Regardless of your profession, if you are dealing with customers, you must always maintain a professional attitude and behavior. It's not just about what you say, it's also about how you communicate it. If you turn to someone without tact and courtesy, you risk losing business that is important to your company. By learning to speak to the public and working with difficult clients, you will be able to improve your professional relationships and consolidate your career.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Communicating Effectively with a Client
Step 1. Grasp the customer's needs
To know what he wants, you need to understand what his ultimate goal is and know his story well. Also, you need to have a clear idea of how you can adjust a project or circumstance to its goals and personality. In this way, you will have a more complete view of the importance that a particular issue can have.
- Ask useful questions to know what he wants. Be as specific as possible and invite him to be equally clear and attentive.
- For example, if you are an investment advisor, you can ask him: "Are you willing to lose 10% of your investment to gain 20%?", "How would you feel if you were to make a loss?" and "Do you think about your investments at night?".
- If you are a lawyer, you might ask him, "What are you hoping to achieve with this lawsuit?" or "How persistently do you intend to follow this strategy?".
Step 2. Listen carefully
Listening skills are important in any professional relationship. Therefore, try to listen carefully to your customer. If you don't understand why they care about an issue, you are probably not listening to them or asking the right questions. Formulate them more carefully and pay attention to what they say.
- Don't interrupt it. Use neutral expressions to encourage him to open up even more, such as saying "go ahead", "I see" and "yes, I understand".
- Maintain eye contact and take a few small notes if you get the chance.
- Slightly nod and / or smile (if appropriate) to show him that you are listening. However, be sure to be careful. Smiling while a customer tells you they're losing money isn't going to work in your favor.
- Try rephrasing what he said to ask him more questions. For example, if he tells you that he is disappointed with his earnings, you can tell him, "I can understand his dissatisfaction. What kind of profit do you think is ideal for his investment?"
Step 3. Be clear
Clarity is key when dealing with a customer. He must receive information that allows him to make an informed decision. If you're not clear, he won't be able to take it and may lose faith in you in the long run.
- To be clear, you need to use understandable language. For example, if he doesn't know the technical jargon, rephrase your speech so he doesn't have a hard time understanding it.
- Also, you should be clear about every step you plan to take, what results you expect and why. If your client does not understand your logic or the benefits it could bring, there is a risk that they will not accept your proposal or be reluctant to support it.
- Even the smallest changes, like delegating a minor task to a colleague or employee, could upset them if you don't tell them. Just tell him how and why you act a certain way before you move.
Step 4. Document your every interaction
Generally, it is a good idea to keep a record of customer relations. Clear and professional documentation can be useful if you need to demonstrate how many hours you have dedicated to a particular customer or if the latter asks you to verify your contacts.
- All contact with customers must be documented, including in-person meetings, phone calls, voice messages, text messages and e-mails.
- Record the customer's name, date (and time if possible), type of contact, how long the communication lasted and the information exchanged.
- It is always a good idea to send a note or email to confirm the agreements made during a meeting, the program and the expected results. It's just one more measure to make sure it's all clear.
Part 2 of 3: Interacting with the Customer
Step 1. Be professional at all times
Regardless of which channel you use to communicate with a client, you need to remain professional in every respect and, therefore, pay attention to the way you speak, what you say and your attitude.
- Don't use a confidential tone. Remember that you are interacting with a customer, not a friend, so don't be rude, don't make inappropriate jokes, and don't use abbreviations or emoticons when communicating with them.
- Always check grammar and spelling. A glaring mistake can embarrass you and make you look unprofessional.
- Ask him about his private life if he tells you anything, but don't be pushy or indelicate. You will likely have to go through trial and error to find a good balance.
- Express yourself politely and appropriately, saying, "How nice to see you again. How was the weekend?"
- Avoid taking extremes or addressing inappropriate topics, such as politics, religion, social problems, and romantic relationships.
Step 2. Be proactive
If you are not proactive, you could lead to disappointment in customers and ruin professional relationships. Don't hesitate to get in touch with them, especially when there is some news they want to know.
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Don't wait for a customer to call you with news about them. Please inform him and he will appreciate your efforts. Keep track of your sources so you can find the most important information.
However, do not report unreliable rumors, unless there is a risk that something could compromise a customer's business. Check the sources before contacting him
- Form an opinion on the information to offer and back it up boldly and firmly.
- For example, if a client is unsure which stocks to invest in, you might say, "Since they want to get limited risk benefits, I think they should consider _ because _."
- Alternatively, if you are a doctor, contact the patient when you receive the results of an exam or learn about a new treatment that could solve a health problem.
