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| Confidence Sells!Mark Hunter | | Recently, I found myself dealing with a retail salesperson who was attempting to explain to me the benefits of the item I was looking to buy. As I stood there listening to him, I was struck not by what he was saying but how he was saying it. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the person I was dealing with was either a new salesperson or new to the department we were in. Needless to say, I wound up leaving the store without purchasing anything.
Later, I found myself reflecting on the salesperson and the... Read More >> |
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| More Tips On How To Turn Callers Into Paying ClientsBernadette Doyle | | It's true what they say about first impressions. Because they have called YOU, they already know something about you and what you're offering. The fact that the prospect has bothered to pick up the phone to call you and find out more is a huge sign that they're interested in buying. The downside is that you may not be the only company they're calling.
So what do you need to do in this phone conversation to help things progress easily to the next step? The secret is to gauge what the caller really wants, and then give it to them.... Read More >> |
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| Your Approach Makes a DifferenceKelley Robertson | | Not long ago my wife and I were planning a get-together with some friends and wanted to serve a cheese board after dinner. So, we ventured to a local market to look for some cheeses.
We asked for one particular cheese at the first vendor we visited and were told that they did not carry it. No effort was made to recommend anything else and we left without making a purchase.
As we walked through the market, I noticed the cheese we wanted at another vendor. After tasting it and several others, we selected two cheeses. Total sale: $17
A few... Read More >> |
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Managing Multiple CustomersJeff Mowatt5 tips for juggling customers, callers, and walk-ins
You know the scenario… your workday is running smoothly and manageably when suddenly you find yourself dealing with one customer in front of you, another on the phone, while a third arrives with just a quick question. When organizations bring me to conduct customer service seminars, I find this is one of the most frequent challenges frontline employees ask me to address. While there are no absolute rules for juggling customers (you need to adapt to your workplace’s business realities) here are 5 tips that we find work well for our clients in reducing stress and boosting customer loyalty.
Tip #1 Remember, this is good
Having lots of customers wanting to do business with you is wonderful. It means you and your organization are in demand. The obvious solution to juggling multiple customers is just to hire more people. Of course that’s oversimplified, and may make no economic sense – especially when there may be only one or two rush periods during the day or week. When you see more customers arrive, don’t let them see you sweat. Take the professional approach and broaden your smile – even though it may be slightly forced. Keep in mind the adage of LL Bean who said, “Customers are not interruptions to your work, they are the purpose of your work.”
Tip #2 Don’t make things worse
One of the most frequent gaffs in frontline service is when a customer needs to ask a question but the employees are preoccupied - talking with each other. Even more aggravating is when the staff congregates to socialize while customers are left to fend for themselves. The place for employees to chat and hold meetings is in the staff area; not in front of customers. When you’re on the floor, make yourself visible and available to customers. Of course, that also means not interrupting your co-workers who are talking to customers. If you need to talk to a coworker who’s taking care of a customer, give your colleague a quick nod, then let him/her come to you when they’ve finished with the customer. If you absolutely must interrupt, then excuse yourself and apologize to the customer for the interruption, and as you leave, thank the customer for their patience.
Tip #3 Walk-ins take priority over phone-ins
If you already have a visitor in front of you when the phone rings, the visitor gets priority. The visitor took the time/spent the gas money to arrive in person. Unless you have callers with genuine... Read More >> |
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