt

Why don't companies build better training programs for their staff, and for their leaders? In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about how training programs can help your sales team achieve success. One of the biggest things where companies fail to build scalable training programs is when they put somebody in that role and they rely on that person alone to do everything. Learn more about the importance of training, some challenges that companies face, and what are the solutions to them. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why do sales leaders get bogged down in things that may or may not be helpful for their sales teams? When companies have too much data that nobody knows really where to start, you won't really know where to focus your time and energy. One of the big keys for managers or leaders who feel like they're bogged down in too much detail is understanding what are the key performance indicators. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about what keeps sales leaders bogged down in the details, and of course, a lot of helpful tips to get over them. Learn more about how to overcome the overwhelming challenges sales leaders face, and scale together with your team! Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why aren't sales teams good at recruiting? What are some of the big recruitment issues? One of the issues is that organizations try to hire people that are just like them, hoping that person knows what to do and will come pretty much ready to be the best. In this episode, Oliver and I talk about why sales teams can't fill or recruit the positions with the right people. Learn more about recruitment challenges, how to resolve the issues, and a lot more helpful tips for your team! Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why do sales teams have so much turnover? Why causes your team to have low morale? If everybody else is churning around, morale sweeps through like wildfire. When you're looking at people burning out, it always has that negative atmosphere and negativity breeds negativity. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about continue to talk about why sales teams have so much turnover. Learn more about keeping your employees, addressing turnover issues, and motivating your team. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why do sales teams have so much turnover? How do you address this problem? Sales is predominantly thought to have a higher expected turnover because it's such a rough gig. In any company, there's always going to be some level of turnover, where people just come and go. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the factors that lead to employee turnovers. Learn more about turnovers, and also about building your career path. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why do sales leaders fail? Where do they struggle? When we talk about failing, we talk about not supporting their team, not doing their job effectively, or not having the capability to do so. When this happens, it will affect the business, and ultimately the revenue. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the reasons sales leaders fail, and what can you do to address it. Learn more as we come to a great discussion about leadership, and we'll bring you great tips that can help you improve. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why do some call centers not do leadership training? What impact can it bring to the company? This episode will bring you to the leadership role, which is related to the previous episode's topic of why are employees these days harder to manage. It is not always the leader who is solely responsible, but more the training supplied, which is not adequate. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about things that make an effective leader. Learn more about the importance of leadership training and more tips that will surely help you with your leadership role. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why are employees today more difficult to manage? What are some of the contributing factors? The most amazing technology, leads, sales process could mean nothing if you don't have the operations side worked out. It's coming from somewhere in the leadership side if you're having all these people issues. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about managing employees. Specifically, why is it harder to do so these days. Learn more about effectively managing people, and understanding the root of leadership challenges. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Welcome back to Call Center Confidence with Cutter & Catt! This marks the beginning of a new season. We will continue to talk about all of the phases, and all of the parts that it takes to build a successful call center. Stay tuned, and stick around as we head into season two. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Your team certainly wants to be paid at this point in the year, but do they still want to work as hard as they did before? You should be finishing the year with confidence and momentum moving into the next because it's far more difficult to shake everyone up if everything is dying off. In this episode, Oliver and Jason close the year with some helpful insights to be able to finish out the year strong. Learn more about focusing on meeting your goals in a very busy season, and build that confidence within you. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What are some of the challenges that sales managers face these days? Has it changed compared to the last 10 years? Many things have changed since the past - how businesses operate, the technology available, the complexity, and how consumers buy. There are, nevertheless, some fundamentals that remain the same. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about an article published in 2013 called "The 7 Inside Sales Management Challenges". We also talked about how to overcome them. Learn more about the call center industry, how to deal with management issues, and how to become a better leader. