Summary

• Enabling first line managers to coach their agents to move from order takers to sales converters, in the face of increasing competition
• All measured areas exceeded target by at least 50% in this $33 billion business
• Conversion/close rate – in excess of 50% improvement
• Average revenue/call – in excess of 20% improvement
• Customer satisfaction – voice of customer scores improved by 10%
• Average revenue per customer – 10% improvement

Company background

Comcastis the largest US cable operator, home Internet service provider, and third largest home telephone service provider. The company provides cable television, broadband Internet, telephone service and home security to residential and commercial customers.

The Challenge

Increasing competition from satellite companies and fibre networks, such as Verizon and AT&T, was providing new choices for the customer. The inbound call volumes went from more calls than Comcast teams could handle, to fewer than were required.

In addition, the nature of the calls had changed; they moved from customers placing orders, to customers shopping around.

The challenge was for the inbound call centre sales teams to increase their selling capability, there was a lack of sales mentality and capability, both amongst contact centre supervisors and agents. Managers knew how to identify poor performance, but they didn’t have the skills to implement change.

The Solution

Comcast had set some clear business objectives to improve performance across:

• Overall revenue improvement
• Product close rate
• Customer close rate
• Revenue per call
• Average monthly revenue per customer

Comcast needed to develop the first line managers to become performance coaches for their teams and so build sustainability from the call centre training program.  Prosell was chosen because of our experience and focus on sales and performance coaching, the strength of our team and our ability to design the solution and execute it in the field.

Prosell worked very closely with management, ensuring both programs were aligned and capitalized on one another’s contribution.  Prosell took 350 first line call centre managers and supervisors through the Procoach performance coaching program. The managers and supervisors were from both inbound sales and customer retention, based across the USA, from East to West Coast.

Results

The improvement in performance, not only sales, but also customer experience have been very strong. All measured areas exceeded the targets set by at least 50%.

• Percentage improvement is in excess of:
• Conversion/close rate – in excess of 50% improvement
• Average revenue/call – in excess of 20% improvement
• Customer satisfaction – voice of customer scores improved by 10%
• Average revenue per customer – 10% improvement

These results have been driven by the combination of the front line program, Procoach for the supervisors and managers and changes to the sales compensation package.

The sales and retention managers undertake an annual requalification process. This rigorous process of auditing and development both tests and improves their performance coaching capability and in so doing sustains and grows performance improvement.

What Comcast says about Prosell

Trevor Elliot, the Sales VP at Comcast, who was in charge of the overall development initiative, recommends Prosell. What he values about us is our rigour, professionalism, focus, subject matter expertise and independence of thought.

‘Prosell’s program had led to a $270m increase in country-wide sales performance and this figure was produced by our very thorough financial analysts.’

The feedback from senior management and participants has been excellent; the program has been universally well received. This is what some of the participants said: