You’ve closed the pitch, wrapped up the trial, and received the signed contract to officially seal the deal to work with your Facebook ad agency client on a monthly basis. Now, it’s time to blast your favorite Spotify station through your computer speakers and do a little happy dance! Right?
Yeah, go for it, you awesome entrepreneur, you. But, then it’s back to work because guess what? You’ve got another very important task to handle: training your client’s front desk staff to capture more leads.
Ugh. More work, you ask? Mhm. Without the necessary training, I’m sure you can guess the outcome. You’re going to struggle to get those staff members to follow-up with the leads you worked so hard to get your client in the first place.
So, what I’m about to tell you should come as no surprise—training is an essential piece of the Facebook agency success puzzle. Reason being, your agency is (or it should be!) about more than just delivering leads into your clients’ hands and calling it a day. That is, unless you want to leave a sour taste in their mouths.
Yet, you might not have the time nor the right tips to create an entire process from scratch. And, that’s where I come in. Today, I’m sharing all you need to know to effectively train your client’s front desk staff to be salespeople and capture more leads—without delay and without being too pushy. This is going to work for the masses, no matter who you are or what niche you serve!
How to Train Your Client's Front Desk Staff to be Salespeople (Without Being Pushy)
First, why focus only on training your agency client’s front desk staff?
Many people consider the front desk person—aka the gatekeeper—to be the most important member of an office’s staff.
Say what? The most important?
Absolutely. That’s because they’re typically the very first person a customer interacts with when making contact with your client’s organization. I think it’s even safe to say they’re essentially the face and voice of a company.
But, does that mean they get the royal treatment? Heck no. And, why’s that? Well, simply put, many people, just like you, are out there trying to build their own Facebook agency from the ground up. And, that leads them to be uber-focused on the client—the business owner. As a result, they ignore the gatekeeper completely, brushing them aside and thinking they’re entitled to bypass them.
I’m not just saying that to say it. I’m saying that because I know from personal experience. If you’re fairly new here at Closer’s Cafe (I’m so glad you’re here, by the way!), I served as Dr. Ben’s receptionist at his chiropractic office for a year.
You might be wondering, however, what makes the front desk staff so great. Do they really play a role in helping you capture more leads for your client’s business? And, that’s why I’m about to dish out the cold hard facts for you.
That way, you can avoid following in the footsteps of Facebook ad agency builders who have tunnel vision when it comes to the people they should care about within their client’s organization.
- They’re great communicators. They can speak well and convey information in a crystal clear manner. They’re also phenomenal listeners, and are always willing to respond to client needs and requests. Best of all, they know how to keep calm under intense pressure, and will never become flustered at several phone lines ringing off the hook, email requests flooding the inbox, and people waiting (sometimes impatiently) at the front of the office.
- They’re a Jack (or Jill!) of all trades. They’re willing to get involved in other areas of the business, and are known for their superior ability to be flexible and adapt to new situations. They also have a heightened sense of awareness as to what’s going on throughout the business, which makes them very knowledgeable about the company. Not to mention, the ideal person to connect with the leads you bring them.
- They’re resourceful. They’re quick on their feet, helping resolve complications in no time, and ensure clients and customers feel they’re in good hands at all times. Plus, they’re able to stay on top of things to ensure the business runs smoothly.
- They’re extremely influential. Receptionists are often the first, and sometimes the only, ones to have contact with those who want to get in touch with the organization. And, people’s initial judgments of the business are based on their experience with this particular individual. Therefore, they can play a seriously strong role in closing leads!
Now, it’s time to understand the different politics involved in the client’s office.
Ah, yes. “Office politics”—a taboo word in the working world. It can be defined as:
“The ways that power is shared in an organization or workplace, and the ways that it is affected by the personal relationships between the people who work there.”
The problem is, most people tend to want to avoid it altogether. And, for obvious reasons. Though, in your case, you’ll want to take the time to understand the different politics within the client’s office. After all, how you onboard them and their staff members will ultimately impact your relationship with the business. Not to mention, your success—as well as theirs.