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How can you make your tech stack better and more efficient? Are your processes optimized for the full client journey? In this episode, Oliver and Jason continue to answer questions that are dedicated to sales operation leaders. This is part 2 of this segment and if you are a sales leader, make sure to check out the previous episode, made just for you. Learn more about soft skills, analysis vs action, and having a scalable and accurate sales process. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Are your strategies as a sales operations leader in line with the company's goals? What part of the process do you think you might be too focused on yourself, yet to the disadvantage of the company? In this special episode, Oliver and Jason talk about some of the questions about being a sales operations leader. We talked about breaking down silos, working as one with the company, and winning as a team. Sometimes there is this short-term thinking, and not thinking about the overall business and client success. You must overcome your self-centered and short-term thinking, and consider what you can do to assist the organization and the customers. Learn more about leadership, unity, success in sales, and scale with your company. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What type of businesses do you tend to see that are outsourced? Why is it critical to understand when is something appropriate to outsource and when it is not? Outsourcing is common among businesses wanting to expand. They want to increase the rate at which they hire internally while also expanding exponentially. Business to business is a little more difficult because it requires a lot of industry and product knowledge to be effective. In this episode, Oliver and Jason continue to talk about outsourcing which makes this Part 3 of this topic. Learn more about what you could or should outsource and more on the value that it could bring to your company. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What is the value of outsourcing? What are the criteria or factors to consider when looking for a good deal? When it comes to outsourcing, there are three factors to consider: price, quality, and opportunity. One of the greatest things that most outsourcers undertake is their 24/7 schedule. They have the skill, the technology, and the capability. When you put them all together, you have the outsourcing machine. In this episode, Oliver and Jason continue to talk about Outsourcing and the elements around it that give your organization an advantage. Learn more about successful outsourcing, and also what works and doesn't work with it. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why are more businesses opting to offshore or outsource than ever before? How can you improve your effectiveness in this way? People are shifting their companies, their businesses, into contact centers, and we can see its significant movement in the marketplace these days. The need for agents to be able to take the chats, emails, the live phone calls is critical as the modern outsourcers really do bring an increase in quality and service and new ideas and ways to help companies get better and let the companies focus on their core business fundamentals. In this episode, Oliver Catt and a special guest, Fred Stacey talk about offshoring and outsourcing specifically in the contact center world. Learn more about outsourcing and offshoring in the call center industry, and how do these make your company win. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How does being open to a changing environment, or organization help us? What are some of the things that cause us to fear change? In this episode, Oliver and Jason continue to talk about change and why is it important to adapt or accept. If we look at it from a different perspective, when you're selling to someone, and you're in the act of persuading them, technically you are wanting them to change. So if you're a salesperson who isn't willing to change and then tries to sell to someone, it won't work. Change happens for a reason, and it's fundamental to understand why it happens and why we must be prepared for it. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Are you helping lead change? Is change a positive thing for you or otherwise? When we talk about change is it's not just universally to embrace it, but where you are open to it, and where you're not. Sometimes, we are afraid of change, yet in business and in life, there's really no such thing as stability. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the significance of change, and where that fits in, in a call center and especially in a sales team. Learn more about change, and how to deal with it, effectively incorporate it, and manage it. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How can HR be an ally to sales? Why do you get the impression that you're in trouble when you're called to HR? HR is like getting called into the principal's office. Whether you're going to them or they're coming to you. When somebody is called to HR, It's always associated with the negative meaning of what you've done wrong, and no one definitely likes that feeling. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about some of the ways to have the HR Team and Sales Team work together to achieve success as one. Learn more about HR and Sales, breaking down silos, and working on common goals. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What are the key crucial differences between leaders and managers? How can you become more effective in leading your sales team? You must be able to set the vision if you are a leader. You must also be able to motivate your employees. You bring others along to help you translate your vision. On the other hand, as a manager, you carry out that vision and assist the workforce in achieving their objectives. In this episode, Oliver is joined by three guests – Neil Chitra, Paul Kitson & Rich Edge. They together talked everything about leadership. They also talked about their experiences, pitfalls, successes, and the big wins in their call center career. Learn more about management and leadership in the call center industry! Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How effectively do you manage your systems and processes? How important is it to run a call center in a systematic way? Generally, people who are in sales – get promoted, and they're usually just good at that because they know sales. Scaling it and then moving it to the next level involves the utilization of systems, processes, and documentation, which can be challenging. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the things that you need to know about documentation and other elements that are involved with it. Learn more about systems, processes, and documentation in the call center business. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Are you succeeding in retaining customers? What role do salespeople have in terms of customer retention? People are enrolled, signed up, and paying, and then they may be dissatisfied. Perhaps your customers wish to leave your organization, or perhaps they don't like what they bought. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk all about how to keep your clients or customers engaged with you. Getting a new client for every client you can save or keep, as a part of your business takes so much time and effort. Learn more about customer retention, the roles of every member in a sales team, and as well as customer experience. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Can you make quality assurance a successful element of the sales process? How do you set that up efficiently? You'll need a standard operating procedure (SOP), which is a set of instructions that spell out exactly what you're trying to accomplish. You must also have a structure from the beginning, as this is the only way to be successful in QA. In today's episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the process of listening to, and providing feedback to calls, to improve quality. Learn more about the success with quality assurance and control, and reviewing compliance. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What can you do to lay out a path for your reps to progress? How critical is it to assess your own and your team's improvement? There should be a well-thought-out strategy that outlines where reps might end up if they play their cards well. Everything should be built around them, and we should figure out how to prepare them for growth. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about progression and succession plans. They also talk about some of the challenges that promoted reps could face. Find out more as Oliver and Jason offer free advice and ideas on how to lead your team so that they can lead in the future. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How do you manage managers who don't manage, or who can't manage, or who struggle to manage? The best performing team is the team with the best sales manager. Even if it's challenging to lead by example and get it right every time, you must set the stage for success for everyone in your organization. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about managers and the elements of managing. Learn more as we discuss this big topic and pick up something that you can apply as you fulfill your managerial role. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What is a performance improvement plan? At which point of your team's progression is this needed? One of your responsibilities as a manager or leader is to coach and assist your team, and a performance improvement plan is one approach to do so. This is similar to a road map for getting someone back to where you want them. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the steps that will be taken when your team is not hitting the numbers they need, and it becomes time for a decision. Learn more about performance improvement plans, performance development plans, coaching, and leadership. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How do you keep your people on the right path after training? Can you foresee if a person will be winning or not? When somebody leaves the nest and they get into their sales role, there will be a progression and a point where they're already competent. Throughout the process, you must be able to determine whether your team is winning or losing, as well as how they are progressing. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the path that new hires take after training, and how do we determine if they are progressing or not. Learn more about progression, performance signs, KPIs, work attitude, and successful leadership. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What's the difference between management, coaching, and mentoring? How are these elements done? Management is dealing with your team on the day-to-day. Keeping track of their performance, skills, attendance, and data. Coaching them entails helping them through their day-to-day. Mentoring is about figuring out how to get to the big vision and the big aim. We aid that person's development rather than helping them meet targets. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about everything you need to know about management, coaching, mentoring and how to better understand each of these elements so you can successfully fulfill your role as a leader in the Call Center world. Learn more about leadership and the principles to be successful in your role. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How can you prepare your employees to leave the nest and thrive in the sales team and on the sales floor? Some companies believe that because they have completed some training and placed their salesmen on the floor, that the salespeople will figure it out on their own. It's comparable to how schools don't teach you how to cope with money, emotional intelligence, relationships, and other real-world issues, instead assuming you'll figure it out on your own, which leads to problems. In this episode, Oliver and Jason continue talking about the nesting area that happens after the training period, and the ongoing education. Learn all about the nesting stage, supporting your team, and setting them up for success. