Branding and Customer Service: A Tight Connection

Medical facilities spend a lot of money and effort on branding campaigns. Billboards, articles and the like all proclaim the superiority of their services. However, when staff contact prospective patients before their arrival, they apparently do not all have access to the patient's information, leading them to give varying answers to simple questions. The result is a confused impression in a patient's mind regarding staff's competency.

Branding needs to be carried over into customer service, so that everyone has information on a customer's record and documents a call for future use. Branding is not just a clever slogan; it should include leaving a solid impression of competency in a client's mind.

Selling with Questions

Are you trying to persuade people to take a job, buy a product, or accept an idea? Try asking what they want in a perfect product or position before starting your sales pitch! For example, if you are trying to recruit a new employee, ask if the hours, benefits, chance to advance, the pay or some other aspect of the work is the most important. If you are selling televisions, ask about size, picture quality, ease of use or cost is most essential. Then start with that information. Your listener will appreciate the fact that you asked, and will listen closely as you address his most important concern first.

Business Speeches - 5 Big Blunders

Five little words can strike terror in many executives' hearts. They are "just say a few words".
What are the five biggest blunders people make when they give an impromptu speech like that?

5. They start by saying they don't know what to say. This may indeed be true, but it is terrible for your image, and what audience wants to hear it?
4. They repeat themselves, often many times, in their presentation.
3. They say exactly the same thing as the other speakers, who were also asked to "say a few words".
2. They speak much too long. An unknown sage suggested,
"Be brief, be brilliant, and be seated!" A few words translates into 1-2 minutes, in terms of a speech.
1. They should have anticipated having to talk, and prepared something. (If they were not asked to talk then, no-one needed to know they were prepared, and the practice would help them for the next time.) If nothing else, they should have a mental outline of the three things they would say, such as why the occasion is special, thanks to all who helped, and what the audience should anticipate happening next for the cause or event.

We have all suffered through listening to politicians or other leaders who were inept public speakers. A little preparation on the part of the potential speaker can make a huge difference!

American Pronunciation Struggles

Over the years, many foreign-born professionals in the US have told me how they struggle with our pronunciation patterns. They tell me of the importance of excellent speech on their careers, and how they wished they knew what they were doing wrong with their pronunciation. The Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals class, in a mere three days, has helped many to make a significant change in their speech. The classes have a maximum of six learners each. All learners have their speech individually assessed, and get a customized program to follow.

As their instructor, I enjoy hearing the difference in their speech patterns before and after the class, and the new confidence they express in their pronunciation. They know better speech will make a difference in their lives and careers.

Executive Communication: The Power to Lead

Are you a supervisor, manager or someone hoping to be promoted into a leadership position?
Are your communication skills needing some polishing?

Executive Communication: The Power to Lead is an exciting one day course which will cover topics that are vital for today's managers: listening skills, helping teams brainstorm using a research-based process that generates a lot of ideas, conversational dynamics, and more! This class is normally available only to organizations, but for one day, it will be an Open Enrollment class, so anyone can register and attend. The overall group will be limited to 12. The class will be held in Chattanooga, TN.

For more information and to enroll, visit http://www.businessspeechimprovement.com/clients.htm

People who cannot attend on that day, or who want training in other aspects of verbal communication, can enroll in a session of Individual Speech Coaching for full day classes.
Visit www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com and click on accent modification. Scroll down for Individual Speech Coaching as an option.

Great speech makes business sense!

Great speech makes business sense, and this one day class is a

Talking Too Fast

There has been considerable interest in the articles I have posted on my website, www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com, on learning to talk slower. There are many reasons people speak fast. Some people talk quickly due to diseases such as Parkinsonism or bi-polar disorder, or to taking certain medications. A specific type of speech therapy has been shown to be effective in many people with Parkinsonism, although it does not help everyone. If the problem is due to medications, check with your physician or other healthcare provider about whether a dose or the medication itself can be changed.

Other people have a speech problem called cluttering. They are often unaware of the fact that they speak fast. Some people speak rapidly due to cultural influences, or because they think others will not listen to them if they speak slower. Some feel a fast rate impresses listeners.

Listeners, however, often get frustrated by not being able to understand a speaker. They may ask for a repetition of the information, or just not bother.

Rapid rates of speech can often be controlled, using a variety of training techniques. It is a wonderful experience to hear a person's rate of speech decrease so he can be clearly understood! For the speaker, it can be a real confidence booster to know what he needs to do to increase his clarity.

If you have a speech rate problem, how does it make you feel? What helps you control it?

Your Front Line's Verbal Image

What is your "front line", the first people to talk to a prospective client or vendor, saying, and HOW are they saying it?

Research shows that 93% of the first impression is non-verbal, but based on factors such as tone of voice, rate of speaking, dress, facial expressions, etc. Only 7% of the first impression is based on words alone.

Today I spoke to a member of the "front line" of a multi-million dollar company, about working for them as a vendor. She answered the phone at 10 AM sounding bored and uncaring. A few minutes later, she said of the staff member to whom she referred me, "I think he does stuff like that." Her information about the staff member's responsibilities was very inaccurate, but her language was worse - it was appropriate for a first grader, not for someone who should have had some college background!

If you work in marketing or public relations, are your efforts being undercut by poor communication skills of your "front liners"?

Overwhelm your customer!

Do your customers or guests REALLY get the impression you and your employees care about them?

I recently returned from a family member's college graduation in another state. While there, I stayed in a hotel that had recently been purchased from another chain. I had stayed at the same hotel 4 years ago, and had experienced a room in disrepair and a "worn-out" attitude of apathy from the staff. What a difference there was this time!

