Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, foreign takeover, the down economy, new technologies and the demand for information have created stress and conflict in the workplace. Your score as a business professional depends on how well you handle anger and “challenging”...
Customers from Hell don’t start out as monsters. Something happens that makes them go ballistic. That “something” is often you. Customers have expectations about how they ought to be treated. If the treatment doesn’t measure up, they become agitated. To reduce your...
For many of us, the telephone is our primary vehicle for doing business. Since people make instantaneous decisions about our competence and confidence, often within the first thirty seconds, it is critical to remember the importance of making a good first impression....
Picture that you have answered the phone and the caller begins with a raised voice. Without any seeming provocation, the person on the other end of the line starts making threatening statements and even swearing. How do you defend yourself against this mad, out of...
For many of us, the telephone is our primary vehicle for doing business. Since people make instantaneous decisions about our competence and confidence, often within the first thirty seconds, it is critical to remember the importance of making a good first impression....
Have you ever wanted to say to a caller, “Hey, let’s move this along?” Sometimes, it seems like our customers will never end the call. If there are calls in the cue, long-winded customers can make our lives very stressful. To manage calls more efficiently, pay...
There are a lot of reasons why I hate calling Customer Support. It doesn’t matter what company. The issues remain the same. If I had a wish list, these are the things I would like to see changed- immediately! The first thing that bugs me is long waits with a message...
In the old days, managers saw their direct reports daily. They may even have eaten lunch with them or been on the same company bowling team. However, today, managers often oversee people around the globe, in places as far away as India, Kuwait or Korea. The days of...
Customers today are a lot more demanding and a lot savvier than they used to be. They know they have many choices. They are often in a hurry, confused, multi-tasking or have English as a second language. When they get you on the phone, their expectation is that you...
Listening is the number one skill for success in business today. Poor listening skills make people angry and make them feel you don’t value them. They affect all relationships, especially business relationships. Most people think they are good listeners. In reality, we listen effectively only 25% of the time. In fact, most people only listen […]
If you think you are a good listener, think again. Study after study confirms that most people listen effectively only 25% of the time. Instead of listening, they are focused on responding. What is often overlooked is that there are three levels of listening. At the very basic level, there is passive listening —where we […]
As speakers, we are actually training our audience to spread the “good news.” With a limited number of key points, listeners have a better chance of remembering what we have said, and they can accurately share that information with others who have decision-making power or with those who missed the presentation.
Recent Post Comments