You want to build better relationships with customers. What’s the first step?

In my opinion Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand and manage both our own emotions and those of others. It involves skills such as empathy, self-awareness and effective communication, enabling individuals to navigate social interactions and relationships with greater insight and sensitivity.

The first step to building better relationships with customers is to actively listen to their needs and concerns. By understanding their perspectives, preferences, and pain points, I can tailor my approach to meet their expectations effectively. This demonstrates empathy and establishes a foundation of trust, which is essential for nurturing long-term relationships.

Recognizing your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior.Managing your emotions in healthy ways, avoiding impulsive reactions.Picking up on the emotions of others and understanding their perspectives.Building and maintaining positive relationships with others.People with high emotional intelligence are often described as empathetic, good communicators, and able to navigate conflict effectively. These are all important qualities for building strong relationships with customers.

Emotional intelligence allows you to identify and grasp customer emotions. This translates to empathy, enabling you to see things from their perspective and understand their underlying needs and frustrations. This knowledge helps tailor solutions and interactions to truly address their concerns.Through social awareness, emotionally intelligent CRM professionals can build rapport with customers. They can pick up on social cues, adjust communication styles accordingly, and create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. This fosters trust and strengthens the customer relationship.

Take some time to honestly reflect on your interactions with customers. Consider situations where you felt challenged emotionally. How did you handle them? Were you able to stay calm and composed? Did you understand the customer's perspective? Think about instances where you built strong rapport or resolved a conflict effectively. What did you do well? There are online self-assessment tests available that can provide insights into your Emotional intelligence strengths and weaknesses. These tests often measure aspects like self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. Keep in mind that these tests can be a starting point, but may not provide a definitive answer.

Techniques like meditation or journaling can help you become more aware of your own emotions and how they influence your thoughts and behaviors. By recognizing your emotional state, you can manage them more effectively in customer interactions.Deep breathing exercises, visualization, or taking short breaks can help you stay calm and collected during stressful customer interactions.Practice truly listening to your customers, pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues. Try to understand the emotions behind their words and tailor your communication accordingly.

When a new customer contacts you, listen attentively to their concerns and goals. Pay attention to both their words and tone of voice. This will help you identify their emotional state and underlying needs.Acknowledge the customer's feelings and validate their concerns. Let them know you understand their frustration or disappointment. This builds trust and shows that you care.Don't wait for customers to reach out with problems. Leverage your understanding of their needs to anticipate potential issues and offer proactive solutions or support.

I’m in agreement that emotional intelligence is a key factor; however, it’s important to do these too: 1. Understand your customers, their needs and habits. 2. Personalise customer communications. 3. Create value, whether that’s through a product or service. 4. Reward customer loyalty. 5. Exceed expectations. 6. Communication, communication, communication.