There’s no question, we’re living in stressful times. And stress is killing productivity, says Kathleen Peterson, chief vision officer for Powerhouse Consulting, a call center and telecommunications consultancy.
Delivering the March 25 keynote presentation at the NCOF show last week, Peterson urged the audience to “nurture the energy of the people we are and we have.” Especially the folks working in your contact center.
Why? The call center people don’t answer the phone, Peterson said: “They interact with customers on the brand experience.”
You brand is based on a set of behaviors and expectation that were put forth, she said. And the vision for the brand should be consistently held across the enterprise. “The folks in your call center ought to understand your value proposition.”
Think about the brand maintenance on all contacts, Peterson said. You don’t want to introduce damage to the brand, especially on the service front.
It can be tough to keep your team motivated and optimistic, but pessimism can cause your reps to introduce damage into the brand. Optimists see wonder and possibility, Peterson explained, while pessimists are preoccupied with worry and peril.
“We can kill ourselves with hallucinations about what went wrong” or what could go wrong, Peterson said. Too many people today are obsessed with the question “What if I get laid off?” she noted. Her response: “What if you don’t?”