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.”

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.

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

Sales & Service Tip Of The Week

“LEARN TO CALL CUSTOMERS BY NAME.”  Have you ever “just met” someone and “forgot” their name?  Remembering names is very important in providing quality service.  Customers appreciate being called by name.  It’s the old story.  You can remember names if you want to.  Step One – You must want to.  Wanting to is the key.  It is your positive approach to remembering customer’s names.  Step Two – Learn the name.  As you interact with customers you will note names printed on orders, service requests, business cards, correspondence or notes.  Use the name to address the customer.  Repeating the name will help you to learn it and remember it.  Step Three – Use association.  Use words, scenes, and other names that are familiar to you.  Mr. West could be a compass, Mrs. Crane, a digging machine, and Monroe could be the former president or the famous movie actress.  Work out a system with which you are comfortable.  Step Four – Memorize the name.  Repeating the name will help.  Have a piece of paper handy and write the name quickly.  Later, review the new names you learned that day.  By using association and by memorizing, you will remember the name.  What do you do and how do you remember names?