Every single staff member who passed me in the hall, or interacted with me in some other way, cheerfully asked me how I was or smiled and said "hello" as if he or she really cared. There were some problems again with my room, and the staff at the desk immediately offered a significant discount, free breakfast the next day and asked if I wanted to move to another room. The staff appeared so welcoming that my impression of the hotel was much more positive.

It costs so much more to get a new customer (or employee) than to keep the current ones; put major effort into caring and your bottom line will look a lot better!

Five Star Service in a Doctor's Office

When you go to a physician's office, what are the things that make you willing to return?

Many people hate long waits to see the doctor, especially when given an appointment time and then being admonished by the stern-sounding receptionist to be on time. It just doesn't seem fair if the doctor is then more than a few minutes late to see you. Isn't your time just as valuable as his or hers? I regularly ask for the first appointment of the morning or afternoon to try to reduce the wait time. However, if the doctor is regularly late, I may switch to another physician who usually is on time.

Patients also hate feeling stupid because they don't understand what the doctor is saying. Many people will not tell the doctor they don't understand the medical terms or the implications of having some test or disease. Physicians needs to speak in "plain language" so patients get the message the first time. Patients also need to ask for the information to be explained in simpler words.

The third thing that bothers many people is when nurses and receptionists do not get answers back to patients when they say they will. If they are not able to call you back when their own outgoing messages say they will, or at least the next morning, this can be frustrating for the patients, and bad public relations.

A doctor's office where the staff work together well, convey information on time, patients are seen at or close to their appointment times, and doctors explain information so patients understand it, is a rare place. I only know of one such place. I think it is closed to new patients now.

What bugs you most about doctors' offices?

Can Your Customer Understand Your Jargon?

When you speak to your customer, can he or she be expected to understand? In other words, are you guilty of using jargon or acronyms?

Jargon or acronyms give your employees or industry members a way of communicating efficiently, of saying the information in a shorter amount of time. But others who come from different backgrounds cannot be expected to understand.

Today I sent an e-mail asking for information from an organization. I clearly indicated that I am not a member of their industry. The group sent back a response within 2 hours, to my amazement. However, it had an acronym in it, and I did not understand it. It was past business hours when I read the message. I finally went online and was fortunate to find an explanation.

This was a poor customer service response; I was frustrated.

When you convey a message to a listener, make sure he or she can understand it!

World-Class Service!

Sometimes service goes so far beyond the expected that it really makes you take notice. Today, my windshield wiper literally flew off my windshield when I turned the wiper on. Thankfully, it did not hit anyone or anything, although it certainly could have. It was also not raining, merely frosty out, and I was trying to clear the last remnants of frost away. Later in the day, I drove to an O'Reilly's Auto Parts store, and spoke to an associate named Jack. Jack helpfully found me the right wipers and cheerfully put them on. I mentioned that my car had had a spill earlier in the truck, and what could he recommend for that? This is where the service gets unbelievable.
Jack recommended a product, which I bought. But when I explained that the spill was in the trunk, and I could not fully get out the carpet in the trunk to clean it, Jack took 5 minutes and competently helped me to do it! Although I had been driving the vehicle for many years, I had no idea how it was put together. Jack truly went beyond what was expected - and he and, by association, his chain, certainly made an impact.

Well-trained entry-level staff make a difference!

Yesterday I stepped into a drugstore chain, and was quite surprised at the well-trained young workers there. When I went to the cosmetics counter and asked for a kit of grooming products,
the young woman regretfully shook her head and said the store did not carry one. However, she walked me to the various aisles and showed me the components I needed. Then, at the pharmacy counter, a "pharmacy cashier" located my prescription, took my money, and smiled as he thanked me by name.

Do these techniques make customers decide to return there for future purchases? Yes they do, and the young workers learn to take pride in their well-learned skills.

What has your best buying experience been, and how did the staff's customer service skills play a part?

Going the Extra Mile

I recently signed up for a trial period of a new service on the web. My previous service provider ignored my e-mails, disconnected his telephone, and was generally hard to deal with. My new service provider is offering me a 30 day trial. Although pricey, in 2 days I have been contacted by the account executive by both e-mail and telephone, offering his help, and spent some time with the tech support team as well.

The service so far is excellent. Whether I stay with them depends on the results.
Have you received excellent service, especially at the beginning of your relationship with a company? What in particular made the service so great?

Strike While the Iron is Sizzling Hot!

Have you ever had a wonderful opportunity for someone to do something he had wanted to do, offered it to him, and then watched with amazement as he procrastinated until it was too late?
How did it make you feel? If he does this often, it is logical that he will get fewer opportunities (and possibly fewer friends).

It's true that everyone has different priorities and schedules, but it pays to strike while the iron is sizzling hot!

Are you responding to prospective customers' requests for information VERY promptly?

Why would a company invite customers and prospective customers to e-mail them for more information, and then not respond? What does this lack of responsiveness tell the (prospective) customers about the service the company provides?

Recently I had two instances of companies not responding to my e-mails. In one case, a web-based company was referred to me by a third party. When the third party heard I had not gotten an answer to my query, she then told me the web-based company was "overwhelmed" right now. A simple auto-responder would have told me the query had at least been received, and when I could expect to hear from the company. In the case of the second company, it has not responded to repeated requests for information, so it is about to lose my business.

If your company is trying to gain new customers or at least not lose the current ones, it MUST respond within 24 hours to web-based requests for information. Otherwise, you give a very negative impression of your services or products.

If you have had especially great or poor experiences with companies responding your requests for information, please tell us!