effective customer communication
I once read that customers who walk into a premises and want to be served expect to be acknowledged within 15-30 seconds. It’s 15 second when the person is in a hurry and 30 when they have a little more time.
People may think this is unique to one particular industry sector. However, it stems across all types of companies from hospitality, retail and any other business with a check-in or reception area.
Sometime ago, I read a quotation from the well-known author Brian Treacy that said, “Stress comes from within: It is your reaction to the circumstances, not the circumstances themselves”.
One could argue that we should heed Brian’s advice. However, when you consider how difficult life has been for many over the past couple of years, the reality is that many people experience varying levels of anxiety and for many different reasons.
Thankfully, we have had a greater sense of normality for some time now as people are back to business, mingling and socialising just like old times. Yet, I sense there is still a “hangover” of anxiety lingering for some people.
If there is one thing, I am passionate about – it’s customer service. Often, I am reminded of the phrase “the customer is always right”. Some of you may agree with it; whilst others will not.
Now, I understand that customers are not always easy to deal with and can be demanding. And as much as many companies will have wonderful products or services, we need to remember if we don’t look after our customers - we won’t have a business.
Every so often, I see sales people shy away from sales objections. I guess it’s something they fear, they get quite nervous and then run away from the conversation. So, what can we do to deal with these situations?
As professional sellers it’s our job to deal with the objection that is presented to us. We need to get comfortable with them, acknowledge the customers concerns and deal with them. Yet, before we do any of this, we need to begin by understanding the reason why people object.
If I was to be asked what advice I would give my younger self starting off in the world of sales, it would be to say “get used to rejection and learn to embrace it”.
Now, this may seem a little harsh. And yes, I would be lying if I said rejection is easy to handle. However, we need to remember it’s normal to feel a bit despondent at times.
Nonetheless when we work in sales, we need to accept rejection is part of the job and we must never take “No” personally.