For the first part of this article click here to read: How to Provide Amazing Customer Service…
Explaining Your Service Effectively for an Excellent Customer Service
Never assume that your prospect has heard of your business or company. Moreover, never assume that he/she knows about your company’s policies and procedures.
It is your job to inform the prospect so that you can be on the same page before the conversation goes any further.
Explain what you’re doing first, why you are communicating with the individual, and how you can help the prospective buyer reach specific goals. Always be clear about what your service can do and what it CAN NOT do. You don’t want to raise false expectations. You should always put yourself in a position to “over deliver” to your customers/prospects.
Show Respect No Matter What
Number One Rule: Show respect. You have found the perfect prospect, and you might be the most knowledgeable about your service. However, those won’t do much if you turn off your potential buyer by talking down to him, being self-important, sounding rude, or being too aggressive.
Sales is like wooing a girl. You have to put your best foot forward. Be courteous, show respect, and take time to get to know the other person. Do it, even if it takes more meetings or calls before you gain the prospect’s trust in you and your service. Both of you must be ready when you take the next step into the seller-buyer relationship.
Stay Calm, Friendly and Patient
Of course, customers aren’t always in a pleasant mood. Oftentimes, they are also wary of sales talks or don’t believe in your competence. So they can become, uncooperative, or downright demanding even. Still, don’t respond in a negative way. What you must do is to be cool and keep your emotions in check. Do not be intimidated, but do not engage in an unhealthy debate or argument. Be patient.
Put the customer at ease. Take this mantra to heart: Keep calm and SMILE. Face-to-face or by phone, a sincere and friendly smile can be felt miles away. It’s a sign of great grace under pressure. Always remember, you can’t deliver excellent customer service when you aren’t in the mood for it.
In addition, it is a wise practice to properly call your contact by name (that is unless the contact insists that you don’t). When you were doing your research on the client, you should have learned the decision-maker’s name. It can give the feeling of having some kind of camaraderie, which could make him feel respected and important.
But that said, be aware of your physical or virtual distance from the customer. You could be too close for comfort, or too distant that there is a lack of relevant connection. Adjust accordingly.
Say “Please” and “Thank You”
In relation to the previous items, observe politeness. Always say “please”, “thank you” and similar polite words whenever appropriate during your conversations.
Say warm greetings at the start of every talk. Say a thank-you after every transaction, whatever the outcome, regardless of who contacted who.
Good manners can go a long way. It gives off a friendlier atmosphere that prospects may likely remember
They will be more open to a conversation the next time you contact them. Or they’ll be considerably less gruff the next time they contact you for a problem they need fixing. Or the excellent customer service they got when they bought from you or hired your company is what will make them patrons for life.
For the third part of this article click here to read: Providing Good Customer Service by paying close attention to details.
Great how much you emphasize being polite. It’s far too often that costumer services don’t really invest in the relationship and don’t value those little things. It’s a shame.
Thanks for the response Tessa! Being polite and respectful are some of the core characteristics an excellent customer service provider should have. And that’s always practiced by our Call Center Agents.