With so many automated answering services for businesses out there, customers often find themselves extremely frustrated, wishing they could talk to a live answering service instead. Answering services have gone the route of letter writing – it’s all gone to computers in an attempt to make life simpler. However, most customers prefer to talk to an actual person when it comes to their concerns, rather than a cold, unfeeling machine.
From the moment that an actual person answers a call made or transferred to a live answering service, a bond begins to form. Personal interaction begins from the very first greeting, and the feeling that your customer is not just a commodity to be transferred over to an automated recording can be overwhelmingly touching. Of course, with today’s busy communications demands, your customers may only receive a friendly sounding voice and an upbeat manner, but that’s really all that’s necessary to maintain a positive outlook regarding your business.
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If you are up to your ears in a stressful situation, it becomes difficult to think clearly. Sometimes, it is best to walk away from a problem, and think about it, rather than try to solve it with an instant solution.
My grandfather used to say: “Even the court jester can teach us something useful.” This saying goes much deeper in meaning and applies to many things – from a Yoga class, to not taking life too seriously, and to the unfortunate way customer feedback is commonly handled by the business world.
As a customer of any service or product – how do you feel when your Email is ignored, your voice mail message is never answered, and you don’t get any feedback or concern, at all, from customer service? We all feel the same – nobody likes to be ignored. The shame of all this is that customer service is getting worse on a global scale.
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1. Advertise Smart
Nothing risked nothing gained… Wise marketers understand the good sense in trying new advertising methods, but don’t go out on a limb to experiment. Are the advertising campaigns you’ve been using working, but not setting off the explosive response rates that you are looking for? Try this… experiment with about 20 percent of your advertising budget, and let the remaining 80 percent continue to do its job of keeping a steady stream of customers coming in.
2. Reduce and Multiply
Big isn’t always better, sometimes quantity is more effective. Try reducing the size of your current advertisements and run more. Surprisingly, short ads often generate more response than long ads. Yep, keep it short and sweet, and watch the results.
3. Liven up Your Ads
Take a look at your current advertisements. Are they full of active, lively, colorfully stimulating phrases? Yeah, get rid of all those boring words and replace them with phrases like…it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3… hurry! Don’t miss out…Save, save, save!…Act now!… That’s right, keep things hopping and full of action for effective advertising results.
4. Give ‘em the Warm Fuzzies
People buy products for the feeling they get from the purchase. How do you feel when you get a new car? Yeah, excited, proud and anxious to show it off a little bit. Keep in mind these feelings, and draw word pictures with your advertisements that will stimulate them. Yeah, you’ll be surprised at the results you’ll get from encouraging and dramatizing the desires of your readers.
5. Send Them a Postcard
It only takes a minute to read the back of a postcard. Most people are just like you – busy, busy, busy. Regardless of how busy we are, all of us automatically read postcards that are short, clear and concise. Send postcards with short ads to your target audience, and watch the flood of response sweep in.
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Have you ever thought about how much rudeness may be affecting your bottom line? What is the cost to your company when you or the people who represent you lack proper manners? Do you know how many clients are turned off by employees who would rather carry on a conversation with each other than with the person who came to purchase your service or product? Can you count the number of people who hang up and call someone else because the person who answered your phone put them on hold without asking permission? How does the client rate your professionalism when the employee who welcomes him to your office looks as if she is dressed for a day at the beach? Do your employees understand that it is more offensive then friendly to call the client by first name unless asked to do so? Are your employees treating each other with courtesy and respect? Do they honor the invisible walls of each other’s cubicles? Do they work as a team and help each other or do they act like cast members on Survivor?
In today’s fast-paced business world where too many people claim that they don’t have time to be nice, it’s easy to overlook the details that can help you grow your business, increase your profits and build long lasting client relationships.
Try taking this quick true/false quiz to test your own business etiquette expertise. Then run it by your employees.
1. Business etiquette is based on rank and hierarchy. True/False
2. If the information on your business card is incorrect, draw a line through it and write the correct information on the card. True/False
3. Business casual means dressing down one notch from business professional. True/False
4. In today’s relaxed business environment, it is not necessary to ask your clients’ permission before using their first names. True/False
5. Callers do not mind holding for information as much as holding for a person. True/False
6. You don’t have to smile or make eye contact with your customers unless you feel like it. True/False
7. Handwritten notes are out of place in the business world. True/False
8. A man should wait for a woman to put out her hand in business before offering his. True/False
9. When composing an e-mail message, complete the “To” line last. True/False
10. Small talk around the office is a waste of time. True/False
11. People can hear you eating, drinking and chewing over the phone. True/False
12. If you receive a call on your cell phone when you are with a client, look to see who is calling, but don’t answer it. True/False
Answers:
1. True. In business, you always defer to the senior or highest ranking person, regardless of age or gender.
2. False. Handing out business cards with information that is outdated or crossed off is unprofessional. Have new cards printed immediately.
3. True. Business casual is not an excuse to wear your favorite old clothes to the office. It is still business, and everyone needs to look professional.
4. False. Don’t assume because our work world has become more informal that you can call clients by their first name. Use their titles and last names until they ask you to do otherwise.
5. True. Clients will wait contentedly while you search for information, working on their behalf. However, if they have to wait more than thirty seconds for you to come to the phone, they begin to wonder how much you value them or want their business.
6. False. This is only true if you are planning a going-out-of-business sale. Every client deserves a genuine smile and eye contact.
7. False. Handwritten notes have become almost as extinct as the typewriter. You will stand out from your competition every time you send off a short note written in your own hand.
8. False. Every woman should be prepared to shake hands as soon as she meets someone in business. For either a man or woman to hesitate could indicate a lack of confidence.
9. True. You can send e-mail without inserting an attachment, without checking for grammar and punctuation and without a subject line; but you cannot send e-mail without an address. If you wait until you have carefully proofed your message and added all attachments before you complete the “To ” line, you will never be embarrassed or have to apologize for your mistakes.
10. False. Small talk carried on at the right time, in the right place and on the right subject is a great way to build relationships among co-workers.
11. True. Mouth noises are even louder over the phone. Just because your clients can’t see you eating those potato chips doesn’t mean they can’t hear you munching on the other end of the line.
12. False. It is just as rude to pull out your phone to see who called as it is to have it on and take a call in front of a client. Turn your phone off and check your messages later in private.
If you had trouble with any of these questions, your employees will, too. If you want your employees to be at ease in business situations, to represent you well and help build your business, give them the information they need. If you haven’t done basic business etiquette skills training lately, do it now. Don’t let rude behavior cost you business.
Make sure that your employees know how to handle clients over the phone, that they understand the importance of being attentive and alert to clients’ needs, that the value other people’s time and that they can deal with difficult people and situations with grace.
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