The first step? Truly understanding the fact that, ten times out of ten, most people want to work with a team versus a boss who’s just focused on regularly saying, “Here you go. Here’s what you need to do.”
Blah. That’s no way to do business. That said, how do you make certain you design a teamwork environment to ramp up the level of happiness within the office? And, ultimately, make the staff more compelled to work with you to contribute to the company’s success?
You’ll want to jot down the following to-dos and put a big asterisk next to them:
- Be genuine. Please, don’t pretend to be more than you are. If you BS your way into the office, the staff will see right through it. One way you can be genuine is to communicate with them on a regular basis—sincerely care about their day and how their tasks are going.
- Respect the gatekeeper. Remember, I’m referring to the front desk person. Make best friends with them because they hold the keys to the kingdom (aka access to your client). Literally.
- Be available. When you set up your agency, make sure you designate specific days and hours to reflect your lifestyle, as well as your preferred method of contact (phone, email, text, and so on). Once you do, share that information with the staff to illustrate the fact that they have access to you. After all, we’re not about teaching you to become one of those money-hungry marketers that can never be heard from again.
- Recognize achievements. Any opportunity you have to reward the staff for their small wins (ex. Following up with and closing X number of leads), take it and run with it. Celebrate them for their hard work with either donuts, a card, casual Friday, lunch; you name it. Just give them their moment to bask in their glory, alright?
But, how do you actually train the staff in person & set a healthy foundation for a long-lasting business relationship?
As Dale Carnegie, American writer and lecturer, once said,
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
The minute you focus on training your client’s staff members is the minute you show your sincere interest in them. But, you may not know where to even begin. And, that’s okay.
To give you a head start in the right direction, here’s an umbrella view of the steps you need to take once you get the green light to work with your trial client on a monthly basis:
At the first point of contact:
- Get the owner to give you a formal introduction to the gatekeeper. If they don’t say it outright who the “point person” is, make sure you ask them specifically who you should be contacting and if they can provide you with a formal introduction. Doing this will set expectations with the gatekeeper in the office, as well as warm things up versus you approaching them by yourself.
- Ask the gatekeeper when they will be free to meet with you. Whatever the service you’re offering is, you need time to talk it over with them. Of course, this can be done at either of your convenience. It could take 15-20 minutes maximum—it just depends who your gatekeeper is. No matter what, just be sure to give them the opportunity to have a say in the time and day of the meeting.
- Send a follow-up email that confirms the date/time of the meeting. I recommend you do this either that evening or the next morning after discussing it with them. And, the email should also include your availability and your preferred method of contact. Consider it your safety net. You’re giving your gatekeeper something to go back to and reference. Just be very careful with the details you do share. For example, if you use the Burner App, double check that the number is valid.
During the onboarding meeting:
- Thank them for their time. They’ve taken a moment out of their day to sit down and listen to what it is you have to say. Show your sincere appreciation for them doing so.
- Remind them of your availability (& your eagerness to help). You’ve already done this once in your follow-up email. But, taking the time to go over it again will put it at the forefront of the staff members’ minds, while helping them understand you’re genuinely here to help them succeed.
- Let them know you’ll be showing them how the process works first, and then you’ll answer their questions. You’ll have the chance to really be heard versus every other point being interrupted by an important, yet distracting question.
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- Explain the funnel in simple terms and show an example. While the client might’ve explained it to them, this gives you an opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest and foster intimacy, so you have a stronger foundation for success. Also, call attention to what you see their role in the process being, and how simple you’ve made it to ensure it doesn’t add more time or stress to their day.
- Explain that there should be one designated “point person” to implement the primary contact. Once that person is identified, get their name, phone number, and email at the end of the meeting. If they’re a bit reluctant about this step, mention the fact that using the Burner App is a great alternative to getting a second phone line, helping them avoid the use of their direct phone number.
