Can you turn around a consistently underperforming sales channel?

That was the challenge, brought to us by a high-ranking U.S. cable operator that services over five million customers in 27 states. Click-to-chat and inbound sales conversations were not generating enough new subscribers, and the program’s overall performance had been on a steep downward trajectory for months. In an industry dominated by larger companies, this carrier had learned to survive through aggressive campaigns; but the leadership knew that without a consistent, exceptional experience, customers can and would leave for the competition. Our job was to design and support a new sales program that would increase close rates, build existing customer value, and elevate customer satisfaction scores.

We began a three-month transition of the company’s voice and click-to-chat sales programs over to a new team of our revenue generation associates. Using our proprietary candidate selection process, we quickly identified and hired team members with the background and skill sets to be strong representatives of the brand. Our customized training program turned each associate into a product expert who could boost sales of the company’s bundled service offerings. Team members were trained to handle up to four concurrent chats, and entered service orders into the company’s system with a 97% accuracy rate.

Associates approached each customer interaction with a solution to offer, not a product to sell. The team’s focus on Net Promoter Score put the customer’s needs — not the sale — as the center of each conversation. One customer wrote to say, “I was astounded by how well the online chat assistance worked. I initiated the chat to find out how to cancel my order, but the associate was available immediately and provided a level of service, knowledge, and professionalism that wildly exceeded my expectations. In the end, I decided not to cancel my order, and I upgraded my package."

Within 90 days, the team outperformed the previous program in every key category, delivering millions in revenue and exceeding NPS targets by as much as 20%. Sales conversion rates increased by 62%, and revenue generated per chat increased by over 50%. In the first six months of the program alone, the team brought 93,000 new customers on board, amounting to over $220,000 in recurring monthly revenue. After meeting sales goals for nine consecutive months, sales managers increased the goal — and the team continued to hit the mark. The program continues to drive topline revenue and win long-term subscribers for the company.