This unit applies to the establishment of a marketing strategy in a customer contact environment that has sales and marketing opportunities for either internal or external (outsource) stakeholders.

Competence in this unit requires developing, implementing and reviewing a marketing strategy, and building strong relationships with all stakeholders. The effective use and development of systems, databases and reporting tools is also required.

This role is undertaken by staff with managerial responsibility.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Apply sales and marketing principles to contact centre performance

1.1. Select a valid framework of sales and marketing principles for a customer contact centre

1.2. Achieve consensus on sales and marketing principles with stakeholders

1.3. Integrate sales and marketing principles into customer contact operating objectives and strategies

1.4. Identify all elements of customer contact centre supply chains

1.5. Promote contact centre effectively to supply chain customers and clients

2. Initiate, evaluate and maintain a marketing database system

2.1. Identify appropriate marketing database fields and functions

2.2. Contribute effectively to the development and testing of a marketing database

2.3. Evaluate and enhance functionality of the marketing database to best serve the marketing operation

2.4. Establish effective database maintenance procedures

2.5. Establish contingency planning for failure of databases and systems

3. Develop and evaluate customer service and retention strategies

3.1. Identify effective after-sales support strategies

3.2. Develop strategies to retain customers and to build loyalty

3.3. Establish processes to facilitate after-sales support and customer retention strategies

3.4. Monitor and review after-sales support and customer retention processes

3.5. Adjust processes to optimise customer service and retention

4. Analyse sales and customer activity results

4.1. Identify sales and service report criteria relevant to the interests of stakeholders

4.2. Analyse sales and service data in relation to key performance indicators

4.3. Accurately report on performance and activity data to stakeholders in a timely manner

Required skills

analytical skills to analyse workplace information and data, and to assess compliance with relevant legislative, regulatory and organisational requirements

communication skills to conduct effective informal and formal meetings, and to communicate with personnel at all levels

financial skills to manage budgetary resources

interpersonal skills to establish rapport and to build relationships with customers (internal and external), team members and stakeholders

leadership skills to gain the trust and confidence of colleagues and clients

numeracy skills to accurately and efficiently understand, verify, manipulate and calculate data and statistics

presentation skills to clearly articulate information and ideas; to prepare and present reports on complex concepts and ideas; to write policies, procedures and plans

project management skills and discipline to develop and implement the strategy successfully and to achieve ongoing continuous improvement

research skills to consider all options and to support the development of the strategy

risk assessment and mitigation skills to fully understand and if necessary, mitigate, potential impacts of activities.

Required knowledge

contact centre information systems and the types of data and information available from these systems

contingency planning principles

customer retention strategies

industry and marketplace/competitor knowledge

information technology options and functionality within the customer contact centre environment

process review and documentation processes

sales and marketing principles

use and development of databases.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

application of marketing principles to customer contact performance, development and maintenance of marketing databases, development of customer service and retention strategies, and analysis and reporting of performance within a customer contact environment

knowledge of sales and marketing principles.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to workplace information and data

access to information and databases for analysis activities

access to relevant legislation, standards and guidelines

access to stakeholder feedback or stakeholders

access to performance and target data.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate

review of stakeholder agreed marketing and sales principles

review of records of internal contact centre promotion activities

oral and/or written questioning to assess knowledge of fields and functionality of a marketing database

review of records of maintenance activity for a marketing database

review of documentation of after-sales and/or customer retention strategies

review of records of after-sales and/or customer retention strategy effectiveness

review of reports of sales and customer service performance.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

BSBCCO609A Integrate customer contact operations within the organisation

BSBMGT618A Develop a contact centre business plan.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Stakeholders may include:

contact centre level - direct team, team leaders and other senior contact centre staff

enterprise employees at management level (e.g. sales and marketing, credit and collections, billing) with an interest or stake in contact centre operations

external clients and suppliers with an interest in the marketing aspects of operations including contracting organisations, recruitment suppliers, software and equipment suppliers

Supply chains may include:

billing

credit and collections

customer service

fulfilment area

sales and sales support

Marketing database fields may include:

address (postal, business, residential)

contact number/s

current products and services

email address

name

occupation

previous offers

Contingency planning may include:

activities to keep business running

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) message re reduced level of service

taking messages and calling customers back when systems are back in operation

temporary redirection of calls to another area

use of back-up systems or database

use of manual processes or recording

Afteer-sales support and customer retention strategies may include:

account management

courtesy follow-up calls

customer satisfaction surveying

differentiated levels of customer service and support

discounts or special offers

follow-up to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty post sales experience

loyalty programs

offers of value added services or products

Unit sector

Stakeholder Relations - Contact Centre Operations

This unit contains employability skills.