Sales & Service Tip Of The Week

Have you called on customers and within five minutes they told you their life’s story?  Or, how about the customer who is quiet, analytical or critical; and the other who is demanding, unreasonable and unappreciative?  It’s the old adage, “you can’t please the public” that keeps cropping up when dealing with customers on a daily basis.  Today all sales and service professionals must understand and learn to “adjust” to the customer’s personality and behavior.  When you “adjust” your behavior you relate to people on a level that is acceptable and comfortable to them.  After all, they are the customers right?  But first you must understand yourself in order to make the adjustments to match the comfort level of each customer you serve.  Flexibility is the key, allowing you to “adjust” to improve interactions and establish a more harmonious working relationship.  We refer to this today as the PLATINUM RULE:  “Treat your customers as they expect to be treated.”

Sales & Service Tip Of The Week

One of the hardest fundamentals of communication to master is the art of listening.  Granted, it is an “anatomical reality” when you consider the proportion of these two senses.  That’s why we have two ears and one mouth.  Get the picture?  We need to listen twice as much as we talk when dealing with our customers.  Listening is more than hearing a person talk.  It is an active involvement and a sincere interest in what the person is saying.  Get in the habit of being an active listener.  You want to understand the customer’s thinking and uncover needs so that benefits can be used to satisfy those needs.  Can effective listening help to control customer interaction?  Absolutely!  By asking questions you keep the customer talking and surface hidden needs, wants or desires.  Only then can you truly serve the customers by providing the products and services they really want or need.  So remember for this week, “listen first to understand, then talk to be understood.”

Level 1 - Last Call

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Sales & Service Tip Of The Week

“Is communication a ‘people’ skill or a ‘technical’ skill?”  We can all agree it takes people to communicate in one form or another.  The key is reaching a point of understanding by providing a common frame of reference.  Without this, no communication can really take place, so picture everyone you communicate with having “filters” or “screens” in front of them.  We must “break through” these filters in order to reach that common point of understanding so communication can happen.  Sounds simple?  Not really!  Here’s some “startling statistics” to consider:  Did you know we communicate only 7% with words, 38% by tone and up to 55% through body language or nonverbal? Amazing isn’t it!  How important are words today?  Tone is important and you can influence people by not “what you say” but “how you say it!”  Recognize the importance of body language today.  Good or bad vibes are sensed by the customer.  Make sure your nonverbal signals “match” your verbal.  The customer picks up on this, while you, in turn, can observe the customer’s body language too for acceptance or rejection.  The “art of communication” is a never ending skill that must be mastered by all sales and service professionals.

How important is a Sales Certification Process to your career?

Sales & Service Tip Of The Week

How good are your people skills?  Everyday you work with people.  How well do you do in your human relations?  Human relations means getting along with people….customers and the people with whom you work.  Use the following questions as a checklist and circle “yes” or “no”.  If “no,” list the action you want to take to improve.  Review every 90 days until you are satisfied with your on-the-job human relations.

Do I show a real interest in people?                                             YES              NO     

Do I keep my promises?                                                               YES             NO

Do I treat people as individuals?                                                   YES             NO

Do I listen to people?                                                                    YES             NO

Do I accept certain people despite certain mannerisms?             YES             NO

Do I avoid judging people by the clothes they wear?                   YES             NO

Do I keep personal confidences?                                                 YES             NO

Can I apply customer discipline without making the

person angry?                                                                               YES             NO

Am I willing to see the other person’s viewpoint?                         YES             NO

Can I accept constructive criticism?                                             YES              NO

Do I avoid making sarcastic remarks?                                          YES              NO

Do I maintain dignity in my actions with people?                          YES              NO

Do I sincerely want to provide service to the customer?              YES              NO

Do I cooperate with the other employees in my

company?                                                                                     YES              NO

Do I cooperate with my company’s management?                       YES             NO