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Suggest You - How Empathic Listening Can Help Build Long Lasting Customer Relationships
Much new businesses start out needing to save costs and so they skimp on some of the perceived extras. They will often try to get away without spending for things like letterhead, stationary, and business cards. However these are very important and if you are serious about your business then it is important to go to the extra effort of putting these together. Start up costs can be prohibitive for a new company though and this article will show some ways that you can save money on your business cards and letter head design. With just basic computer skills and an internet connection you can get both professional letterheads and elegant business cards done quickly.If you are just starting out and want
The customer just wanted someone to listen. By listening, he validated the customer’s concerns. Even if the ultimate answer was that the problems would take a while to solve, it’s the fact that he listened that was important to the customer. Unfortunately, his sales rep wasn’t up to th
I have spent a lot of time learning to use the net for my advantage. I started with a website at least. Many people don't. Still, I have been doing the marketing for several companies online, companies that don't even have a websites. In one case, she's been selling off the internet for over a year all over Canada and into the U.S.. Still, no website. How does that even make sense? Aren't we always taught that our basic minimum is a website?Sure. That's true but if you look at the track record of certain products that still don't have a website, you'd be amazed. In the case of this client, I made her product a searchable topic. I just did this with another client the other day and she has a g
We all leave training armed with product knowledge… amazing features and benefits… and enough information to be dangerous. But no one teaches you how to listen. What helps you understand what’s going on in your customer’s world? Certainly not product knowledge. Listening is one of the most important, and least utilized skills, in most sales training programs.
Empathic listening takes listening to a completely different level. Most people listen to be understood by the person they’re talking to. Empathic listening is listening with the intent to understand the person you’re talking to. See the difference? If you are trying to understand what your customer is telling you, they know you’re listening. If you keep speaking trying to get them bought into your agenda, it’s because the call isn’t about them…it’s about you and your agenda. The customer certainly knows who listens to their concerns.
It’s about finding a way to get in a person’s frame of reference. There are some simple ways to use this in you everyday business. For example, if you do a lot of customer interaction on the telephone, always ask, ‘Is this a good time for you to talk?’ You never want to try and have a conversation with someone who is distracted. This simple question tells your prospect you respect their time and have empathy for their situation. It’s much easier to reschedule than to try and have an ‘information gathering’ conversation with someone who isn’t listening.
If you do a lot of face to face customer meetings, a good way to open the conversation is with the question, ‘Do you mind if I ask you a few questions’? This is a non-threatening way to open a meeting. It also signals that you’re ready to listen.
Copyright 2006 Susan Adams
The better you get at listening, the easier customer relationships will become. A recent conversation I had with a friend illustrates this point. He is a VP of Sales in a large corporation. He was on a customer visit with a member of his sales team.
The customer had a lot of complaints and wanted to voice them to someone in authority. After the meeting, the customer pulled the VP aside and thanked him for coming. He also commented, ‘I really feel like you listened to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Your sales rep, by the way, doesn’t listen. Which is why I wanted to speak with you.’
The customer just wanted someone to listen. By listening, he validated the customer’s concerns. Even if the ultimate answer was that the problems would take a while to solve, it’s the fact that he listened that was important to the customer. Unfortunately, his sales rep wasn’t up to the
Six Sigma is a quality management methodology that follows a data driven approach for reducing waste and improving overall quality of goods manufactured or services rendered. It makes use of statistical tools and techniques that help in identifying exactly what the customer needs and designing sustainable methods to meet those requirements. By implementing Six Sigma, any organization can hope to increase efficiency, increase productivity, and reduce manufacturing costs. By employing statistical methods, companies can look forward to create a near perfect situation wherein the number of defects is reduced to less than 3.4 per million opportunities that exists for such defects to occur. Companies the world over
Empathic listening takes listening to a completely different level. Most people listen to be understood by the person they’re talking to. Empathic listening is listening with the intent to understand the person you’re talking to. See the difference? If you are trying to understand what your customer is telling you, they know you’re listening. If you keep speaking trying to get them bought into your agenda, it’s because the call isn’t about them…it’s about you and your agenda. The customer certainly knows who listens to their concerns.
It’s about finding a way to get in a person’s frame of reference. There are some simple ways to use this in you everyday business. For example, if you do a lot of customer interaction on the telephone, always ask, ‘Is this a good time for you to talk?’ You never want to try and have a conversation with someone who is distracted. This simple question tells your prospect you respect their time and have empathy for their situation. It’s much easier to reschedule than to try and have an ‘information gathering’ conversation with someone who isn’t listening.
If you do a lot of face to face customer meetings, a good way to open the conversation is with the question, ‘Do you mind if I ask you a few questions’? This is a non-threatening way to open a meeting. It also signals that you’re ready to listen.
Copyright 2006 Susan Adams
The better you get at listening, the easier customer relationships will become. A recent conversation I had with a friend illustrates this point. He is a VP of Sales in a large corporation. He was on a customer visit with a member of his sales team.
The customer had a lot of complaints and wanted to voice them to someone in authority. After the meeting, the customer pulled the VP aside and thanked him for coming. He also commented, ‘I really feel like you listened to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Your sales rep, by the way, doesn’t listen. Which is why I wanted to speak with you.’
