Talking to customers part 2

The dynamics of a seller-customer conversation can lead a customer down a sale decision or push them away forever. I've experienced both sides. I've seen customers get irritated by sellers in the first few minutes of a conversation, never to return. I've also seen how some customer-centric brands use the power of conversations to win and retain customers for a very long time. As a business, I am 100% sure you want the latter experience, it's what every winning business should desire.

It's the importance of this topic that makes me explore 3 points today. Let's explore them quickly.

1 - Engaging conversations over dismissive comments

I don't know if it's just me, but when I get an single-word response such as "Noted" or "Acknowledged" or "Done", I quickly conclude you're either tired of the conversation, or you can't be bothered. My simple rule is, write in the same tone you speak, even if you choose a set of different words. Imagine having a phone conversation and get such dismissive or abrupt responses, it can be confusing and many times triggering. This might be subject to interpretation but the lesson here is to choose our words carefully, and pay attention to how we speak to our customers. Conversations and more powerful than hurriedly typed and dismissive comments.

Assuming a customer sent some information through, and you wanted to acknowledge, here are some examples you can consider:

• "Thanks so much for your request {{firstname}}, we will definitely look into it and come back to you soon".
• "We got your request {{firtname}}. Thanks so much. Please give us till the end of the day, and we will respond with some answers".
• "Your message has come through {{firtname}} and we are definitely dealing with it now".

These are just a few examples. Think about your customers, company culture, tone and use your creativity to engage with customers better when you communicate with them. Let your customer feel and remain delighted anytime they interact with you.

2 - Listening over talkative

Have you ever had one of those phone calls where someone tried selling something to you and you couldn't just wait to end the conversation? What's worse is if you have no interest in anything you just heard. That's being polite. Some customers actually shut down sellers right from the beginning of the conversation. Tip - pay attention to the customer's needs before proposing anything.

At My Centre Office , our CRM solution has lots of features & benefits. When we try talking about every possible benefit of our solution to a potential customer, we probably already lost them from the start. Why? Because we've spent all the time talking, rather than focussing on the real needs of the customer. It's this point that guides our conversations with customers. We allow them speak, tell us about their key challenges and needs, then we propose our solution based on the core needs of the customer. Why spend hours on a customer conversation risking a sale, when you can spend minutes hitting the right target? When you listen more, you have a better understanding of the customers' needs, and this further helps you to position your services better. Another point - without understanding a customer's needs properly, you may not provide a proper quotation, you may end up underselling your services. This is why it is key to listen attentively to your customers.

3 - Keeping in touch over sale-discussions

Think of a taxi app, what comes to your mind? Most likely 'Uber'. Now choose a service, and try to think of a brand that comes to mind. What you'll find is you remember brands you use or hear from more frequently. This is what happens when a brand is on your mind. Winning businesses understand the power of keeping in touch. Taking Amazon as an example, asides order confirmation emails, I get emails including company news, shopping cart reminders etc. Some other brands will also get in touch with customers post-sale. One thing is certain, keeping in touch with customers promotes long-term customer loyalty, especially over sale-point customer interactions alone.

Does that mean you shouldn't prioritise sale-discussions? Definitely not. But do not underestimate the importance of ongoing customer conversations. You're building a long-term customer relationship remember. Limiting it only to sale conversations limits your business opportunities.

Summary

It's been interesting exploring the whys and the hows of engaging with customers. Hopefully, you see the importance of prioritising engaging conversations over dismissive interactions, active listening over being the only talker in a customer conversation, and of course, maintaining regular interactions over sale-discussions only. There are probably more tips you can add, if you can think of anymore that have helped you in your business, and I will be delighted to hear them. Looking forward to your comments below.