In this automation era, one must not forget the importance of nurturing relationships with customers. By understanding the right ways of speaking over the phone, businesses can form a loyal bond with their clients.
Want to win the hearts of people over the phone?
Forget about the sales and analyze the pain points of your customers. Speak about their personal issues in a firm yet approachable manner.
67% of customers have hung up the phone out of frustration they could not talk to a real person.
Be honest in your approach. Don't dilute the value of your offer by going overboard.
Keep the following tactics in minds to nourishing the bond with your customers:
Pre-Call Preparations
Each year, $41 billion is lost by U.S. companies alone due to poor customer service.
After facing a negative customer experience:
- 58% don't use company's services/product for the second time
- 34% post their negative experiences on social media
- 49% will tell friends to stay away from the company
Adopt these strategies to avoid above circumstances:
As 46% of customers prefer to talk about complicated issues on the phone, get an answer list of possible questions.
If you are not confident about your voice throw, use a voice recorder
Practice on pre-written scripts before making an actual call. Work on your script by focusing on the pace, clarity, and volume.
Engage in Active Listening
Good listening skills build strong business relationships and reflect helping nature.
The average person speaks around 125-175 words per minute while an average number of words one can listen to per minute is around 450.
Before jumping to any conclusions, develop a listening habit.
- Pick up the call with the intention of listening customer's queries and feedbacks.
- If you feel the urge to interrupt in between, stay on the track by asking relevant questions.
Use Business Phones for Strengthening Customer Relationships
No matter what your business does, your employees require business phones to communicate with customers or prospective clients in a secure manner.
Suppose, a worker gets the call, but he doesn't have the expertise to solve the query. He has two options:
Move from his desk and look out for the right person to attend the call.
OR
Transfer the call to the right person while sitting on his desk.
With business phones, the worker can easily transfer the call efficiently which satisfies the caller instantly.
"There are phones systems to suit every need. In many cases, used phone systems are far better than the new phone systems because some companies just want systems with more phone lines and transfer call features. Most people think VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calls will save money. In reality, saving depends on the quantity of phones lines and type of phone calls you make. Do a proper research before making the buying decision." says Pete Williams, founder of Infiniti Telecommunications.
Your staff can delight the clients from anywhere with an internet connection by staying connected to the office phone system.
What is the result?
You can devote more time and investment in winning your customer's heart.
Be Simple in Your Explanations
Stay away from technical terms and jargons. Use plain language and avoid slang words. Don't make your customers feel inferior.
Almost 40% of total cost of managing business transactions is spent on problems arising from poor or misunderstood communication.
Instead of using filler words like 'um', 'like', 'basically', practice how to take a pause.
Always remember one thing:
Keep it as short and straightforward as possible. Clarify the problems in the easiest way possible.
Use Gestures During Call
You might be thinking:
What is the use of gesture when the receiver can't see you in person?
Here is the reason:
55 percent of message meaning stems from speaker's facial expression.
Apart from facial expressions, gestures also reveal a lot of information about individual emotions and intentions.
The more you use your hands while talking on the phone, the more clarity will be there in your tone. Use headsets with microphone to free your hands.
Not only headsets help in improving the consumer experience, but it also helps in increasing work productivity. Headsets also reduce the risk of 41% increase in shoulder tension, neck pain and upper back by holding the telephone handset between your cheek and shoulder.
Remain Positive and Summarize the Conversation
Pick up the phone with a smile. It creates room for productive exchange of thoughts. At times, you have to deal with angry customers.
Maintain your calm and composure to turn a 'No, thank you' response into a 'Yes, please'. Make yourself sound natural and interested.
Stop using words like 'can't' and 'don't'. Suppose your customer comes up with a query for a feature which your product doesn't provide currently.
If you think the feature will add more value, don't stop the flow by saying 'We don't provide this feature.'
Appreciate the customer's input by saying 'I love your proposal. I'll talk with the team members for discussing the feasibility of the feature'.
In the end, summarize all the main points. It signals your attentiveness during the entire conversation. Like Shopify, get ratings from the clients with Customer Support Happiness Report.