The customer just wanted someone to listen. By listening, he validated the customer’s concerns. Even if the ultimate answer was that the problems would take a while to solve, it’s the fact that he listened that was important to the customer. Unfortunately, his sales rep wasn’t up to th
Let’s face it: Your company or organization is likely to go through a major transformation at some point. Whether it is in a division, within a function, or across the entire organization, you as a leader will need the skills to facilitate the change and help your business continue to thrive efficiently.Sometimes the reason for change is external; perhaps the change is pushing you. Other times, the reasons for change are internally generated; you are driving and moving the transformation. Either way, change is now the norm, and senior leaders need to be able to handle it with focus, commitment and energy.Whether your company’s leaders have gone through some sort of formal leadership training or
It’s about finding a way to get in a person’s frame of reference. There are some simple ways to use this in you everyday business. For example, if you do a lot of customer interaction on the telephone, always ask, ‘Is this a good time for you to talk?’ You never want to try and have a conversation with someone who is distracted. This simple question tells your prospect you respect their time and have empathy for their situation. It’s much easier to reschedule than to try and have an ‘information gathering’ conversation with someone who isn’t listening.
If you do a lot of face to face customer meetings, a good way to open the conversation is with the question, ‘Do you mind if I ask you a few questions’? This is a non-threatening way to open a meeting. It also signals that you’re ready to listen.
Copyright 2006 Susan Adams
The better you get at listening, the easier customer relationships will become. A recent conversation I had with a friend illustrates this point. He is a VP of Sales in a large corporation. He was on a customer visit with a member of his sales team.
The customer had a lot of complaints and wanted to voice them to someone in authority. After the meeting, the customer pulled the VP aside and thanked him for coming. He also commented, ‘I really feel like you listened to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Your sales rep, by the way, doesn’t listen. Which is why I wanted to speak with you.’
The customer just wanted someone to listen. By listening, he validated the customer’s concerns. Even if the ultimate answer was that the problems would take a while to solve, it’s the fact that he listened that was important to the customer. Unfortunately, his sales rep wasn’t up to th
For anyone with the serious intention of building a business online, it is essential to build a list of responsive, interested prospects that are open to hearing about your promotions. Building an opt-in email list is one of the best ways to ensure the long-term viability of any long-term internet venture. While there may be some email list scams on the internet, there are also a number of ways to effectively (and ethically) build your opt-in email list.The name says it all: opt-in. An opt-in email list is one that a person requests to be on and confirms this preference, as opposed to spamming, which is not authorized. Be very careful in how you manage your list, because even an honest mistake can
If you do a lot of face to face customer meetings, a good way to open the conversation is with the question, ‘Do you mind if I ask you a few questions’? This is a non-threatening way to open a meeting. It also signals that you’re ready to listen.
Copyright 2006 Susan Adams
The better you get at listening, the easier customer relationships will become. A recent conversation I had with a friend illustrates this point. He is a VP of Sales in a large corporation. He was on a customer visit with a member of his sales team.
The customer had a lot of complaints and wanted to voice them to someone in authority. After the meeting, the customer pulled the VP aside and thanked him for coming. He also commented, ‘I really feel like you listened to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Your sales rep, by the way, doesn’t listen. Which is why I wanted to speak with you.’
The customer just wanted someone to listen. By listening, he validated the customer’s concerns. Even if the ultimate answer was that the problems would take a while to solve, it’s the fact that he listened that was important to the customer. Unfortunately, his sales rep wasn’t up to th
Retailers today, desperate for products that appeal to their shoppers, are becoming increasingly dependent upon their suppliers to provide them with items that offer consumers something unique and appealing. And this dependence also results in increased demands: find a manufacturer who is familiar with the many demands and requests of a retail customer.The competition is fierce, and it’s not going to get better. Everyday, more and more products enter the market that are usually a variation on something that already exists. For this reason, manufacturers have had to find new ways to make their products more appealing. And since the new product development process can often be tedious and time-consuming,
The customer just wanted someone to listen. By listening, he validated the customer’s concerns. Even if the ultimate answer was that the problems would take a while to solve, it’s the fact that he listened that was important to the customer. Unfortunately, his sales rep wasn’t up to the task.
Ask yourself, how do you ever understand the needs of your customer if you aren’t listening? Imagine the relationship you can develop with a customer who believes you have listened to his concerns and acted accordingly!
In all of the sales training I’ve taken through the years, I don’t believe listening was ever mentioned. Most sales seminars are focused on some new process, and never get around to such a basic idea. Is anyone teaching you how to put yourself in your customers’ shoes? I doubt it. If you’re losing a deal, and don’t know why, how can it hurt to ask, ‘I would like to understand your current concerns regarding the recommendations I’ve made. When you feel I understand your situation, then we’ll review the proposal I made. Do you have a few minutes to discuss this with me’?
We have 2 ears and one mouth for a reason. Spend more time listening and less time talking and your sales calls will go a lot more smoothly. Maybe you’ll discover some hidden needs, and be able to provide solutions that involve your product or service.
It’s always important to remember that empathy is not the same as sympathy. Empathy allows you to ‘walk in your customer’s shoes’. Sympathy is the expression of an emotion. Just because you empathize with someone, doesn’t mean you are agreeing with their position. Remember, your goal is to understand their position. Once you understand, you can move forward with addressing any objections. You’ve taken a customer who was ready to walk away, and have brought them back to the negotiation phase of the sale. Instead of having to discount price or give something away, you’ve created more value for yourself. All by listening.
Copyright 2006 Susan Adams
It always sounds corny to say, ‘People buy from people they like’. It’s true. I’ve always believed that if I had a good product that was competitively priced then what tips the scale in the deal would be likeability.
And listening is something that makes you likeable. Listening can create rapport with a customer in a way that nothing else can. I can’t imagine someone disliking a sales rep that took the time to really listen to his or her concerns.
If you’re looking for a way to improve your skills as a sales professional, I suggest making an effort to use empathic listening. Listen to your customers and really try to understand what they might be trying to tell
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