Stop Selling Instagram to 80-Year-Olds
Stop Selling Instagram to 80-Year-Olds
What This Taught Us About Call Center Outsourcing and Inbound Sales
Yes — I actually had to say this once.
At Focus Services, we’ve supported the travel industry for more than 10 years. Hotels. Vacation packages. Cruises. Remote destinations. You name it.
At one point, my sales team was struggling to upsell internet packages for a destination that primarily catered to senior citizens.
Their pitch?
“You’ll want to post to Instagram, right?”
The problem?
The customers didn’t have Instagram. Many didn’t use social media at all.
That wasn’t a sales problem. That was a listening problem.
And in Call Center Outsourcing, listening is everything.
When Scripts Replace Curiosity, Inbound Sales Breaks Down
Here’s what happens in many inbound sales environments:
-
Teams rely heavily on scripts
-
Scripts assume a “typical” customer
-
The customer doesn’t fit that assumption
-
The sale stalls
-
The agent blames objections
That’s how customer experience quietly dies.
When teams fail to read the room, they default to features instead of relevance.
In this case, we were selling Wi-Fi by pitching Instagram — to customers who were more excited about relaxing on deck or enjoying a fine dining experience.
The value wasn’t connectivity.
The value was comfort and convenience.
The Leadership Fix: Coach Curiosity
Instead of rewriting the script with a “better Wi-Fi pitch,” we did something different.
We coached curiosity.
We trained our inbound sales agents to ask better questions:
-
“What are you most excited about on this trip?”
-
“What would make this easier for you?”
-
“What do you want handled before you board?”
Those questions changed everything.
For many guests, the real value wasn’t internet access — it was:
-
Premier dining upgrades
-
Excursion planning
-
Priority boarding
-
Onboard credit
When agents listened first, upsells became natural.
No pressure. No awkward pitches.
Just alignment.
Why This Matters in Call Center Outsourcing
If you outsource your contact center, you’re not just outsourcing labor.
You’re outsourcing conversations.
And conversations shape revenue.
Too many outsourcing partnerships focus only on:
-
Average handle time
-
Conversion rates
-
Script adherence
But high-performing Call Center Outsourcing providers focus on behavioral coaching, not just compliance.
Inbound sales isn’t about pushing features.
It’s about uncovering motivation.
When outsourcing partners are guided by strong operational leadership — and empowered with the right tools — they can adapt messaging in real time instead of forcing a rigid script.
That’s where the difference shows up in revenue per call.
How AI Strengthens Inbound Sales (Without Replacing Humans)
AI doesn’t fix sales by removing people.
It fixes sales by helping them listen better.
We’ve implemented Coaching Assistance models that:
-
Prompt agents with better discovery questions in real time
-
Highlight mismatches between the pitch and the customer profile
-
Surface what worked for similar customers
-
Reinforce best-practice questioning
If an agent starts pitching Instagram to a retiree demographic, the system nudges them back to curiosity.
It doesn’t take over the call.
It strengthens the human leading it.
That’s the future of Inbound Sales — augmented, not automated.
Where Are You Selling Instagram?
Every organization has a version of this problem.
It might not be Wi-Fi.
It might be:
-
Selling premium features before understanding needs
-
Pitching speed when the customer wants security
-
Promoting technology when the buyer wants simplicity
The question is simple:
Where are your teams pitching features before they understand the person?
If your inbound sales feel harder than they should, the issue may not be price, competition, or demand.
It may be listening.
Final Thought
No more selling Instagram to 80-year-olds.
Coach curiosity.
Align solutions to people.
Use AI to support conversations — not replace them.
And if you’re evaluating your Call Center Outsourcing strategy, make sure your partner is optimizing for understanding, not just efficiency.
Reach out today for a free consultation of your program and how outsourcing can make the difference:
