really want their honest opinion…good news or bad…and provide ways for them to tell you. A good way to do this is to use open-ended questions when people express their ideas. An open-ended question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no or one- word response. Below are common questions with one-word answers you hear every day in businesses that can be easily changed to open-ended questions: Instead of saying: Say: “How was everything?” “What else can I do for you?” “Can I get you something else?” “What else can I get for you?” “Will that be all?” “What else can I do for you?” “Was everything satisfactory?” “What else could we do better to serve you?” “Did we meet your needs?” “How else can we be of service?” 14. THE GRANDMA SELF-TEST Best-selling author and speaker, Jeffrey Gitomer, passes along this bit of wisdom and I agree with him. This is a sure-fire way to determine how what you say will sound to the client. A way to test is to put Grandma at the end of everything you say. Every time you speak to a client, end it with Grandma – if it sounds like something you would say to your grandmother or your grandmother would want to hear, then say it. If not, don’t. For example, how would this sound? ü “Sorry, we’re closed, Grandma .” ü “Next! Grandma .” ü “What is this in reference to Grandma ?” ü “It’s our policy, Grandma .” Get it? If you wouldn’t say it to your Grandma , why would you say it to your client? There are lots of phrases you use every day that irritate clients, and you may have no clue until you insert Grandma at the end. Try it and test yourself – take the five phrases you say all the time and add Grandma at the end. 15. LIVE BY THE GOLDEN RULE I have preached this ever since I started practicing law. Simply put, Treat people the way you would want to be treated. Because I believe that these rules are so simple, it constantly amazes me that other law firms do not put them into play. I have come to realize that the leadership of the firm must set the standards, and the rules as the basis of a client loyalty program must be non-negotiable. You absolutely 100% must be willing to terminate
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