In this fast-paced, on-demand world we live in, the ability to communicate well with one’s clients has become a critical skill that cannot be overlooked. The world as we know it has become significantly different than in days gone by. Clients want to know that they are receiving the best from everyone they are dealing with, and they do not want to be surprised.
This is why it has become critical among great organizations to focus on customer service training for all staff, not just front-line workers. Most programs designed for internal staff focus on improving technical skills needed to perform set tasks better rather than improving customer interactions. This creates an inherent problem in developing training programs based on the sales process. What has worked well for me in the past is creating a program that avoids the use of typical sales references and focuses more on the skills’ relevance to their job roles.
Transparency Is the Best Policy
To correct this problem, management and those individuals dealing with your clients need to realize they have limitations, which, if dealt with in the correct way, can lead to a positive experience for their clients.
Clients do not expect you to get everything 100% correct 100% of the time. But they do find it unforgivable when they are led to believe something is heading in one direction and then turns into something else entirely.
In my years working with various clients, I have maintained one consistent way in approaching these situations: I am always transparent with my clients. I neither overpromise nor under promise. I have always told them exactly what the challenges are and the potential solutions that can be reached. If I tell them I will have something back to them tomorrow morning, they fully expect it in the morning. If it is going to take longer than what I initially promised, I will call them with an update — long before they have a chance to reach out to me with expectations that are not going to be met.
To help employees master transparency, train them to:
- Focus on greater control of their workflow by proactively delivering news to clients before it is sought out.
- Create a better understanding of what the key issues are with constant communication.
- Give the team more control of their day by eliminating unanticipated problems that can occur with irritated clients not understanding their workflow.
Ask the Right Questions
As a part of this process, I make sure to ask open-ended questions about what clients need so that I do not overlook something that could have been an easy fix, had I asked the right question.
Training professionals should remind reps to never expect a client to fully understand the internal workings of your organization. Instead, make sure what they are asking for is truly what they need to fix the problem they perceive that they have. Trying to be an expert in everything and not fully making sure your client understands the solution only creates an additional barrier to success. They have no way of understanding how your solution helps them and is not just self-serving to your organization’s needs.
Remember: A client is never interested in what you know about your business until they fully understand how much you care about their business. If this is the only sentence you remember here today, make it this one.
Communication practices like this will result in people choosing to work with you exclusively because clients seek out providers that show a level of expertise they do not have and show genuine interest in improving their operations.
Be Proactive and Show Them You Care
When you train your internal staff to be both transparent and proactive in meeting clients’ needs, you avoid a long list of issues that could arise. Customer service training for all assures the clients they are in good hands. When you place a client in this type of self-realization situation, it helps them to see that they picked the correct service provider for their needs. Good, consistent customer communication leads to extremely loyal clients.
