July
15 2005 Issue No. 59
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EVENTS & FUNCTIONS Click below to read more Brisbane
- Stress
Management
Seminar Brisbane
ABN
Evening
with
Entrepreneurs
Networking - August 10th FEATURE ARTICLE
Forget Customer Service at your Peril
Other Services offered by Sales Champions and our national network of Coaches 1. Sales Training?Click here to read more2. There are
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Hi there We also start our first training modules with First National's SE Queensland members this month, which we're looking forward to, and some of our Queensland coaches will be in attendance. And I've been gadding about, catching up with people on the Gold Coast and been distracted to the max by our gorgeous new Tabby kitten, "Master". Dennis has been allergic to cats for almost all his life, his hands used to break out in a fine bubble type of rash and his eyes got weepy, so he let me use some NLP and Timeline magic with him, and within the hour, he had let go of his allergy. Cool, hey? I think so, because the Master (kitten) and him are getting along like a house on fire, Master sleeps not just on the bed, but in the bed and we both agree we hadn't anticipated the incredible level of pleasure and absolute delight we would experience from the little guy with the biggest personality! Enjoy and learn. Warm regards, Narelle and Dennis Forget Customer Service at Your Peril!by Narelle Stratford and Dennis McMahonCustomer Service - What's That? Have you ever lost a client or customer? You thought you had the sale in the bag, or you got one sale, but they never seemed to buy from you again? What went wrong? Most often, something occurred that caused the relationship to break down, unless of course your client moved to another industry or city. Client relationships break down because someone isn't satisfied with the experience they thought they were going to get: their expectations weren't met, so they felt that they weren't looked after and valued. How can you take care of someone when they are not yet a client or customer, I hear you say? It's quite easy really - think about the customer in terms of their expectations of the relationship, what problems they have, and how you can provide the solutions to the problems, and meet their expectations. It's Not Just about What You Sell Most of you will be thinking that this solution relates only to the products or services that you sell. However your products and services are only a part of the solution. The biggest part of getting a Client's business requires that the client trusts you to deliver on your promises and to treat them well. How do we as salespeople and businesspeople (not that there's any difference - we all sell) demonstrate trustworthiness to our clients? Trust is not something you can grab in your hands and drop into your branded bag. Trust is something that comes through demonstrating how much you value your relationship with that Client, and you can only show that with the Customer Service they experience every time they have a contact with you. Wooing the Client with Romance Customer Service can be thought of as the romance of the business relationship. You are wooing this person so that they stay involved and connected with you, with trust as the core value. At a recent meeting with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software Salesperson, we heard an interesting story about customer service. This gentleman had been looking to buy a property, was cashed up and over a period of 10 weeks, spoke with and collected 47 (that's right 47) business cards from real estate agents. Out of that 47, guess how many of those Agents actually followed him up and sat down with him to find out what he wanted? Only two! Over a period of 10 weeks, only two agents followed him up. He bought a home through one of those two Agents, and the Agent he chose was the one who sat down with him to find out exactly what he wanted and didn't want. Guess who will get the next property sale when our man wants to sell or buy property? This is a fine example of looking after your prospective client's needs and the potential repeat and referral business that follows. The selected agent didn't have a flash office, didn't sound as though he was flashy himself, but he at least gave the prospect some customer service. (By the way, the CRM software was fantastic.) What Have You Done for your Prospects and Client's Lately? By itself, you following up a phone call shouldn't be considered exceptional service - but it's all relative to your industry and what your clients expectations and experiences are, isn't it? When was the last time you followed up on your past clients, prospective clients and went the extra mile for them (and that's an extra mile that they know and care about - not the extra effort that you went to, but didn't mean anything to them)? Now, if you are not in real estate, you may be thinking that following up like this, doesn't apply to you. Trust me, it does. Have you ever lost a client? Maybe they were too polite to say you let them down or to let you know what the real problem is, so you've often wondered what happened. What's Your Team Doing for (or To) Your Business? If you have staff working with your clients, this could be extremely pertinent to you, so listen in. I recently went to a printing retail outlet we've used before, to discuss some brochures with the Graphic Designer. That meeting went well, but because I hadn't previously been asked if I had a deadline for the brochures, time got away from me and I now needed some photocopied brochures, in an urgent hurry. You might say, whose fault is that? My reply, is that of course it is mine, but what would it do for my relationship with the printer and my view of their business, if the deadline question had been asked? I would not be seeking miracles, we'd all be relaxed, and a friendly push by phone over a few weeks would have got me doing something. The thing is, this printer has done brochures for us before and I think he's feeling assured of the business. Do you feel like that about your clients and customers? If you do, think again... After my meeting, you would think that while you are waiting for your copies, someone might offer you an explanation of how long things will be, if there is a problem, a coffee, or just pleasant chitchat to pass the time. None of that happened, so I finally asked "May I inquire as to what is happening?" I didn't know whether to leave or stay, and because the people skills of the staff at the front desk were completely lacking, my impression of this business is being eroded away. Sure, the print job itself is good, but there are lots of printers out there... I finally got some information (which meant that the copies couldn't be done right away) but it seemed to take forever, with a complete lack of attention to me as the customer. No-one looked at me, no-one spoke to me unless I initiated the conversation and not only did I feel neglected, it meant that the relationship was neglected. 80 / 20 Rules Apply Customer Service for prospective clients and clients is an essential part of your business and the tone for that is set from the top down. This is why Pareto's 80/20 rule is so important - 80% of your business comes from the top 20% of your clients. The trouble is - it may be your top 20% that you are driving away, leaving you with the rest... If you and your staff neglect basic human interaction to make people feel acknowledged and heard, then your Clients will just be waiting for a reason to go somewhere else, like an approach from a competitor who they think will treat them better. So if you want all your customers to become super customers or super clients, make them feel super special. Rate this article, does it get the Is
your Customer Service up to par?
Want some help getting
your business where you want it to be? "Dreaming
is one thing, Like a mountaineer, it will take conscious and continuous effort to ascend. Grand adventures and vistas await me." © Rosalie Anderson, 2005 Australian
Businesswomen's Network EVENING WITH ENTREPRENEURS
Brisbane – 10th August Our next event ‘An Evening with Entrepreneurs’, showcases three successful businesswomen who share their success strategies with you. Our inspiring speakers for the night: Annette Sym from Symply too good Cookbook and TV fame, Ivanka Belic who has magic children's clothing, and Suzanne Chrisholm of Chocolate to Die For! With that line-up to inform and educate you, plus fantastic door prizes, what are you waiting for? And remember, Sydney and Melbourne have a wonderful line-up too. Click
here for more details on this and other Upcoming Events |
