How to Communicate with Customers

One of the oldest customer service and sales techniques is definitely not for everyone. For a customer-minded employee, cold calling may seem abrasive, rude, and ineffective. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, you can succeed when cold calling is required if you apply a few tips that make the experience more pleasant for both yourself and the consumer.

Be Prepared

Whether you’re participating in business-to-business or business-to-customer cold calling, never go into the conversation blind. Know who you’re calling, why you’re calling them, and why they might want to listen to what you have to say. It’s likely that your call is going to be an interruption to the person on the other end of the line; people are more likely to put up with such an interruption if they can quickly see some value in it. You won’t have much time, so make sure you have a concise and friendly message ready.

Personal and Friendly

Cold calling often turns into a scripted routine, and it’s easy to forget that you’re dealing with people. Do everything you can to make your call personal and friendly. Robert Hartline with CallProof.com reminds professionals in service and sales roles to do the right research ahead of any call. If you’re calling a business, search online for the appropriate decision maker or contact. If you’re calling a customer, make sure you have a name on your call list or use reverse lookup to vet the phone number. When possible, do research to make sure you’re pronouncing someone’s name right. The quickest way to damage a potential customer’s perception of your customer service during a cold call is to depersonalize the conversation by mangling the name or not using a name at all.

Referrals

There’s a difference between productive cold calling and a shotgun approach that involves the phone book and a game of “eeny meeny miny moe.” The best calling strategies involve referrals, but you have to drop names correctly. Never fabricate a referral or use someone’s name without permission. Always use the name and association of your referral. For example, say, “Hi, Lisa. John at XYZ Station suggested I give you a call.” A referral from a trusted friend or associate will increase the odds that you’ll set the appointment, make the sale, or create a relationship.

If your cold call conversation goes well, don’t be shy about asking for referrals. Mike Wolfe, from the television show American Pickers, makes it a point to ask people he visits if someone else in the area might be selling antiques and junk, even if the original visit didn’t result in any business. He’s fond of saying that referrals are almost as valuable as a good pick, because you never know when the next deal might be a treasure.

Cold calling isn’t for everyone, and it takes a special set of skills to pull off this sales tactic without jeopardizing service to the consumer. If you can apply some of the tips above and come across as experienced, caring, and human, you might be able to turn a difficult task into future revenue.

About the Author
Nancy Anderson is the communities and article Editor for Beyond.com.  Nancy has 10 years’ experience in the online job search business with Beyond.  Nancy’s team produces dozens of articles every month for top internet sites.  Follow Nancy and the Beyond team on https://twitter.com/BeyondJobs.

Marketing surveys serve multiple purposes. They are a way of connecting with existing customers and receiving their valuable feedback. Surveys are a way of building stronger customer ties, and they are also a way of potentially attracting new customers.

Recent innovations in survey techniques make a strong case for using a mobile survey. It may be the best way of achieving accurate responses and building a strong rapport with the customer. But which questions should you be asking in order to best meet your objectives?

Start off Slow

You should start with easy questions that put the interviewee at ease. Even though this is not an exam, people like to feel that they are giving correct answers. So start with getting-to-know-you questions or something equally simple. You want people to enjoy taking your surveys.

Demographics

Simple and short questions that are easy to answer such as the following:

• Age
• Gender
• Interests
• Area in which they live
• Employment
• Questions relating to socio-economic background

These questions are quick and simple, and help to build an instant bridge between client and company. Once you know your customers, you can better target them with questions about your product offering.

