Posts Tagged ‘customer’
Customer Service Training Tips on Serving Inside Out (part 1)
Customer Service Training - Tips on Serving Inside Out (part 1)
Most of us know it is mission critical that every contact between internal customers and external customers be professional, positive and effective. Unfortunately it is common to overlook the fact that it is also mission critical that every contact between two internal customers be professional, positive and effective.
The cool thing is that the tips and strategies about how to treat external customers apply to internal customers also. Listen. Care. Smile. Respect. Bathe. All rock solid tips when it comes to treating co-workers, employees, direct reports and others.
Consider for a moment the internal customers you serve.
How can we serve fellow team members better? Will we?
Here are the first three of Seven Solid Tips for Serving Inside Out.
1. Customer Service Training Tip on Serving Inside Out – View co-workers as customers.
Helping fellow employees do their jobs more efficiently and effectively not only helps our organization, it helps us too! It is important to learn to view team-focused interruptions as solid opportunities to help our organzations. When our organizations progress, we progress.
Providing service that helps other team members rock ‘n roll is what it is all about. Get jazzed about your role in sharing information and take pride in helping your colleagues. As a bonus: when we are cool about helping co-workers get their jobs done, they will likely be cool about helping us.
2. Customer Service Training Tip on Serving Inside Out - Have Fun Together
Create an company sports team, or better yet you’re creative, come up with something unique that fits your organization’s unique vibe. Sure some of your ideas might take some extra time and bit of money, but the company-wide results will far surpass the effort and added expense. Even a monthly breakfast or lunch on the company dime is good for morale. It would be a good move for the breakfast or lunch to cost the company more than a dime. Super cheap is a buzz killer.
“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
3. Customer Service Training Tip on Serving Inside Out – Surpass the expectations of your internal customers.
I don’t know about you but I get a kick when someone exceeds my expectations. It makes me want to exceed theirs. That old saying of ‘under-promising and over-delivering’ works with internal customers as well.
Next up 4 more customer service training tips for Serving Inside Out!
Service is Everything.
Be Progress.
“More than a motivational speaker, Dean Lindsay is The DEAN of Sales and Service! Energetic, Funny and Thought Provoking, Dean delivered an outstanding presentation to our elite group of business people. We look forward to inviting Dean back to our next business event!”
- Jeff Chernoff, President, Consumers’ Choice Award ®
Customer Service Speaker Training Idea – Serve Inside Out (part two)
A Customer Service Speaker Training Ideas Post
Serving Inside Out (Part Two)
an excerpt from Customer Service Speaker, Dean Lindsay’s new book (being published in early 2012, SERVICE IS EVERYTHING)
One of the surest ways to drastically reduce negative employee and external customer service issues is to create work environments that are upbeat, positive and collaborative. It is well documented that team members that receive solid internal customer service are more likely to voluntarily offer assistance to other team members.
Our feelings about our internal customers are on display with every internal contact. It shows in how we greet co-workers at the beginning of the day. It shows in what we do when a superior asks for information needed to wrap up a project. It shows in how quickly we respond to that sometimes kind of pushy team member who has another question.
How can we expect team members to care about and listen to customers when they are not offered that by other team members or management?
A pledge of internal service must be felt all through a company, from head to toe and back again. Nordstrom’s, Disney and Southwest Airlines – all toting world class service buzz – didn’t get that way without (most) everybody in that company being enthusiastically on board. It is an ideology, an understanding that everybody serves and lifts up everybody else in the organization and that everyone within the organization has an affect – positive or negative – on the outside customer. Everyone has each others back.
“If you are not serving the customer, your job is to be serving someone who is.” — Jan Carlson
Showing team members that ‘Service is Everything’ is essential to the external customer feeling you know ‘Service is Everything’. In assisting others on your team, you are helping yourself progress. Every contact a customer – internal or external – has with our organizations gives the customer insight into the ideology we hold dear. Make your ideology ‘Service is Everything’.
Show you know ‘Service is Everything.’
In the next couple of Customer Service Speaker Training Ideas Posts, I’ll share seven tips on Serving Inside Out.
Service is Everything.
Be Progress.
Funny Customer Service Speaker Video Clip
Funny Customer Service Video Clip with Dean Lindsay
In tough economic times, Customer service IS the difference between success and failure.
Dean Lindsay’s customer service training programs includes insight from Dean Lindsay’s new book, The Progress Challenge : Working and Winning in a World of Change
“This is a terrific and timely book with a simple but powerful message. With the right thinking and approach, we can make enormous progress in our organizations, with our families, and on our own goals and dreams. Dean’s book shows you how, and provides the inspiration and advice you need to stay on track.”