Step 3. Respect his times
While you should regularly contact your customer, it is inappropriate to waste time. Generally speaking, unless they ask you for more time or have issues that need your attention, phone calls shouldn't last more than 10-15 minutes.
Don't call him to indulge in futile chatter. Everyone has their own commitments, so try to keep your relationships professionally, unless you contact about some social initiative
Step 4. Ask him for ideas and opinions
Whenever you discuss a new business, ask your customer what he thinks about the information you have given him. Give him your opinion on the issues addressed together and ask him what his point of view is in relation to what you have communicated to him to understand if your visions coincide.
- Acknowledge and respect his opinion. Even if you disagree, answer him: "Yes, I understand his point of view."
- If you know a customer is wrong and is risking bankruptcy or a huge loss of money, don't be afraid to warn them.
- Avoid saying he is wrong, or you will put him on the defensive. Rather, ask him, "Did he consider _?" or "What would he think if _ happened?"
- Alternatively, if you are his lawyer, you could ask him if he is clear about the legal actions you are about to take and if he agrees with the strategy adopted.
Step 5. Pay attention to body language
Body language can betray many emotions, whether you are aware of it or not. If you know how to interpret that of your clients, you can use it to your benefit, but keep in mind that the way you communicate with your body can also betray you in front of a client.
- Be aware of the non-verbal communication transmitted by your body and that of the client.
- Physically backing away can seem like an arrogant attitude, while leaning forward can be seen as an aggressive posture.
- Arms crossed across the chest may indicate a defensive or reluctant attitude.
- Restlessness is a sign of nervousness or irritation.
Step 6. Be aware of your tone of voice and behavior
Tone of voice and behavior can also reveal unexpressed feelings as much as body language. Therefore, pay attention to how you formulate the voice and the message it might convey to customers so that you can correct it according to the circumstances.
- Make sure your tone of voice matches your facial expressions.
- Also, make sure it doesn't disagree with what you're saying. If your words express agreement while the tone conveys frustration, the customer may notice.
- Make sure you smile when you talk, especially on the phone. In this way, you will communicate optimism and availability.
Part 3 of 3: Dealing with the Most Difficult Customers
Step 1. Stay in control of your emotions
Sometimes, it is not easy to work in contact with customers, but in these cases you have to stay in control of yourself. If emotions take over, they could jeopardize your business and even cause you to lose your job.
- Don't react irrationally in any situation. Be respectful and remember that the customer is always right.
- Don't forget that you are a professional, even when someone insults you.
- If you are having a hard time controlling your emotions, try counting to ten or taking a deep breath before opening your mouth.
Step 2. Spend more time listening than talking
It is always a good idea to let a customer speak freely, but it is even more important if you are facing a person who makes rather complex requests. Maybe she is reluctant to collaborate because she is convinced that you are not listening to her words, so you will be able to calm the waters by giving her the opportunity to speak in moments of greatest tension.
- With silence you can communicate many things. Let your customer speak and respond at the appropriate time.
- Ask him questions to reflect or clarify the less clear points in his speech. For example, you might say, "I think I understand, but I'm a little confused about _. Could you explain what you mean?"
Step 3. Show your commitment
When a difficult customer is convinced that they are not being listened to, there is a risk that they will not cooperate. Then, learn to show engagement and attention in your conversations in order to reassure him and ease the tension of the moment.
- Look him in the eye while you are talking.
- Use small verbal expressions to show that you are listening. For example, you can demonstrate your participation by saying "mhmm" or "yes" or even just nodding to indicate that you agree.
Step 4. Be confident when you speak
The form of a speech is as important as the content. If you are dealing with a difficult client, you need to pay attention to the idea they might have of you while you are talking. For example, if he is nervous, you can calm him down by changing the speed and pitch of your voice, especially if you combine these with other speaking techniques.
- Slow down the pace of speech and lower the pitch and volume of your voice.
- By speaking in a softer and slower way, you will be able to calm customers in the throes of anxiety and nervousness. Try to make these changes visible so that they feel them.
Step 5. Always fulfill his wishes
Sometimes, agreeing is the best way to calm things down when you're dealing with a difficult client with a bad temper. If there's no other way to reassure him, you don't want to object, even if you know he's wrong.
Express your concern if he is about to make a huge mistake, but remember that ultimately the decision is up to him
Step 6. Give up your assignment, as a last resort
If despite your best efforts you cannot get a customer to think or satisfy their requests, you should leave them alone. You may lose a lot of money, but in some cases it is not worth having a headache to keep the business going.
