Sales & Customer Service – Page 6 – STL

5 elements of great Customer Service

Being focused on great service can raise so many positive aspects in a business. It can save you money and build an identity, and a business with an identity is pretty powerful stuff.

Just ask Apple or Nike! Each of these brands is recognised by a unique ingredient. Apple is synonymous with technology and Nike with sports and fitness. The thing is that their identity was created by a demand focused on a specific interest and with a large, financial investment.

Building a business with an identity based on great service will cost you much less and give you so much more.

customer service stl london courses — The impact of great Customer Service

The 5 Impact Points

1. Free advertising

That’s right, leading your products with great service standards is the height of free advertising. And for the best in the business who serve with real gusto and love to exceed customer expectations, their reputation is continually passed on. People will actually pay more for the product because of that service.

STL Training Courses London — Customer Experience in 2019

2. Customer Loyalty

When you get the service right, watch how quickly clients work in to support you. Consistently impressing and building on customer satisfaction means your mistakes will more likely be passed over.

Make others the centre of your attention and you’ll be amazed at how quickly they will make you the centre of theirs.

3. Reputation and identity

Comfort of a brand can have enormous impact. Trust and confidence is everything in business. When a client finds it they will hang onto it, protect it and look at every opportunity to praise it. Think of how many brands you recognise instantly and which brand you tend towards because of this comfort, reputation and familiarity.

4. The Fan-base grows

Be ready for the onslaught of CV’s and job enquiries. As your reputation expands so does the eagerness for others to be involved. The best in business will attract the best, it is unavoidable. Staff will identify the value to themselves of being employed with the top performer in the field. Identity works both ways.

5. Suppliers and partners.

Companies proud to be associated with you will bring substantial benefits to you. For instance, you will get better contractual agreements for their being your sole supplier and, as a consequence, stronger buying power. For them, your well-known brand supports their own credibility and reputation. Notice how quickly companies will openly acknowledge brands they support or are in partnership with. It is a way of doubling advertising reach at low cost and harvests a greater source of consumer leads.

Outcome is the most curious component of business. You may have a belief on how things will turn out if you do this, or connect ‘this-to-that’ – yet business is organic. Something you nurture, tend to and improve on, and you ultimately have no idea in which direction it will take you.

Consider profitability and strive to improve it. Mark a starting point at the service the client expects, and when you then move beyond their expectations, the results can be outstanding.

Just look at Nike who were almost bust before they adopted the ‘tick’. Apple started in a garage but that didn’t stop them. Imaging your brand, your style and your service, will take your business far…

The Power of Active Listening

ACTIVE LISTENING - COMMUNICATION COURSES FOR BUSINESSES - STL TRAINING LONDON — The power of Active Listening

Active listening is an underrated communication skill that Leaders and professionals need to develop and improve. The benefits which come from this ability will raise your reputation and help you develop empathy.

This article will explore the importance of active listening and how you can develop your skill to improve communication and at work.

What is active listening?

Active listening is the ability to pay attention to the other person without becoming distracted such as thinking about what you will say or how to respond. Nor should you allow yourself to get bored and lose focus on what the other person is saying.

Dr Stephen Covey author of The seven habits of highly effective people said “First seek to understand then to be understood“ In other words when listening to others you should focus 100% on them and not on what you want to say.

How can you develop your active listening skills?

1. Stay focused on the other person without interrupting

A simple but important part of active listening is to stay focused on what the other person is saying without interrupting them. Too many people, myself included, are in so much of a rush to say something that we often interrupt others and don’t stay as focused as we should.

2. Show you are paying attention

When listening to other people you should show that you are paying attention by using good eye contact and acknowledge from time-to-time by smiling and encouraging the speaker to continue with small comments such as “yes” or “I see”, or prompts such as “tell me more”? Or “can you explain further?”

3. Summarize key points

While it is important not to interrupt, if you stay too quiet when listening, the other person might feel that you are not paying attention or do not fully understand their points. Therefore, when the speaker has finished you should summarize some of the key points made by the other person to acknowledge your understanding.

4. Dig deeper

An important aspect of active listening it to understand more deeply what is behind peoples’ words. In certain cultures, such as in Germany or Holland, what people say is what they mean. However, especially in Asia and even in the UK, what people say and what they mean are often two different things. When a British executive tells you that your idea is “interesting”, it can sometimes mean that they don’t like it!

5. Ask better questions

If you want to be a better quality listener you need to ask better questions. This could be follow-ups to dig a bit deeper and either understand the other person’s feelings, or to check you understand the other person correctly. It’s key to get a good balance between both open and closed questions. A common mistake people make when communicating is to use too many closed questions and risk making assumptions. Therefore, be sure to ask open questions and encourage the other person to explain in order to understand them more deeply.