Rules for calls and messages
When communicating, you should consider the method of communication: in person, on the phone, or on the Internet. The latter two have their own peculiarities.
When talking on the phone, there is no way to trace the client’s non-verbal reactions and see his facial expressions, and not everyone likes this method of communication. So stick to the following techniques when communicating with the client:
If you can not call, it is better not to call. Instead, send a confirmation of your order by e-mail or text, and leave the calls for urgent questions.
If you can’t do without a call – ask at the beginning of the conversation if it’s convenient for the client to listen to you now. Before that, do not forget to introduce yourself and explain the purpose of your call.
Call only during business hours. If the client is from out of town, check their time zone. You may be at lunchtime, and it may be nighttime for him.
In an online chat or messenger you cannot see the client, smile at him, and make him feel comfortable with a polite intonation. Instead, you need to be able to make contact through written messages. There are basic rules for communicating with customers online:
If you want to address by name, make sure you spell it correctly first.
Spell it competently. If you’re not sure of the spelling of a word, you’d better double-check online. You can write in simple sentences so you don’t have to worry about punctuation.
If you’re going to write first, do it during office hours. But be ready to communicate with the client in the evening, and early in the morning, if it’s convenient for him.
Try to answer messages within a few minutes. Communicating with customers in chat implies a quick response, they should not wait several hours for a reply.
Write all the information in one message at the beginning of the dialogue: say hello, introduce yourself, tell them what you’re writing about. Make sure the customer does not receive multiple notifications in a row.
Communication rules for all cases
These rules can help you communicate appropriately with clients in all situations-even when you’re in a bad mood or your client isn’t very pleasant. And they work for every method of communication – in person, on the phone, and online.
Be polite to everyone.Say hello to the client, offer help if you see that he can’t decide on a choice, thank him for his purchase and say goodbye. This rule applies to all visitors, even if they got to you by mistake, bought the cheapest product or came in a bad mood.
Don’t keep customers waiting. Put all extraneous business aside and take your phone out of your hands when a guest comes to you. Because he doesn’t want to wait for you to finish doing your personal business.
If you have a really important call or other urgent matter – warn the client, apologize, ask if he can wait. The client will decide if they’re ready to spend a few minutes waiting.
If he asks about a service or product, start with a general description and characteristics of the product. Ask leading questions to see how well the person understands the topic. If you start using complicated terms and talking about features the customer doesn’t know, he or she may get confused and postpone the decision to buy.
Be honest. Find out right away what problem the person wants to solve with your product and offer a solution. Do not speak in advertising slogans – it’s better to tell the customer about the product or service in terms of benefits and results that he can get. It’s worth talking about the disadvantages of the product if it’s not going to work for the customer.
Don’t be pushy. People don’t like to be followed on their heels, telling them about good deals and really want to sell something. It’s better to ask first if they need help, tell them about promotions, and see if the client is interested. If you do persuade the person to make an unnecessary purchase, the next time he will not come to you.
Give the customer time to look around and explore the range. Because of the annoyance of the seller he will not be able to relax and focus on his choice – so he will leave without buying.
The main thing .
When dealing with your customer in any way, speak to him in the same language, be polite but not intrusive, don’t keep him waiting, and tell him everything honestly.
- When talking on the phone, be clear and to the point, don’t forget to tell the purpose of the call and clarify whether it is convenient for the client to speak now.
- When communicating online, double-check that you spelled the person’s name correctly, respond quickly and during business hours, write all information in one message, and don’t overdo it with emoticons.