THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE
If you are in the service industry, you would likely agree that the level of service in a lot of businesses has declined greatly over the last couple of years. Staffing issues, uncertainty, forced closures, and a plethora of other things have stretched even the strongest among us to the breaking point.
In the current world, we are all competing for our clients’ attention as well as their business. With so many of us out there hustlin’ and bustlin’, how do we attract clients to work with us, instead of with our competitors? Through amazing customer service, based on clear and frequent communication, and genuine care for your clients.
I attended a meeting last week where someone asked the question: how do we improve our communication? Now, I wasn’t running the meeting, so I didn’t blurt out a bunch of stuff, but I did hop into the chat and add my favorite ways to improve communication. Today, I will share those with you!
1. PRACTICE. I know I have said this so many times, but it is truly the best way to improve your communication (written and spoken). Especially if you are in a service-based industry, you need to know what you are going to say in any situation. If you have a phone call to make, think about what you will say, practice it, and then make your call. This is helpful when you need to make a call to deliver good news, but even more helpful when you need to deliver bad news. For example, I have spent the better part of the last 15 years in the real estate and lending industry. It is easy to call someone to congratulate them on their loan approval or home sale. It ’s not so easy, and far less enjoyable, to call someone when things aren’t working out and they can’t buy their dream home. Thinking about what to say to them and how to say it before you call them will make the situation a little bit easier for everyone.
2. EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY. With somewhere in the ballpark of 175,000 words, the English language provides a multitude of ways to phrase things. Make it a point to learn new words that you can integrate into your typical vocabulary. If you are in a specialized industry (medicine, law, finance, etc…) it is even more important that you master the industry jargon or vernacular so that you can be seen as an expert in your field. It is also important that you know the meaning of the words and phrases specific to your industry so that you can explain them, if needed, to your clients.
3. SET THE EXPECTATIONS. This topic is one of my favorites! The number one way to ensure your customers have a good, no, a GREAT experience with you, is to set expectations for them up front. If you don’t set expectations, your client will create their own, and you WILL NEVER meet expectations that your clients set, which means they will be disappointed. When you communicate the expectations for your client directly and at the beginning of their experience with you, you immediately set yourself up for success! You also show your client that you are knowledgeable, and you truly care about them. When you meet and even beat the expectations you set, you ensure that your client will be thrilled and will come back to work with you again and again and will refer their friends and family to you!
PRO TIP: When setting expectations, always leave yourself some wiggle room. If you are in real estate and you are waiting on an appraisal that you expect in 7 days, tell your client you expect it in 10 days. That way when it comes back in 7, you exceeded expectations! This also gives you some space if things are delayed. If that same appraisal comes back in 9 days, you don’t have to explain to your client that there was a delay because they weren’t expecting it for another day! They are happy and think you are amazing! Never speak in absolutes when setting expectations. Set realistic expectations but with enough room to allow for delays or issues to be dealt with so that your clients still have a great experience!
4. YOU CANNOT OVER-COMMUNICATE. I will say it again – it is not possible to over-communicate. Stay in touch with your clients, even if you have nothing new to tell them. Check in with them via phone call, text, or email. Keep it simple but keep the information flowing! Your goal should be to never get a call from your client asking for an update. You should be communicating with them so regularly that they ALWAYS know what is happening. Your clients should feel like they are the only client you have at that moment.
a. PRO TIP: If you find yourself writing the same type of emails to your clients on a regular basis, create a set of templates that you can use over and over, with a few small changes to personalize them to each client. When you have many people to communicate with on an individual basis, cut-and-paste templates will save you time and effort since you won’t have to retype the same message over and over and you won’t have to think about what to say in each email. Create a word document or google doc and save your templates in an easy location so you can use them as often as possible. (Need help developing a template pack? Click HERE to inquire about a marketing audit and we can build your template pack together!)
I hope these tips help you step up your communication and your level of service to your clients. In the business world today, you have to do everything you can to stand out and to provide a one of kind experience for your customers. If you don’t, they will look for a better experience with someone else! If you want to dive deeper into how to enhance your communication and provide a high-quality experience for your clients, click HERE to book a strategy session with me!
Thanks for stopping by!
Ciao for now!