Love This Blog? Sign Up for Our Newsletter for More
SignupNo items found.
Summary:
- SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Use this framework when setting goals that help your call center agents improve.
- Specific goals involve clear, detailed steps and outcomes for your sales team, ensuring that each goal provides actionable direction.
- Measurable metrics like (live answer rates) can help you track progress and adjust strategies as needed.
- Achievable targets challenge your team but remain within reach to maintain their motivation.
- Relevant goals align with your broader business objectives, like increasing lead conversion or reducing churn.
- Time-bound deadlines should be attached to every goal to maintain urgency and keep the team focused.
Sales managers tend to focus a lot on metrics, but those aren’t the same as goals.
Yes, the average number of calls a rep places in a day or their live answer rate might give you important information about their performance—but what does that matter if your team isn’t aiming at targets that serve the needs of your business?
Here at PhoneBurner, we’re big fans of using the SMART method for goal setting. We believe the best goals for sales teams and individual agents are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-Bound
Below, we explain each of these concepts in more detail and show you why they’re particularly relevant to sales agents in call centers. We’ll also show you how choosing the right dialing software can support your team in setting and achieving these goals.
Say hello to the SMARTest action plan you’ve ever used in your workplace.
1. Make Goals Specific
A specific goal answers the “who,” “what,” “where,” and “why.” It isn’t enough to tell your agents they need to close more deals—that’s too vague and doesn’t provide them with any next steps or context.
Instead, get more granular. Define the exact steps your team will take and the outcomes you want to achieve.
Example
- “Train all agents to speak to the top three customer pain points in the next 30 days.”
This goal leaves no room for ambiguity. Each agent will understand what’s expected, and you’ll be able to track their progress over time. PhoneBurner’s call coaching and monitoring features can help.
2. Measure Progress
It’s one thing to set a goal, but how will you know if you’re getting closer to achieving it? This is where we bring back the concept of metrics, which are specific signifiers of how much progress you’re making.
Example
- “Improve our live answer rate by 20% over the next quarter”
Your live answer rate signifies whether your agents are connecting with the people they call or just burning through contact lists. It’s a more meaningful metric than call volume or daily connections, which can mask the true value of a lead list.
For example, using the same lead source, what took a client 700 calls with one platform, took just 45 calls with another. By measuring and increasing answer rates over time, you can squeeze more juice out of the same leads.
Learn More: What are Answer Rates on Sales Calls & Why Do They Matter?
By giving your team clear metrics to aim for, you’ll also have benchmarks to measure their success—and opportunities to adjust strategies if necessary.
3. Keep Goals Achievable
Sales managers are often driven by lofty targets, but setting unattainable goals can actually demotivate your team. Achievable goals are critical for maintaining momentum.
When setting SMART goals, consider your team’s current performance and resources. Stretch goals are great, but they shouldn’t feel impossible.
For instance, if your team currently has a 10% live answer rate, setting a goal of 30% in 30 days may not be realistic. Instead, set an attainable yet meaningful goal.
Example
- “Increase our live answer rate from 10% to 14% in the next 30 days, a 40% increase in connections”
This keeps the goal within reach while still pushing your team toward improvement.
Learn More: 8 Tactics to Improve Your Live Answer Rates
4. Make Sure Your Goals Are Relevant
Every goal you set should serve a broader purpose for your business. Relevance ties the goal directly to larger company objectives, ensuring that your team works on things that truly matter.
When setting goals for your agents, always ask: Will this help us achieve our long-term business goals?
Consider talk time, for example.
Depending on your call center and business goals, talk time may indicate quality interactions that lead to positive outcomes. For another business, high talk time may mean it takes agents longer than necessary to solve problems and answer questions.
Ensure that the goals you set are relevant for your business model.
Example
If your company aims to improve lead conversion rates, try setting a goal like:
- “Convert 10% of all warm leads to sales within the next quarter.”
This goal aligns with overall sales performance objectives, making it easier to strategize and focus your efforts on activities that move the needle for the business.
5. Set Time-Bound Deadlines
Finally, every SMART goal needs a deadline. Without a time frame, even the most specific and measurable goals can lose momentum. Deadlines create urgency and keep your team on track to reach their targets.
Example
- “Follow up with 100% of all qualified leads within 48 hours over the next 30 days.”
This deadline ensures sales reps act quickly on high-quality leads, improving their chances of closing deals and maintaining a structured, consistent workflow. You can use PhoneBurner’s workflow automations for one-touch post-call SMS or email messages, which makes follow-ups a breeze.
Bringing It All Together with the Right Tools
Setting SMART goals is just the beginning. To truly achieve these goals, your team will need the right tools and technology. This is where choosing the right dialing software, like PhoneBurner, comes in.
Our platform is designed to help your call center agents work more efficiently, giving them the tools to hit their targets and exceed expectations.
For example:
- Our power dialer helps agents make up to 4x as many calls in a given period but ensures there’s a live person on the line whenever prospects pick up (unlike predictive dialers or auto dialers, which can result in dropped calls or awkward connection delays).
- Built-in reporting features help you track the metrics that matter most for your team. Get custom reports that help you learn your team’s training needs and take the right steps to maximize your revenue.
Remember, SMART goals are a framework, but they require consistent effort and the right support to succeed. By combining thoughtful goal-setting with PhoneBurner’s features, your call center team can work more effectively, meet their objectives, and drive your business forward.
