effective customer communication
Despite our desire that life should be a steady upward line towards whatever our goals are, we learn soon enough that it’s far from a straight journey. Whether personally or professionally there are ups and downs along the way, some small and some large.
Resilience is the skill that we need to develop to stop ourselves falling deep into these potholes, to help lift ourselves up over the rim of these craters and continue to move forward.
Over the years, many salespeople have told me one of their biggest obstacles is when they encounter the gate-keeper on reception. What do they fear that causes so much anxiety?
The fact is we will always come into contact with gatekeepers. And yes, we may be asked a number of questions and sometimes they will prevent us getting through to the decision maker.
Yet, we need to remember it’s their job to screen calls. We should accept it and be prepared to work out the best way to deal with these situations and win them over. So, how can we do this?
When it comes to customer service, I firmly believe most people have good intentions and the majority of confrontations are the result of a misunderstanding.
Whether we intentionally or unintentionally set out to upset the customer, the outcome is still the same. Because 'if a customer believes they have a problem - they have a problem' and it’s our job to sort it out.
Saying “I’m sorry” is one of the most powerful phrases to use. It demonstrates real humility and actually increases our chance of calming the customer, as they feel valued and heard. If we miss the opportunity to apologise, we can lose a customer. Yet if we embrace it, we can gain a customer for life.
Recently I came across a wonderful quotation by an unknown author, that read “Self-confidence is a super power. Once you start believing in yourself, magic starts happening”. It got me thinking.
How many times in our lives, have we missed out on an opportunity because of a lack of self-belief? How many times have we given up before we have even started? And how many times have we discouraged others to try because we think it’s too risky?
If we are really honest, I am sure we can all think of plenty of examples when we missed out on exciting adventures and wonderful opportunities. But have we ever stopped to think about the effect it can have on our confidence and self-esteem when we play safe or avoid trying new things?
With the surge of social media in the last 20 years, we have seen a significant shift in the way we communicate with customers. and promote our products and services. Technology has certainly revolutionised how we do business. To remain competitive, we need to embrace these new changes and adopt them in our business.
Still, we must remember that 'people buy from people' and building relationships is the foundation of sales. So, we need to talk to our customers and prospects too.
And whilst there are so many ways to communicate with customers and create new leads, I firmly believe cold calling is still one of the most effective ways for selling to the business-to-business (B2B) market. Carried out correctly and in the right circumstances, it’s a proven technique for generating new leads.