Your communication skills will have a direct impact on the success of your company. It’s important that your customers are clear about your company’s mission and feel comfortable voicing their concerns and opinions. Here are a few tips on how to communicate with customers effectively, boost your productivity, and strengthen your business.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Be as brief as you can when communicating with your customers. Don’t be overly wordy–clients may think you’re trying to hide something. You want your customers to trust you, so keep your messages short and to the point. Your direct communication, as well as online marketing messages and voice broadcasting services, should be easy to understand so customers know what to expect from you. Make sure to make your message as clear as possible. Avoid jargon or anything that is too technical to avoid confusion or miscommunications. 

Stay Positive

It’s important to remain positive when interacting with customers. You’ll get better results if you word things in a positive and encouraging way. Let your customers know that you’re working to create a fulfilling experience for them and are dedicated to delivering the best products and services. Avoid negative speech such as “do not” or “cannot” in writing and instead use what is called positive framing. Always encourage feedback so that customers will continue to feel valued each time they do business with you.

Be An Active Listener

When you listen actively, you’re devoting your full attention to the person speaking to you. Active listening also entails responding appropriately after you’ve heard what the other person has to say. When you’re speaking with customers in person, remember to make eye contact and keep a pleasant look on your face throughout the conversation. Make sure to express empathy to a customer if they experience a problem. This will calm the customer’s emotions and showcase that you care about how the situation affected them.  If you’re speaking with customers online, make sure your responses are prompt and directly related to the customer’s issue or concern.

Don’t Interrupt

When customers are telling you how they feel about a product or service you’ve offered, it’s best not to interrupt. This simple but polite gesture sends the message that you value your customers and want to give them the freedom to express their dissatisfaction as well as offer constructive criticism. Take all the information your customers give you into account before you provide a response. Repeating the problem to the customer will ensure that you understand the situation correctly and that there is no miscommunication between you. This can make the conversation go smoothly and increase the chances that you’ll come up with a solution.

If you’re communicating with customers online, don’t ask several questions at once. Address one issue at a time and don’t send the customer a borage or pre-written answers to their questions. Make sure to come off as a genuine person through text and not a written robot. Most clients value human interaction and want to feel as though they’re being heard, which is an important part of customer service.

Make Sure You Understand

Continue monitoring your conversations with customers to make sure you understand what your clients need and how your company is equipped to help. Don’t try to read between the lines or assume that you know what a customer wants without hearing them out. Try paraphrasing the customer’s statements and asking if you understand the issue correctly before providing a solution.

Use Visual Aids

Pictures truly are worth a thousand words. Use visual aids to make your company’s philosophy clearer for clients. This makes your message more apparent and can save time when customers contact you with a question. This tactic also works well for your team members and gives them the tools they need to adequately explain certain procedures to customers.

Throw In a Few Extras

Customers love getting free items and giving your loyal consumers something extra when they contact your company is a great way to retain your client base. End every interaction with a customer by asking if there’s anything else you can do to help. You may be surprised to find that simply asking the question will let your client know that you’re committed to providing the best service. Make it a habit to send each client who reaches out to your business a free promotional gift to increase brand recognition. You can also offer special discounts to first-time or long-term customers to show that you appreciate their business. A tangible gift can make a great impression, especially if the gift is something the client can use often, like a mousepad, t-shirt, or coffee mug.

Be Personable

People do not like being being sold to. Do not just regurgitate a script to try and entice them into a product or service they may not even want. By listening to their situation you can gain vital information about them to then introduce a product or service. For example, let’s say you were working in a big box hardware store and a customer needed a water heater. If they are already intent on purchasing a water heater from your store this would be the perfect opportunity to ask them if they would need your HVAC installation services. However, bringing this up before helping them find the exact water heater they will need may be poor timing. 

You will want to any pitch relevant also. If you ask a customer if they would be interested in opening a store credit card account, it may be most opportunistic to do so when the customer is purchasing a big-ticket item. If however, they are buying something under $50 they are not likely to go for it. 

Conclusion 

When your customers know they can trust you, they are more likely to continue doing business with you. Your loyal customers will also be more willing to tell others about your company. This will expand your client base and improve your company’s overall reputation. To build this sense of trust listen to your client’s needs and problems. Paraphrase their situation, show that you are understanding, and provide them with a solution. Always remain positive and you will gain a customer’s loyalty over time.