4 Reasons Why Voice is Still the Preferred Way to Communicate
Natterbox Team
It’s no secret that our world is constantly changing, and one means of communication will be replaced by the next.
With the rapid development of technology, many things can be done online. This might give you the impression that good old telephony is dying. But is it? In the current multi-channel world, voice is, for many, still the preferred method of communication. When it comes to contact centers, a report by Accenture, shows that-
57% of consumers prefer the flexibility provided by calling customer support versus other, less interactive formats, such as online chat or email.
Many studies prove the significant role of the voice in perceiving information. The human psyche typically extracts up to 40% of data from the voice, and the semantics and actual meanings of the words are less than 10% important in the perception of information.
So, with that in mind, here’s a quick look at our top 4 reasons why voice is still critical to success in sales and customer service.
1. Customers love personal communication
In a physical store, sales consultants may help you decide what to purchase and assist you in choosing the item that best meets your criteria and answer any questions you might have. In the online world, you’re on your own. You may spend hours sifting through dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of options, you get lost and start to seek help if possible. You need advice, you want to know the product dimensions, or what the material feels like. What can you do? Well, customer-centric businesses have adopted a more traditional approach, the ability to speak to a real person. A real, live person, speaking with you on the phone, giving you personal recommendations, and answering your questions.
This type of personal approach makes you feel important and valuable. Those feelings in turn make you more likely to return to this online store in the future, and spend more when you do. Sure, it costs a bit more for the store to provide this service, but remember, they value their customers highly so it’s a price worth paying.
2. Calling can be the easiest way to make a purchase
How do customers shop online? There are two popular ways: filling out an online form and making a phone call. When customers are purchasing from a smartphone, it can be uncomfortable and time consuming to type in credit card and delivery information. In these situations, many users prefer to simply press a click to call button in order to make a purchase. Google research shows that-
60% of customers use click to call to quickly get an answer and accomplish their buying goal.
This reaffirms that customers value their time and know that it’s often quicker to purchase by calling.
3. People still like to buy from people
When it comes to buying high-end appliances, cars, property, or professional services, customers want to explore the market and compare options. Only during a live conversation can your sales teams resolve clients’ concerns and convince them that your product is the best. They can propose alternatives and make personalised offers that will turn potential customers into a sale.
Similarly, for B2B companies with complex products or services, the human touch is the best way to describe their products’ advantages and explain how they work. This personalised approach also allows sales people to build up rapport with their lead in a way that’s very difficult to achieve via a live chat screen.
4. Builds relationships and brand loyalty
People develop better relationships with your brand when they have a positive experience talking to someone on the phone.
When you speak to a prospect on the phone, you have a unique experience to have their undivided attention and make an impression that may cause them to recommend them to their friends, family or colleagues, and come back to you for their needs time and time again.
What’s the future of voice?
Voice provides valuable data that is often not used to its full potential. Users demand high-quality customer service and a first-rate experience. On the other hand, businesses want moderate costs, compatibility with standards, and easy management. Now, technologies have overcome these objections and brought two tasks together by combining CRM systems like Salesforce with voice telephony.
Services such as Natterbox facilitate better, more aligned business conversations by bringing voice within the Salesforce platform, with a vision to bring together the power of the human voice with the efficiency of digital technology, transforming the world one conversation at a time. With these exciting developments, it makes sense then that enterprises are looking to new solutions that enable the voice experience to be improved and why they are continuing to invest in it, despite the growth of alternative channels.
The takeaway here is that voice is still an important means of providing the human touch that is necessary to connect customers with your brand, and that is likely to remain the case for many years to come. However, voice on its own isn’t enough, organizations must look at ways to incorporate it into their CRM systems and allow it to work in harmony with their omnichannel outreach strategy with other proactive technologies for maximum effect.