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June 11, 2008 Leave a Comment

Don't tell me what you can't do

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do!”

– John Wooden

“No!” “We can’t do that.” “Our policy says…” “You must…” “You will have to…” “Sorry…”

You just told me what you can not do. What you will not do. What you don’t feel like doing.

You also told me what I must do. What I will have to do.

No I don’t!

I resent it when someone tells me that I must do something. I suspect that you feel the same way.

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do!” – John Wooden

Rather than saying, “We can’t do that,” try saying, “Let’s see what we can do to make this happen.”

Don’t tell your customers, “You will have to fill out this form.” Tell them, “Let’s get started! I’ll need to gather some information first, so tell me…”

Never. I repeat, Never, hide behind your company policy. The customer doesn’t care about your policy!

And … unfortunately, the people who write company policy frequently do not care about the customer.

“Customer service people give excuses about why they didn’t and why they can’t (stuff about them) instead of what will be done about it, and how to solve the problem (stuff about the customer).

When serving, the secret is “think other guy” first.” –  Jeffrey Gitomer (Customer Satisfaction is Worthless. Customer Loyalty is Priceless)

Think about this for a minute. No, actually think about your customer for a minute.

Think about what you can do for your customer. Remember why you are in business…

Because your customer has a problem. And you provide a product or service that solves that problem. You are in business because your customer wants something. And your product or service satisfies their wants and needs.

If customers didn’t have problems there would be no need for your product or service. You are in business because customers have problems. Invite them to share their problems with you. That is your business – you solve your customer’s problems. And they will pay you to do so!

Think about what you can do. Emphasize what you will do. Don’t hide behind the “doo-doo” that is your company policy.

Here is a link to a related article on customer service: “Empathy – Serve it to your customers”

Do you have a favorite customer service story? Please share it with our readers.

 

 

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Customer Service Tagged: , ,
April 29, 2008 Leave a Comment

10 Tips for Engaging Your Customers

“The customer only wants two things – show me you care about me personally, and tell me what you’re going to do for me now.”

– Jeffrey Gitomer

I recently discovered Chris Garrett’s Blog – “The Business of Blogging and New Media.” His recent post, “Engaging Readers,” could just as easily been titled “Engaging Customers.” And the same principles apply whether you are writing a blog or operating a retail business.

So, by adapting Chris Garrett’s article, here are 10 solid tips for engaging your customers:

  1. Motivation – When you clearly understand what each of your customers want, they will eagerly buy what they need.
  2. Attraction – Engage you customers on as many levels as possible: how your store looks, feels, smells. What “vibe” do you generate. How “open” is your store. Are your customers magnetically drawn to visit your store or website?
  3. Incentive – As Jeffrey Gitomer says, your customers want you to “tell me what you are going to do for me now.”As in an “internet-minute!”
  4. Encouragement – Ask questions that encourage your customers to talk about the thing they love the most – to talk about themselves. To talk about what they need. To talk about what they want.
  5. Interaction – Remember – you, too,  love to talk about yourself and your products. Don’t do this! Involve your customers – see point #3.
  6. Value – How much value do your customers receive from your business? Remember, your customer defines what is valuable – to them! Ask them. What do they find to be most valuable? Least valuable? You may be surprised.
  7. Community – People do want to be connected with others who share their interests and values. What are you doing to encourage this connection. What events  or social gatherings have you scheduled for your store? What are you doing to reach out to the larger community?
  8. Loyalty – Read Jeffrey Gitomer’s book, “Customer Satisfaction is Worthless; Customer Loyalty is Priceless.”
  9. Connection – Do a self-assessment. Do you still love what you are doing? If not, it will be difficult to be “present” for your customers. How “visible” are you to your customers? Are you interested in your customers? or … merely interested in your customer’s business? Do you show them that you care about them personally?
  10. Experience – View your business from your customer’s point of view. How easy is it to do business in your store? How friendly is your staff? How well do you exceed your customers’ expectations?

OK – whether it is your blog or your business, remember:

A blog without readers, isn’t.

A business without customers, isn’t.

Engage your readers. Talk with them, not at them.

Engage your customers. Show them that you care about them personally. Make it clear what you are going to do for them now!

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Business Practices, Communications, Customer Service, Sales Tagged: , ,
April 14, 2008 1 Comment

Why names matter

“If you want to make friends, make it a point to remember them. If you remember my name, you pay me a subtle compliment; you indicate that I have made an impression on you. Remember my name and you add to my feeling of importance.”

– Dale Carnegie

I like to be remembered. I like it when people address me by name. I give my return business to those airlines, hotels and service providers who consistently remember my name.

Remembering my name is more than just a courtesy. It is recognition of my lifetime value as a client. As Dale Carnegie reminds us, “Remember my name and you add to my feeling of importance.” And when I feel important – to you – I am more likely to pay attention. I am more likely to purchase your product or service. I am more inclined to recommend your business to my friends and colleagues.

Over the years, I have made it a point to address the people that I meet by name.  I am pretty good at it. It takes practice to acquire this skill. It is a skill that you can learn. But this skill is more than just a fun “parlor trick.” It is your key to connecting with people. The people who matter. To you personally, to your business, to your feeling of richness.

Daniel Scocco wrote an interesting article on this subject on the “Daily Blog Tips” site. Click here to read it – and the comments that follow.

I’ll be attending a conference next week. It is an organization that I have belonged to for many years. The people in the organization matter to me. Enough so that I will make a deliberate effort to address each person that I see there by name – before they have a chance to put on their name badge! Here’s what I do:

  • I request a pre-registration list from the organization.
  • As I read each person’s name, I try to picture their face – what they look like.
  • After this step, I go back and review my notes about the last time we met. What is their spouse’s name, the names of their children, their hobbies, etc.

It is an investment in time. But it is an investment that has paid off handsomely over the years. I remember more than their names. I remember the moments that we have shared together. I remember why names matter.

If you want to pick up a few “tricks” to remembering people’s names, click here. It is a good article by Kelley Robertson.

I you want to establish long lasting relationships with friends and clients, think about why names matter.

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” – Dale Carnegie

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Business Practices, Communications, Customer Service, Training Tagged: , ,