Build it Up

Once the interviewee has eased into the survey, start to ask more complex questions, such as:

• Questions about your brand and how it is perceived by the interviewee
• Questions about your products and how they are perceived by the interviewee
• Questions about your competition and how they are perceived by the interviewee
• Questions about your competitor’s products and how they are perceived by the interviewee
• Questions about your pricing and how it is perceived in the marketplace vis-à-vis your competitors
• Questions about what have they know about the market in which you operate
• If you have just run a PR campaign, the sales figures don’t always tell the whole story, so ask what they thought of the campaign, whether they recognized it as your campaign, and why they liked or disliked it

And for the Finale

A market survey is the best opportunity for asking the hard questions – don’t be afraid to ask them. Ask questions about:

• Quality issues
• Customer service
• Company representatives

Don’t structure the questions in such a way that you will receive the responses you want to hear rather than the responses you need to hear. A survey is only useful if it helps you gather useful information. You must also remember: Try to keep a logical flow and progression to the questions. Keep them short and to the point so that the interviewee feels that his valuable time is not being wasted.

Keep these factors in mind when structuring your survey and it is sure to be a success.

About the Author
Written by Sharon from Dooblo, visit us for more information on mobile surveys.

The customer’s always right, but that doesn’t mean you can’t morph someone’s no to a yes in order to make or upgrade a sale. Staying cool under fire and following a few customer service tips allows you to create a positive customer service experience while increasing revenue for your company. Helping customers understand your products, removing barriers for the customer, and working to understand customer needs are some ways you can overcome the customer’s no.

Why They Say “No”

Customers say no to a product or service for a variety of reasons. Common issues that drive consumers away from an offer include price and lack of knowledge. Despite popular belief, the fastest way to yes is not always price reduction. In some cases, a substantial reduction in cost may affirm the customer’s no because it gives the impression that your product or service is not valuable. Instead of defaulting to discounts, customer service representatives should educate consumers about how products or services can improve their lifestyle, support business goals, or help with daily tasks. One of the most important customer service tips is to focus on educating the client instead of pushing the client to make a purchase. By providing positive facts and allowing the customer to make a decision, you create a relationship with the customer that can result in future revenue.

Getting to Yes

Sometimes, the customer is willing to say yes, but circumstances beyond his or her control make it easier to say no. If your store is hard to navigate, your website requires the completion of complex forms, or your phone system involves multiple layers of automated menus, the customer may give up before reaching a person or making a purchase. Use customer service tips to make every interaction easy for the consumer. On a website, customers want secure and simple processes, so don’t ask for unnecessary information or force customers to sign up for newsletters they may not want. The same customer service tips apply to in-person interactions””your job is helping customers, which means removing barriers between them and what they want or need.

Understanding Customer Wants

One of the best ways to overcome the customer’s no is to understand exactly what the customer wants. A shopper might say no to a new swimsuit until you present her with the perfect color or style to complement her shape; a parent might say no to a new video game until you explain how it educates preschoolers. Communication is usually on the top of customer service tips lists for a reason; ask questions, conduct surveys, and listen when your customers make suggestions or complaints. Once you find out what customers want, take action to provide the product or service and ensure consumers know how to get it.

You should never attempt to force a customer into a service or purchase. However, using customer service tips, you can provide education, service, or options that will convert your customer’s no into a yes.

About the Author
Nancy Anderson is the communities and article Editor for Beyond.com.  Nancy has 10 years experience in the online job search business with Beyond.  Nancy’s team produces dozens of articles every month for top internet sites.  Follow Nancy and the Beyond team on https://twitter.com/BeyondJobs.

Businesspeople who are active in a physical or online community will sometimes have contact with customers on a professional or personal basis. This happens frequently in small towns or commonly shared online communities.

Migrating back and forth over the line that divides professional and personal life isn’t something that has to be avoided, but a careful balance should be maintained. Getting too buddy-buddy with people who are primarily customers can put the business owner at risk of being negatively impacted if there’s personal fallout.

These tips can help business professionals find and maintain the balance in regards to connecting with their customers on a personal and professional basis.

Tips for Balancing Personal and Professional Customer Connections

Preserve a Professional Image.

Business professionals are often held to very high standards by their customers. If a business owner wants to be deemed worthy of a customer’s business, he or she must set an example of professionalism. It’s unrealistic for someone in business to expect customers to view them as regular people at night and professionals by day. The line between the two quickly becomes blurry, and a person who behaves in an inappropriate manner during social interactions will be viewed less favorably as a professional.

