Stay - Say - Pay
Would you like to have customers that stay with you and
don't buy from your competitors?
Customers that say nice things about your business to other
people; pay you on time and
accept the fact that you might be a bit more expensive then
other suppliers?
Of course you do but how do we perform this miracle? It's
dead easy really; you only have
to consider two factors: be Reliable and be Likeable. It almost goes without saying that it's vital to have a
reliable product or service. Most
businesses spend a great deal of time and money ensuring
that their product does what they
say it'll do and striving for exceptional customer service. However, if you do this consistently,
don't expect any "brownie points" and it won't ensure stay,
say and pay. Providing reliable products and service is
vitally important however after a while customers start to
take it for granted. I can remember the days when a motor car was difficult to
start on a winters morning. When a
telephone engineer took a week to fix your phone and a
retail store wouldn't take back an item you'd purchased.
Nowadays, cars start first time, engineers come the same day
and retail stores give you your money back immediately.
We now take this kind of reliability and service for
granted. To give your business the competitive edge and ensure stay,
say and pay you, your business and your people need to be
likeable. Too many organisations forget that their customers
are humans and the thing about humans is - they don't always
make decisions logically. Customers are driven by their
emotions and they make decisions about organisations based
on their interaction with the people in the business.
They'll even forgive your mistakes if they like your
business. So what do we need to do to ensure the likeability factor?
Run your eye down the following list and see how many you
can tick off: * We always have a genuine smile for every customer.
* We are warm and friendly to all customers.
* We listen carefully and make it obvious that we're
listening.
* We use the customer's name and our name appropriately.
* We give the impression that we care and are interested in
the customer.
* We empathise with problems and complaints and respond
quickly.
* We occasionally do something to pleasantly surprise the
customer.
* We always keep our promises.
* We give the impression that we're fun to deal with.
* We treat the customer the way they want to be treated, not
the way we want to be treated. (The * We means everyone in the business be they sales
people, delivery drivers, accountants, engineers, managers
or directors.) How well did you do? If you've got lots of ticks then you
probably have lots of customers
who like you. Just a word to the managers and employers
amongst you; run your eyes down the list again and replace
the word customer with the words employee or staff
colleague. How many ticks did you get this time? Lots of ticks mean
your staff like you and it probably follows that your
customers do as well. Have you noticed how being likeable cost so little? A lot
less than advertising or other
promotional activity required to replace lost customers. Working a little bit harder on the emotional connection with
your customers will increase your likeability factor and
ensure they - stay, say and pay. Discover how you can generate more business without having
to cold call!
Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales
without Selling" This book is packed with practical things
that you can do to ? get customers to come to you. Click here now:
http://www.howtogetmoresales.com
http://www.alanfairweather.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The 7 Principles of Business Integrity
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't
have integrity, nothing else matters. -- Alan K. Simpson
My Child Has Opie Eye!
7:00 a.m., the silence in the house is broken by my child's call to me, from another room, "Mom, please take care of my Opie eye!"
Automating Your Customer Support
My regular readers will know that one of the things I highly recommend doing with any online business is automating as many of your day to day tasks as possible.
Stay - Say - Pay
Would you like to have customers that stay with you and
don't buy from your competitors?
Customers that say nice things about your business to other
people; pay you on time and
accept the fact that you might be a bit more expensive then
other suppliers?
Of course you do but how do we perform this miracle? It's
dead easy really; you only have
to consider two factors: be Reliable and be Likeable.
And The Difference is... Attitude
I returned a rental car at an airport yesterday. As the person who was going to check me in approached, he smiled (which shocked me) and said, "Hello Mr. Galler," which shocked me further as I don't have a clue how he knew my name ? obviously there was some way of identifying my car, and therefore me, at a distance. "How was your trip; was everything OK with your car?" he inquired in a friendly, personal tone. "Everything was fine I replied" "Great ? I hope we'll see you back soon. There is some bottled water in the cooler over there for you" he said as he directed me towards the shuttle bus to the terminal.
Creating the Right ?Viral Reputation?
Unless you are brand new to business, or have been under a rock for quite some time - one key marketing technique (which isn't new) - is called 'Viral'.
Top Ten Strategies for Delivering 5-Star Customer Service
Customer satisfaction is valuable, but customer loyalty is priceless. In today's competitive world of business, it is becoming more and more important to deliver customer service that is unbeatable. These ten creative strategies can support you in turning your customers into walking billboards for your business.
CRM For Beginners ? Customer Relationship Management Basics
In order to maintain a successful business, the business must understand and maintain a positive relationship with its customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the process of bringing the customer and the company closer together. There are many different areas in which Customer Relationship Management can be implemented. The goal of CRM is to help a company maintain current customers, as well as gain new customers.
Transforming Disgruntled Customers into Your Biggest Advocates
"I am writing to complain about the widget I bought from your site the other day."
Foolproof Customer Service Strategies (That Only A Fool Would Try!)
Ever notice how customer service varies from store to store? You walk into some stores, and before you can say "Buzz off!" a salesperson asks "May I help you?"
Are You Giving Your Customers Enough Reasons To Return To Your Business?
Good customer service just isn't enough anymore in the marketplace in which we live. Times are changing and business owners are learning that they need to create such an awesome customer loyalty program that they are always at the forefront of their customers' minds on a regular basis.
4 Easy Steps to Better Online Customer Support
Customer support is very important when you're running a business, whether your business is on or off the net. If your customer support is hopeless, you'll soon find your customers running away from you and worse, telling others to stay away too.
Dont Forget your Existing Clients
Quest for new clients shouldn't ignore those who pay the bills
How To Kick Your Customer Service Up A Notch!
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Human Tech Tips -- Tip #1. How do we take your customer service and kick it up a notch?
Identify Your Silent Customer Service Message
With the growing number of people in every business sector,
doing business requires creativity and ingenuity. The
entrepreneur that understands the importance of thinking
differently is the entrepreneur that sees their businesses
growing. However, too many business owners are relying on
the old ways of doing or packaging their products and services.
Whether retail or service oriented, old clichés and techniques
no longer work.
You Bever Know Who Youre Serving
You Never Know Who You're Serving when customers turn irate.
How To Boost Your Bottom Line With Two Little Words
I hate to sound like one of those cheesy get-rich-quick commercials, but this week I am going to let you in on a little secret that is so powerful that it will immediately change the way you do business.
Doors by Catering to Your Clients
Clients? they are the most important influence in the success of any business. It is vital to keep them satisfied and happy.
How to Provide Instant Customer Service
Customer service is an essential component of any business. Clearly, if you work alone your business thrives on good customer service. But what if you run much of your business online? How do you provide excellent customer service 24 hours a day seven days a week? Here's an idea which is working for me.
Invalid Excuses for Poor Business Results - The Weather
Note to Kmart: It wasn't about the weather
|