– Brad Cleveland
Senior Advisor and Former President / CEO
International Customer Management Institute
A Couple of Endorsements for Dean Lindsay, Author and Funny Customer Service Speaker
“Dean was TERRIFIC!! He made a real connection with my troops and gave us some great philosophy and tips for our busy season on both Customer Service and Phone Sales. He was a great kick-off to our extended hours busy season and I give him an A plus for his presentation.”
– Geri Barton
Director of Customer Service
World Kitchen LLC
“Dean, your talk to Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance company was first rate. Your points on mending customer relationships were enlightening and your thoughts on attitude are very true. Thank you.”
– F. Neal Johnson, Chairman of the Board,
Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance
Get more info on Author and Funny Customer Service Speaker, Dean Lindsay
email dean at: dean@DeanLindsay.com
Customer Service Speaker Video with Dean Lindsay Author of The Progress Challenge
Hello Fellow Progress Agents,
For the first time, I am trying out “Posting a video” to my blog. Let me know if you have in trouble watching the clip.
Customer Service Training with Dean Lindsay
Video Clip of Author and Customer Service Speaker, Dean Lindsay
Author of The Progress Challenge: Working and Winning in a World of Change
“The Progress Challenge is a much needed kick in the pants for all of us. Dean Lindsay’s witty words and questions will wake up your sleeping intentions and challenge you to move forward with purpose in your life. What an enlightening book!”
– Ken Blanchard,
coauthor of The One Minute Manager®
and Leading at a Higher Level
“The Progress Challenge is an excellent guide to both personal and professional success. The book helps the reader understand that change is inevitable, yet progress is a choice. In Lindsay’s words…”be progress”.
– Jim Keyes
CEO, Blockbuster
“The Progress Challenge is a fun to read book crammed full of thought-provoking, practical and motivating take-aways. With the 6 P’s of Progress, Dean gives us all the incredible opportunity to be purposeful in creating progress, not just change, in our lives and work.”
– Julie Weber
Senior Director, People
Southwest Airlines Co.
Sales Training, Top Ten Benefits of Business Networking
You can’t achieve your best in these challenging business times without learning the all-important art of connecting. As William Allman, the author of Stone Age Present, states, “The key to our species’ success is our great skill in making close alliances with others.” True enough. There are many benefits to harnessing the power of building priceless business relationships and Cracking the Networking CODE. These benefits become even more priceless in times of economic uncertainty. Here are the Top Ten benefits of sales training that addresses the power of business networking:
The Top Ten Benefits of Business Networking
1. Friendships and support
2. Advice and access to different points of view
3. New career paths, employment, and business opportunities
4. Referrals and introductions to professionals and quality prospects
5. Important information
(Market/organizational shifts, upcoming events, etc.)
6. Promotions or lateral moves within your organization
7. Unique sales ideas from sales professionals in other fields
8. Introductions to quality vendors and resources
9. Advocates within related organizations and industries
10. More sales
“You have to accept that no matter where you work, you are not an employee; you are in a business with one employee – yourself.” – Andrew S. Grove
I am honored to share that my book, Cracking the Networking CODE: Steps to Priceless Business Relationships is Recommended Reading by the United Professional Sales Association, Networking Times and Profit magazine.
Even cooler that it has been endorsed Ken Blanchard – author of The One Minute Manager and Brian Tracy along with many others. Jay Conrad Levinson – the author of Guerrilla Marketing, thought so much of the CODE that he wrote the book’s foreword.
Please contact me to discuss our customized sales training programs and our business networking training programs.
Let’s Connect:
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Dean-Lindsay/1018367929?sid=0
Twitter Link: http://twitter.com/deanlindsay
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/deanlindsay
Video clips of me in action at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheProgressAgent (more videos posting shortly)
Be Progress.
Stimulate Your Sales in a Down Economy Event at a GREAT Price
If you’re like the millions of people struggling to market and sell effectively during this economic recession then I have a solution that I know you’re going to want. My friend Sean Piket, CEO of Sales Integrity and Co-Founder of SalesDiscipline.com, has created a way for you to eliminate the road blocks that have been holding you back and taking money out of your pocket.
Sean will host and MC an information-rich sales and marketing conference titled “Stimulate Your Sales in a Down Economy” this Friday, May 15th at the Studio Movie Grill in Addison, Texas. You will get to learn from 8 national sales and marketing experts, 4 powerful keynote presentations, and 1 amazingly insightful panel discussion on the topic of “The Impact of Social Technologies on Sales & Marketing”. Sean will also open the panel discussion up to the audience members to ask the panelists questions.