Be Selective about Connections.

There are times when mingling socially with customers is unavoidable. Family members, long-time friends, and neighbors are a few examples of customers a businessperson might be able to successfully connect with as a professional and in their personal life. But it’s better to maintain an exclusively professional relationship with those who aren’t in the family or part of a close-knit group of friends.

Employ Boundaries.

Being an active part of a physical or online community is important for business owners as it’s important to give back to the community that’s helped the company become successful. When interacting with customers in social settings, the businessperson should employ boundaries that prevent him or her from crossing the line.

No matter what everyone else is doing, the businessperson needs to remember the high standards most customers will have for him or her. Likewise, if the social situation suddenly gets out of hand, a smart individual will take that as the cue to leave.

Clean Up Quickly after Mishaps.

One of the greatest risks involved in mingling with customers on a personal level is that mishaps can occur and threaten to damage one’s business. If an argument or misunderstanding has occurred during a social occasion, things can get blown out of proportion, and negative publicity can result. Damage control should begin as soon as possible and include tasks such as following the best way to deal with negative postings on social media.

Friends versus Friendly

A business owner doesn’t have to be friends with everyone to be a success, but he or she should have a friendly demeanor. Those who confuse the two may find themselves in the middle of more sticky situations than they care to think about. An upbeat personality and good customer service will go a long way in encouraging loyal customers.

Although getting to know customers on a personal level can be beneficial in some cases, there are also times when it can prove to be detrimental. The businessperson who has frequent contact with customers in social settings must be able to approach these situations in a manner that preserves their reputation and integrity as a professional. One small compromise or mistake can lead to irreparable damage.

About the Author
Mary Ylisela is an author who writes about small business professional development and reputation management topics.

Your communication with customers is the front line of your business. It can take years to create a good business reputation, but that reputation can be ruined quickly with inappropriate comments or attitudes toward a customer. The reality is, making customers feel special is important.

We’ve all read plenty of material about how we need to focus on pleasing customers. This article takes a different approach. The focus is on the things you shouldn’t say or do when communicating with customers. Depending on your specific job or role in the company, you may find some of these no-nos more meaningful than others.

No-No #1 – Never Complain About Your Job or Business

No one enjoys hearing negativity. And this especially applies to customers, who expect to be the ones who are free to complain. If you moan and groan about your work, you create a negative vibe that can spread. It makes it easier for the customers also to find faults with the business.

No-No #2 – Never Say There’s Nothing You Can Do to Help

In some instances, you may find that you really can’t help a customer with a particular situation. But rather than putting it that way, find another way to say it. In most cases, there is some sort of a workaround. Getting creative with your solutions is often the key.

It may not be ideal, but you might be able to offer a discount or an alternate product or service. The point is, it is your job to be a problem-solver.

No-No #3 – Don’t Hide Behind ‘That’s Our Policy’

Company policies should be designed to solve problems, not create them. If your policies are causing more problems than they are solving, you have some work to do.

Taking the time to assess customer complaints and resolve their issues can result in lifelong customers. On the other hand, if you simply say “That’s our policy,” you can expect customers to be outraged.

No-No #4 – Don’t Use ‘You’ Statements

It’s never appropriate to use “you” statements. This refers to such things as, “You need to bring in a valid receipt,” and “You should have filled out the application form completely,” and so on. Statements like these seem to belittle the customer. The same information can be shared in a more respectful and polite manner.

Other Key Takeaways and Considerations

Although the problem the customer is describing is one that you have heard countless times before, you need to remember that to the customer it is unique and very important. Treat it that way.

Remember that your attitude is important. It really does have a direct reflection on your business. When working, you need to forget about the fact that you overslept and had to deal with a lot of traffic on the way to work or that you had an argument with a loved one.

When you are working, your focus should be on work. Your attitude should be positive and your mood cheerful.

About the Author
Debbie Allen is an online marketer and professional writer. Besides writing about customer service and reputation management, Debbie also writes about topics related to home and garden issues.