Document Purpose: To discuss the potential for personality specific scripting dialogue for telesales operators (herein referred to as "Advisors").

Current Scenario: An Advisor's job is to sell -- they present a scripted dialogue to a prospective customer via an outbound telephone call.  The script dictates the structure of the call, and in this way, it controls the wording and direction of the conversation.  The topics are determined according to two sources: Background information from a customer database and a few customer 'lifestyle' questions asked at the beginning of the call.  The script's inference engine then uses this information to identify topics most relevant to the customer's needs, thus identifying potential sales opportunities.

    From a global perspective, the script has three functions:

       1.  To provide customer background (a foundation) for Advisors to base their call.
       2.  To maintain a calling consistency across the 5 national telemarketing sites.
       3.  For OFTEL regulatory compliance purposes (to minimise inaccurate and
       ambiguous statements that could interpreted as anti-competitive behaviour).

In the scripted telesales operation, the Advisor's role is to make the script 'human' by infusing it with their personality; thus packaging the information to conform to the conventions of interpersonal verbal communications.  To simplify, an Advisor acts as a translator: They interpret the script and project this information according to a relationship they establish with the customer -- a relationship that is dependent upon human personality.

The Advisor-Script Interface Problem: The structure provided by a telesales script has clear benefits; however, it tends to create a problem with Advisor rigidity.  To explain: A single script dialogue is used by all Advisors, and until recently, they were required to read from it nearly word-for-word.  The resultant problem is how to train the inexperienced Advisor to sound natural within this highly structured process.  The unfortunate rigidity side-effect is that many Advisors sound like they are 'reading to' the customer rather than 'talking with' the customer; and in effect, they are not infusing their personality, nor relating to the customer on a personal level.  This rigidity problem can contribute to poor sales performance in the short term, and high attrition rates in the longer term.

Theorised Solution: One potential way to counter the rigidity problem is to use scripted 'personalities' matched to the user.  For example, research by Moon & Nass (1996) demonstrates that "using a simple, text-based computer system with scripted responses, it is possible to create computer personalities that are psychologically real to the user" (p.653). And, what seems real to the user (Advisor) can likely be used to help alleviate the scripting problem. Therefore, based on this type of research, it is suggested that multiple scripting dialogues (computer personalities) could serve as a tool to help resolve the Advisor-Script interface problem, thus helping to improve Advisor's sales performance.

". . .We successfully operationalized personality by using a rudimentary, text-based system with scripted responses -- in other words, by using a psychological, rather than technological, approach" (Moon & Nass, p.668).

Developmental Motive: As outlined above, scripted telesales is about people interacting according to a structured dialogue; however, one dialogue does not seem to serve the needs of all the people involved in the process.  It is proposed that a multiple scripting format may be used to meet the interpersonal needs of the user and the recipient of the script; and furthermore, this technique can be used as a training tool to speed training and promote interpersonal versatility in experienced Advisors.  By accelerating the Advisor learning curve, inexperienced Advisors can rapidly aquire the performance benefits enjoyed by skilled veterans.

The script-based progression from inexperienced to expert Advisor would take place in three phases:

Phase I         Self Awareness: An internal focus for the inexperienced Advisor

         Let the advisor sample the script personalities and choose which they find most
     natural to use. Provide versions of the script that will help them become more
     genuine and comfortable on the phone and provide them with the structure needed to
     build a style foundation. For example: A submissive Advisor would likely be more
     comfortable with a script that is subtle, questioning, and suggestive. A dominant
     personality would likely prefer a script that is outspoken, explicit, and direct.

Phase II         Customer Awareness: An external focus for the intermediate Advisor

         Once an Advisor has established their own natural style, they can begin to use the
     alternate scripts to broaden their interpersonal versatility. At this point, the scripted
     personalities can demonstrate alternate approaches to dealing with different
     customers. For example, an advisor may find more success in using the submissive
     script to build rapport with an elderly customer; and using the dominant script to
     overcome the objections of a reluctant customer.

Phase III        Situational Awareness: An individual focus for the expert Advisor

         The final stage would permit the advisor to focus on every customer interaction as
     being unique. This would entail removing the rigid structure of the script and provide
     an open 'Call Guide' format. At this point, the Advisor can mix and match the
     techniques to fine tune their interpersonal versatility on their own.

Conclusion: Personality specific scripting is aimed at improving the performance of new Advisors by: 1) Counteracting the rigidity problem; 2) Speeding the learning curve from inexperienced to expert Advisor; and 3) Improving the interpersonal versatility of experienced Advisors.  The intended outcome is an expert Advisor who has grasped the skill of interpersonal versatility, and who demonstrates this skill via Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and a conscious awareness of the multiple approaches that allow them to adapt to their customers. It is suggested that by promoting these skills, using a technique such as the personality scripting approach, it is possible to improve overall sales performance and satisfaction levels for both Advisors and customers.
 

Reference:
    Moon, Y., Nass, C. (1996). How 'Real' Are Computer Personalities? Communication Research, Vol 23, pp. 651-674.