This Call May Be Recorded for Training Purposes

"This call may be recorded for training purposes"

Recorded, yes. Used for training? Not likely. Used in the moment? Not at all. But XSELL promises to change that.

XSELL is an AI-powered real-time coaching solution that turns the data of customer conversations into improved agent performance.

But harnessing your data is less than straightforward. Too much data can paralyze decision-making rather than expedite it. And the wrong data can perpetuate lackluster performance. When a metric becomes the measure, for instance, it ceases to be good as either.

What you need are meaningful insights rather than voluminous data sets. And to think critically about the difference between causation and correlation.

Enter XSELL. Here’s a great example of the solution:

For a certain sales organization, an analysis of conversation content and outcomes showed that conversations where agents apologized for the barking of their pet dog had conversion rates higher than baseline. To unpack the context; this was at the early side of Pandemic Lockdowns. Work from home was having a disruptive impact. The audience being sold to were mostly older Americans.

We can stipulate it was not the dog-talk qua dog-talk that was the causal factor. Dog-talk was associated with a sort of self-deprecating demeanor that was. effectively breaking the ice. It also provided a small amount of space for the type of chit-chat these older gentlemen and ladies were suddenly lacking. The causal factor was the empathetic and disarming nature of the conversations. Dog-talk was merely a powerful signifier of those underlying traits. And potentially an effective technique for others to incorporate those features into their conversations.

Two takeaways. This was a conversational technique that was easy to replicate. But a pattern which is difficult to spot without the aid of an AI running a substantial number of regressions against success rates.

It might seem an obvious insight: cute dogs help sell to isolated dog lovers. But it is easy to imagine more subtle situations. These are cases where it is important to have a partner like XSELL. Who can help you decide whether behavior ought to be trained - as a technique to achieve a given outcome. Or measured as a KPI - as evidence of an outcome being achieved. XSELL will keep you honest about which things should be metrics. What techniques should be taught? And how effectively you are tracking towards greater and greater success.

XSELL and other solutions drive three core outcomes.

First, they discriminate what is conversationally effective. Then disseminate that knowledge to your agents, in real-time, as course corrections or suggestions to steer a particular conversation. All based on how your most effective agents handle similar situations. This shrinks the performance gap between your best and worst performers, driving a higher overall quality baseline and more consistent experiences for your customers.

Second, those insights directly inform your training cycles. Agents will reach proficiency more quickly and will have safety nets protecting them while they are still fresh.

Finally, these solutions keep your operations gurus honest. With the insights provided by XSELL it is easy to keep track of which KPIs are driving the results you wish and which ones have faded in relevance. More importantly, XSELL will help your people sort through the noise and discover the ideas, techniques, and practices which have yet to transform the conversations you are having.

Ryan Muldoon is the Solutions Architect of CX Effect.