You should know that I will be on stage for an hour presenting my most updated “Cracking the Networking Code: 4 Steps to Priceless Business Relationships” Keynote Presentation and I would like to personally invite you to this powerful and exciting event. Because Sean is a friend I asked him to provide his best and final discount to my customers, business associates and friends and he agreed! Sean has agreed to a huge $244 discount off the retail ticket price of $299. So that means you will attend this powerful event for only $55! You heard that correctly – $55! This is the best and final pricing as we fill the remaining few seats for this event. So make sure to hurry and reserve your seat ASAP before they are all gone!
You only need to do two things to receive this discount. 1) Go to http://www.salesdiscipline.com and register as a member of The Sales Improvement Community (at no cost to you). Members of SalesDiscipline.com already receive a $50 discount for this event just for being a registered member. 2) While logged on to the SalesDiscipline website, go register for this event within the SalesCalendar. Make sure to use the special Promo Code of “DEAN” to receive an additional $194 discount. This is a total discount of $244 and will bring the price to just $55 for you!
If you are the type of person that would like to learn new ideas on how to grow your business and sell more effectively in a down economy then you will want to take advantage of this generous offer now before there are no more seats left!
So ACT NOW and register for this event by visiting http://www.stimulateyoursales.com.
Sincerely,
Dean Lindsay
Selling in the ZONE
Selling in the ZONE
The old adage- People hate to be sold, but they love to buy – is truer than ever. The days of the ‘ Sure Fire Closing Statement’ and the ‘Glad Handing Slick Salesman’ are thankfully things of the past. Today it is imperative for sales professionals to truly get to know prospects and help prospects get to know them.
Selling today is about relationships. It is about attraction. It is about Trust. The customer has a need- a step they need to take. They must trust we can meet that need- help them take that step. They need to trust our belief in ourselves, in our companies and in our products / services. Trust comes easy when we sell (and live) in the ZONE
ZEST – Emerson said, “ Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, without it nothing great was ever accomplished.” As sales professionals, we must have authentic enthusiasm for our work. If we want prospects to get excited about our products and services, we need to have that excitement first. We need an air of gusto. Likewise, if we want people to believe in our products and services, we must believe in our products and services first. This shows in the way we hold ourselves and in the passion we have for our jobs and our lives.
Whenever possible, people do business with people they like. Passion for our lives and our work makes us attractive. It draws people to us. We must be continually offering people our best attitude. Ask yourself: Would you want to talk to, much less do business with you?
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS – Structure is vital for the sales professional. Solid self-management (formally known as time management) leads to higher productivity and reduced stress. Our desks need to be workstations, not storage space or shrines to past accomplishments. We must be able to quickly find important information. Being well organized show respect for time (the prospect’s and ours).
Looking sharp is also part of organization. We must always be presentable. If we can’t even get ourselves together enough to look presentable how is someone going to see us as together enough to handle their challenge. Plus, how we present ourselves shouts volumes about how we feel about ourselves and our work.
NETWORKING SKILLS – It is not just who we know, or who knows us. It is also, what we know about who we know and more importantly who TRUSTS us. Being known as a reliable (and likable) resource is the ultimate goal. The more we can present ourselves -in person- in a positive light the better. First impressions are powerful so turn someone on to you by tuning into them. When you meet a new person, show genuine interest in them and invest the majority of the time asking questions about them and their business. Powerful networking is totally linked to the other terms in the ZONE acronym. People are drawn to our enthusiasm, our respect for their time and our…
EMPATHY – Empathy is sympathy without pity. Empathy means understanding that people make decisions for their reasons not ours. Empathy is always thinking “ What that means to you, Mrs./ Mr. Prospect, is…” Empathy is focusing on benefits not features. Empathy is truly committing to doing what is best for the customer and working to help provide the right product or service to meet their needs.
The most powerful way to understand the prospect’s need is to ask questions. In the medical profession, it is known that prescription without diagnosis is malpractice. The same is true in the sales profession. We must ask a variety of open and closed ended questions to diagnosis the situation, so our recommendation (prescription) will meet the need.
Solid listening goes hand in hand with asking powerful questions. We must LISTEN to prospects. I don’t mean listen. I mean LISTEN. Calvin Coolidge said “ No man ever listened himself out of a job.” We must listen as if our life(style) depended on it – because in a large way it does.
Get in the ZONE, and try to help someone.
Be Progress.
