Mmunication is more than a skill, it’s essential. Customer service and attention to detail can make a big difference to new companies Stuart Goulden enjoys an unusually close relationship with his customers.
His office refurbishment was funded by them and they sit all around him. The managing director and his colleagues at One&Other, a local media company, invite readers to work in their office, a converted chapel in York that more than 60 readers helped to renovate via crowdfunding. “We have an open newsroom policy and actively encourage the local community to come in. There are 15 or more people in the office right now. It is all about communication, something at the heart of good customer service, and small companies are finding innovative ways to make sure that they can keep up with large corporates, whether their customers are near or far. The biggest customer service challenge for Lee Cowles, managing director of Blurb, an online photography book company, is that his customers are across 27 countries.
Five Steps to Better Communication with Customers. By: Arment Dietrich | August 31, 2010 | Guest post by Anna Barcelos, co-moderator of #IMCChat.
Many organizations have an abundance of data. The big question is how are they using it to better communicate with customers and prospects? Additionally, some of this valuable information resides outside of marketing, making it a challenge for effective, relevant marketing and communications. From an integrated marketing communications (IMC) perspective, the best use of customer/prospect data is aggregating it into behavioral groups; for example, aggregating information on existing customers based on how, when, and how often they buy the company’s products and services. 1. Positive Communication With Customers. With the busy economy, people’s demanding schedules and the higher cost of travel, suppliers often have fewer opportunities to meet with their customers face to face.
Here are some tips that can help make your customer phone conversations more positive. Smile when you answer your customer’s phone calls. A smile can be heard in your voice and this tends to relax callers and that leads to more positive phone conversations. So be friendly and polite.Use clear and plain language in your conversation – don’t use jargon. A qualified professional can explain things so that everyone understands.Return phone messages as quickly as possible, if not on the same day then within 24 hours.
Gerry Doerksen is the Managing Principal of Client Insight Inc, a research company that works with clients to measure & improve their level of service delivery. www.clientinsight.ca. 10 ways to communicate more effectively with customers and co-workers. This information is also available as a PDF download.
We all know what happened to the Titanic. Clearer communications could have prevented the tragedy and the loss of more than 1,500 lives. Communications plays just as important a role in your careers. When asked to name the top three skills they believed their subordinates need, 70 percent of the readers of CIO magazine listed communications as one of them. Here are some tips on how you can communicate more effectively with people at work, be they customers, co-workers, subordinates, or superiors. #1: Beware of interrupting Titanic wireless operator Jack Phillips interrupted a wireless message from a nearby ship, telling them to shut up.
Be careful about interrupting others, particularly your customers. . #2: Listen actively Did you ever get the feeling, when talking to someone, that you were really talking to a wall? #3: Avoid negative questions Suppose you say to a customer, "You don't have Word installed? " #10: Keep the customer informed. Effective Communication With Customers And Employees. Business owners often dread having to have difficult conversations with staff or customers.
Liz Cassidy of Third Sigma International provides a step by step analysis on achieving effective communication. Often in executive coaching, clients ask for assistance with having tricky conversations because they are dreading an upcoming interview. I see difficult conversations as a cause for celebration, especially if the conversation is initiated by the other party. Often we lose staff and customers and have no idea why they left; what caused them to become so disenchanted with us, our product or service that they just walked away without caring enough to let us know? Staying engaged with someone who still cares about us or what we do is the best opportunity to build a long-term business relationship. Once we have thought about this, it’s time to plan. Effective communication with customers is key to a successful small business. Peter Drucker (Management Expert) Since the purpose of any small business is to create customers, communication with your customers must be a key facet of the business.
As an entrepreneur if you do not communicate effectively with your customers, you could well lose the customers. Businesses use many different ways to communicate with customers and many different tools, but corporate branding and consistency in the quality of the communication can ensure the customers stay satisfied with the business. Following are some tips to make sure your communication with customers is effective. Face to Face Communication Smiling is a good key to building effective relationships with your customers. Communicating on the Telephone Although the customer cannot see your smile, smiling will affect your tone of voice and will help your customer to see the telephone communication as a positive. Writing a Business Letter Promote Your Business in the Mail.