The following post is by guest author Kirk Hoffman. Kirk is a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach and lives in Maryland where he operates Absolute Arrow Coaching. Click here to see his biography -or- click here to read his other posts.
“The wise man does no wrong in changing his habits with the times” (Dionysius Cato, 3rd or 4th A.D.)
"The wise man is a wise man when his principles remain consistent through turbulent times." (Kirk Hoffman, now)
Our economy has definitely shifted over the last few years. Our boom market went bust. Wall Street was hit by an earthquake. Businesses and banks are scrambling to stay open.
The other day I read that the new market demands new client service tactics. Is that true? I think it is. And isn’t.
Business Foundations
It appears that many businesses have lost their way. Enron, Halliburton and WorldCom are just a few that have weakened the foundations of relationships between businesses and customers. Somehow a massive disconnect has formed between corporations and the people they serve, causing them to act destructively and criminally in the unbridled pursuit of their own self-interest.
The problem here is that they’ve missed or forgotten one small but extremely important step. You must know the reason you get out of bed in the morning and what you stand for in the world. Without that solid foundational element it’s easy to fall into thinking it’s about getting all the money you can, instead of living out the purpose of your life.
Trust and Credibility
How many times have you felt like you were being rushed into a sale, that it had to happen at the insistence of the salesperson in front of you? You tried to communicate concern or lack of readiness but your salesperson put their agenda first. It left you frustrated, unheard and unlikely to return.
Instead, we can build a sales cycle that becomes a process to engage people however they are comfortable and at their pace. It allows time to get to know who we are and how we can really help them, to give them trust-building evidence over time. We can build relationships in which people can decide they want what we have to offer and choose when it is right for them. We can also develop a variety of offers that provide people with different levels of personal and financial commitment as well.
Self-Promotion
I can’t remember the number of times I was approached with an offer and, when I wanted more time or more information, never hearing from the salesperson again. The message here is clear: their prospects are only of interest as long as they are going to buy, and buy now.
Let’s create a way of maintaining our relationships with people without it always being a sales call or pitch. Build a referral network of other professionals, in other industries, that will enrich people’s lives. Recommend good books or seminars in areas of interest. Deliver valuable, usable information in blogs, articles or speeches. Become someone who adds value and generally improves people’s lives without always having to be paid.
Now, this is where I have to say, after all the evidence, that new client service tactics are not needed…because the remedies have been around for ages!
Knowing the way you positively impact your customers’ lives and treating your customers as human beings, both in allowing them to set the pace that is best for them and by consistently reaching out to them helpfully over time, is not a novel idea.
Just a forgotten one.
The new market demands we remember ageless client service tactics.
Thankfully, only those who remember tend to survive during times like these. I’m looking forward to spending more time with people like that.