- Ask if they know what a value ladder is and how to upsell. Many staff members aren’t trained to tackle the sales process. Think general administrative tasks, instead. So, you need to ask them if they know what a value ladder is. If not, take the time to educate them and explain the importance of their role in closing leads and getting new customers.
- Give them access to the Client Training website (& downloads), and explain how that resource works. We built this training website with you and your client’s staff members in mind. Take a look at the layout in the image below:
- Open up the “floor” to questions. And, hopefully, answer all of them to the staff members’ satisfaction!
Wait. Your client isn’t local. What do you do?
Frequently, people who have scaled their Facebook agency have clients on their monthly roster who aren’t local or convenient to visit in person. If that’s the case for you, how can you make sure you still do a great job of onboarding and maintaining strong relationships with your people?
Well, you just need a little bit of tech help and a solid system in place!
Instead of hosting a training session in-person, you’ll need to download either Skype, Zoom, or a similar video conferencing tool to conduct a virtual call. Allowing the staff the opportunity to see your face, despite you potentially being miles away from one another, magnifies their trust in you!
Now, let’s pick up where we left off. You just conducted your meeting (whether in-person or through the computer screen), and you’re left with only a few more tasks…
After the meeting:
- Send a follow-up email to thank the gatekeeper. Here are some examples of what that may look like:
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- Your contact information. Yes, again. It never hurts to reiterate!
- The link to the Client Training webpage, Lead FAQ sheet, Staff FAQ sheet, Follow-Up Process & Script Guide, and lead tracking spreadsheet (more on this in a minute!). You don’t want them to have to ask you for it. The idea is to include everything they need to close the leads that come in.
Lead Tracking Google Sheet Example:
- Ask for a photo of the designated “point person” for the Thank You page. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, by any means! For example, it can be a candid of them working at their desk. Take a look at the example below to get your creative juices flowing.
- For the first two weeks, reach out every other day to offer your assistance and answer any questions. If you’re local to the client, try to drop by their office during this time. Remote? Email or give them a call.
- After the initial training period, reach out at least once a week. You’ll keep the communication lines open!
Lastly, set up the necessary tech components they’ll need to perform their tasks.
- Add the image of the staff “point person” to the Thank You page. Remember, the staff image shows leads who the point of contact is for the business.
- Create a new Google Sheet specifically for the client’s new funnel. This will serve as the document to track leads on an ongoing basis. The Google Sheet should have the following columns: First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Phone Number, Tags (ex. how they found your client’s business), and Follow Up Notes.
- Create a new subscriber list in your autoresponder. We recommend using LeadKit for your efforts!
- Create a Zap in Zapier to connect autoresponder list to Google sheet. Every time a new contact is added to your subscriber list, a new row will be added to the Google Sheet.
- Create a Zap in Zapier to connect autoresponder list to trigger the point person’s email address. They’ll then get a notification via email that a new lead needs to be contacted.
- Create a Zap in Zapier to connect the lead email list to the point person's cell number. They’ll also be notified via their cell phone that a new lead needs to be contacted.
- Share Google sheet link with staff “point person.” Once you’ve created the Google Sheet for tracking purposes, be sure to share the link with the staff member so they can access it.
- Conduct a dry run. Opt-in to your client’s funnel as a test lead to make sure the zaps and notifications are connected and running smoothly!
See, your client’s staff members can without a doubt follow-up with leads in a non-pushy and non-creepy way! You just have to dedicate some of your time and energy to train them. Once you do, they’ll be armed with the process they need to help you close more leads.
If you’re craving more of what we shared today, and want ongoing help navigating the waters of building and scaling your Facebook ad agency, I invite you to join Closer’s Cafe. It’s your unfair advantage to stay ahead of the game, while mastering lead generation for your current and future clients.
Have questions or something to share about training your client’s staff members? Let us know in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you or be of any help!
