Introduction
A common phrase in the business world: people buy from people. Therefore, customer communication is the name of the game. If you want to improve your business communication skills, read this guide thoroughly and use the 10 tips to give yourself a competitive edge and win customers!
For effective customer retention, you should look at staff training, advertising services (especially on Instagram and Facebook), quality of service, and customer feedback. Also, it will be helpful to set up online appointment software with all statistics on your customers' desires and behaviour. Read more about customer retention.
The long and challenging process of setting up a business is followed by the business development phase when looking for management support. Please read our blog about non-obvious but essential ways to optimise business processes with the help of CRM systems.
Read the EasyWeek business blog to know more about this topic.
Your employees in customer communication
Communication occurs on different levels: from advertisements to posters and emails to social media like Facebook or Instagram.
Practical communication skills need to be taught to everyone in your company, whether they deal with customers directly, by phone or online. Therefore, training your staff in this area primarily aims to develop soft skills. These include:
Polite and professional appearance
New communication channels
Conflict and complaint management
Practical 10 rules for dealing with customers
Respond quickly and on time
How quickly you respond contributes to a positive impression. If you take too long to respond to an enquiry or message, your customer will think you are too busy for them.
Ask the proper questions
You shouldn't just assume what your customer wants because you deliver what you think, and suddenly there's a problem. The customer is also sometimes unable to fully explain their exact needs. To avoid such situations, ask questions. The answers should bring you and your client on the same page.
Active listening
When communicating, your client should not be left unattended. Ensure that you listen actively and that the customer does not repeat himself. Also, acknowledge the customer's communications with positive words.
Know your product inside out
Customer enquiries are mostly about services that your brand offers. There is no excuse for your staff not to know it well. Management should be sure that all staff are appropriately trained.
Use analogies and visualisation
If you feel the customer is struggling to understand your answer, convey it with an analogy. Do not use technical terms and formulate your ideas in simple language. Visual content is also crucial here to ensure your solution is correctly perceived.
Constant review
The most important information communicated to your customer must be the same at all levels and departments. You are responsible for ensuring that the workflows are clear to your employees so that they always remain transparent to your customers.
Competent speech
Demonstrate professionalism and quality customer service by using the psychology of writing. For example, people prefer positive sentence structures to negative ones. Use the word "we" to show that you are working with your clients and the word "I" when there is a misunderstanding between you.
Honesty
Honesty is a crucial trust factor. If you don't know something, don't improvise by saying "I think..." or "It could be...". These phrases raise doubts about your company. Also, if solving a problem is taking longer than usual, be honest about this with your customers. Most of the time, customers are upset because the service did not meet their expectations.
Individual approach
It is essential to show the customer that they will receive individual attention because it increases the likelihood that they will pay later with customer loyalty. The personal approach is based on the customer's background and needs. That's why CRM is helpful for optimal communication.
Thanks to CRM software, the business can effectively collect, manage and maintain information about your customers and their environment. However, this data supports customer service, sales, and marketing. Then the communication with your company runs smoothly, and your customer experiences appreciation.
An online appointment is an important part of the company's trust in the customer. Modern companies use this function imperatively.
Use all means of communication
The most critical communication channels primarily include:
Social media (Facebook posts, tweets, Instagram stories).
Your website (with contact form).
Messenger (Telegram, WhatsApp).
Email (newsletters, marketing mailings), live chats, and chatbots.
Conclusion
Communication with customers is dynamic. Therefore, it is crucial to identify trends and adapt the communication strategy accordingly. And customer care without CRM software is hard to imagine today. With EasyWeek business software, you can control the fast-changing customer dynamics.
