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”...
Most companies spend their training dollars on improving What Phone Reps say to their customers. While this type of training is an important piece to the puzzle, especially for new hires or when the company has changed directions, it still leaves many Reps feeling...
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,...
People who rave about the service they receive from an organization expect more than the resolution of a problem. They want to “feel” valued as a customer and to be given special treatment. For customers to conclude the service has been excellent, phone reps need to...
Listeners on a call or web session make instantaneous decisions about the speaker’s trustworthiness. In fact, they often feel they have a clear read within seconds. Be aware the following missteps can be costly and can inadvertently “bust” your credibility. Sounding...
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...
When a customer, whether internal or external, has an issue, the good listener acknowledges it. By empathizing, the person feels you understand him and becomes more receptive to hearing what you have to say. He or she becomes less hostile. You build rapport. Do not...
Groucho Marks emceed a television game show in the fifties called “Who Do You Trust.” The contestant had to choose which of three people was telling the truth. On this show, contestants paid close attention to the body language of the three people as a means of...
Do people ask you to repeat a lot? Do they tell you to slow down? If so, you are a fast talker. It might be alright to be a fast talker at home or with friends and family, but it is definitely not okay on the job, especially if your primary communication with others...
Soft voices are the bane of many people. As a soft talker, you may think it is not such a big issue. However, for your listeners, a voice that is not clearly heard is maddening. It causes people to interrupt or to tune out, especially if they are on a long conference...
A voice with inflection is captivating and motivating. It commands attention and makes people want to hear more. A voice without inflection is flat, a monotone. An uninteresting voice bores annoys and confuses those having to endure it. As you consider how you might...
Customers today are busy; some are overwhelmed by the myriad of tasks they now have to perform. By the time they call your help desk or customer care center, they are often frustrated and anything but pleasant. You can put that smile back on their face, and here is...
Pausing is the most under-utilized tool that a speaker has. Most people who use the phone to conduct business only concern themselves with their message. For example, they want to explain a product, fix your software or update you on month-end results. They forget...
Virtual meetings are a perfect storm. Since attendees know they are not seen, they are often tempted to do additional things. People check email and voicemail. Some even let the dog out or do laundry! If you are the host, multi-tasking attendees are not what you want....
A good portion of anyone’s day is spent on the telephone. Everyone wants to make a good impression, but it’s the first few words out of your mouth that determine whether people will perceive you in a positive or negative manner or whether they will trust and believe...
Picture that you’ve 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...
Many people think they have a bad telephone voice. While it’s true that not everyone’s voice sounds like a radio announcer’s voice, very few people have a terrible voice. What they have is a badly produced voice. To sound confident and be perceived in a professional...
When customers hear your voice on the other end of the line, they imagine the person behind the voice. If they like what they hear in the voice, chances are they will perceive you as knowledgeable and confident. If they don’t like your voice, it makes them want to...
Regardless of our job, most of us have updates or presentations to give. This can take a big chunk out of our work week. Obviously, we want these presentations to “knock the socks” off our listeners. While that’s the goal, most business professionals spend 22 hours a week building presentations that are not effective and do not connect with their listeners. Shocking isn’t it! Experts say we insure our success if we follow these suggestions.
Credibility is everything in the influence game. As a salesperson or someone who supports sales, you build your reputation and you have success based on your credibility. It may take a long time to build credibility, but it can be lost in a nano-second if one isn’t careful. There are seven ways you jeopardize being seen as someone who is trustworthy, credible.
Every organization aims to have exceptional customer service. The reality is that most companies only give lip service to exceeding customer expectations and continue to do as they have always done. Even with advanced technologies, many researchers actually report service has declined rather than improved. Those businesses that demonstrate they value their customers distinguish themselves […]
Bringing people together for the sake of providing information” makes no one happy, primarily because most of us are on information overload anyway. If you focus your content on solving a problem, rather than on just providing information, your meeting will be seen in a whole new light. Listeners will stay attentive if you tell them “what’s new” and “what’s to do.”
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