similarly, when we treat clients like guests, with dignity and courtesy, it creates goodwill.
9. CALL PEOPLE BY THEIR NAMES People love to hear their names. Think about the times when someone unexpectedly addressed you by your name…didn’t it feel good? Didn’t you feel less like a number and more like someone who was valued? People appreciate it when you make the effort to find out and address them by their names. Here are some ways to make the most out of calling clients by their names: 1. When appropriate, introduce yourself to the client and ask his or her name. 2. Avoid being overly familiar too quickly. It’s normally safe to call people Mr. Smith or Mrs. Jones, but could be seen as rude if you call them Homer or Marge. 3. If you aren’t sure how to pronounce the name, ask the client. 4. If a person has an unusual or interesting name, comment on it in a positive way. 5. If a person shares a name with someone in your family or with a friend, comment on that. People are usually proud of their names and will feel honored when you acknowledge them. Take time to get and use the names of your clients. 10. LISTEN WITH MORE THAN YOUR EARS Most of us are not good listeners. We listen with 25% of our potential, which means we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand 75% of what we hear. Hard to believe, perhaps, but true. Such lazy listening habits can be very costly, both to our businesses and to ourselves. Here are some tips on how to be a better listener: 1. Resist distractions . Force yourself to keep your mind on what is being said. 2. Be an opportunist : What can I get out of what is being said, how can this information help build a relationship with this client? 3. Stay Alert : It is easy to daydream if the speaker is a bit boring or talking very slowly but try to focus. Make the client the center of your attention. 4. Listen for central themes, relevant and isolated facts : Too often people get hopelessly lost as listeners because they focus on unimportant facts and details and miss the speaker’s main point. Judge the content of what people are saying not the way they are saying it. Clients may not
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