We live in a world that is increasingly digitised where email, text and social media have replaced phone conversations and more of our customer service is being conducted online rather than in person. That said, there is still great value to be had from maintaining strong face-to-face customer communication skills. These are essential for selling your products in-store, meeting customers at trade shows or simply how you present yourself through your visual media. So here are 5 ways that you can improve face-to-face communication with your customers.
Customer Communication: Introduce yourself
Putting a name to a face can really help to improve your customer’s experience so the first thing you should do when speaking to a customer face-to-face is introduced yourself. Many companies understand the importance of this personal greeting and choose to also wear name badges or ID lanyards to help their customers communicate with them on the shop floor or while they are at an exhibition. You can find out more about the range of ID and name badges available at https://www.idcardcentre.co.uk/id-card-accessories/Name-Badges
Be Positive and Smile
What may seem like a trivial facial expression is in fact very important for a business. Smiling and positivity need to come from the top down and should be ingrained in your company culture. When you smile, even if it is forced, you release chemicals that make you feel more positive, this, in turn, makes you relax. This will make you seem more approachable to potential customers. People pick up on very subtle facial cues and people who smile more tend to do better in sales scenarios
Customer Communications: Be Patient and Don’t Interrupt
Not every customer is going to be direct and to the point and you may find yourself having to deal with someone who themselves has poor communicative skills. This means that having patience is very important, listen to the customer and really make an effort to take on board even the finer details of what they have to say. Don’t rush them, even if you think you have got the gist of their query before they finish, as this can appear rude and reflect badly on you if you were wrong. Some times it can be a good idea to take down notes to help you remember what they have said to you, though do this carefully so as to stay focused on what they have to say.
Be Accurate With Your Information
Waffling on in a conversation can be very frustrating for a customer so be accurate and succinct with your information. This doesn’t mean skipping friendliness and a little essential small talk but simply means sticking to the point so as not to waste your own and your customers time. If the customer wishes to speak in more detail then they will likely initiate this part of the conversation.
Effective Customer Communication: Be Conscious Of Your Body Language
Without realising it we read thousands of body language cues each day. When speaking with a customer always maker eye contact to show that you are focusing your attention on them, smile to show friendliness and stand up or sit up straight to reflect alertness. Don’t cross your arms as this can come across as a barrier to the conversation. You can find out more about body language here.