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Is it vital for the trainers to stick with the trainees after training, or just simply hand them over to the operations team? This is primarily dependent on the availability of the staff. Some companies have so few trainers that it's not possible for the trainer to accompany the group out onto the production floor and provide support. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about what's taking place after the training stage and how to help your people as they are handed over to the operations. Learn all about the nesting stage, how to run a successful operation, and supporting your team throughout the lifecycle. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How do you keep your training staff and the training process in check? How do you interchange people in a system and ensure the system's functionality? One of the biggest challenges today is that there's now a lot of options when it comes to a learning management system. For anybody running or leading an organization's training, you must first determine your program's goal and objectives. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the training process, standardizing and calibrating the trainers, and learning management systems.. Learn all about training, building a scalable operation, and identifying the right tools to use to have a perfect training experience for your people. SGKpu5uYD4p8QrbtyCJe Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How do we effectively finish off our training cycle? What do we need to do to pick up when we have those bad apples within training? One of the factors is not understanding what it is that they need, especially with the tools. We sometimes give them too much information over here, and not enough information over there. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the challenges during training, testing, proof of learning throughout the induction process, and the learning management system. Learn all about training, and helping trainees progress through the cycle from beginning to end. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Why is training so crucial throughout your call center journey? How do you stay on top of what you've learned? This stage has been present throughout the contact center and is critical to its success. Training is vital for anything you do, whether it's a new project or a new campaign. In this episode, Oliver and his guest Rich Edge, talk about his experience in training and how it moves forward today. Learn about the essential tools that are useful during training, and how to improve the quality of your training process. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Welcome to the Call Center Confidence with Cutter and Catt Podcast! We are here to help everyone in the call center industry in becoming a Call Center Hero. You can build a successful and scalable call center operation no matter who you are or where you are in the world. In this first episode, Oliver and Jason talk about leadership and its components. In the future, we're going to be bringing in some experts that currently work in the industry to discuss topics in further depth, and to answer your questions. Learn more from us as we tackle and discuss about leadership in the Call Center business. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How do we manage a scattered workforce effectively? What are the challenges that leaders face these days when teams have shifted to working remotely? Virtual leadership is not being in the same room as these people, and not being able to read body language. These little subtle things that you could pick up on as a leader have now disappeared and it is now over a screen. In this episode, Oliver and Jason continue to talk about leadership, especially virtual leadership, and how it is different from what's supposed to be leadership since the world changed at the beginning of the year 2020. Learn more about leadership and from our free tips, tools, and techniques that you can use as you reach your goal to become that Call Center Hero. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How do we bring the right people on board at the right time? How do we give them the tools and equipment to do their job from day one? Most companies look for people that have the right characteristics and qualities. And that's really what it's all about because you can train them with the product, you can train the skills to be able to do what they need to do, but you can't train character or personality. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the whole onboarding process and what you need to know to be successful in this stage. Learn more about who you want to get on the bus, job description, recruiting strategies, and ways to do interviews. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

How do we train our people the right way from day one and how do we get them involved? Every company is different, we need to remember that the length of our training cycle is dependent on how much of a product offering you have. Whatever the case may be, we must make certain that we provide them with accurate information. In this episode, Oliver and Jason talk about the onboarding training, the start of somebody's journey, and making it relevant. Learn more about induction training, proof of learning, and also how we ensure that your people's attention is maintained from the beginning to the end of the training process. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

When it comes to hiring, think about who you want on your sales team or who you're looking to hire. Do you have a preference for short or long job postings? Depending on what you're recruiting or looking for, a lot of times when somebody does a really short post, it's sometimes in the get-rich-quick category. You have to be careful with who that attracts. In this episode, Oliver and Jason continue to talk about the recruitment and onboarding process and getting the right people in. Learn more about getting people into the funnel of the recruiting process, advertising, job postings, and marketing budget. Learn more about how to build your Call Center Confidence Sign up for Reminders about Weekly Live Show Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Follow Us on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn