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Tip of the Week
Customer Service and Customer Retention is Sales
In a lot of corners, Sales is a "dirty" word. Let's face it; we have all had negative experiences with certain sales types. Whether it was:
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Surviving the used car sales guy in the checkered jacket
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Or the patronizing Maitre D with the "holier than thou attitude" in the high end French restaurant
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Or the "order taking kid" in the grocery store branch bank that is clueless about what financial services you really need
You know you have your opinions about what not to like in many sales people.
But haven't you also had some very positive experiences when you bought something (either a product or a service)? You never once felt like you were being pushed, taken advantage of, or told lies just so some sales person could make a quota or earn a commission, right? Think about those times, what was it like? How did you feel? When we ask these kinds of questions in the context of sales and service training with our clients, the responses usually go like this:
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I felt like they really listened to me
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I felt respected and understood
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I felt like they were there to genuinely help me buy what I needed
We believe if more people could relate naturally to the more positive aspects of sales, then more lenders would feel comfortable with the notion that every lending position (regardless of how far in the back shop you are), you still have opportunities and responsibilities for providing excellent customer service and effectively helping retain and grow customers. It is all sales and it is all good when we have the right attitude and the right tools to do our jobs well.
So here are just a few simple but important tips for providing excellent customer service to help maintain and grow your customer base and to attract new clients, regardless of your position:
- Don't hide behind email. If your client or prospect calls or stops in for service, answer them personally and in kind. Too many people these days hide behind email and in so doing, they do themselves and their client a disservice. Warm up the relationship with a brief, courteous and professional call. And if you get voice mail, leave a very brief, friendly message and speak slowly and clearly enough so your client can understand your message and return your call.
- You are responsible for your client being "ok". Have you ever suddenly found yourself practically in a shouting match with a client or a colleague and you are not even sure how you got there? Somebody punched somebody's buttons, because there is a lot of tension and frustration in the workplace and generally in our society. As a customer service provider, it is up to you to rise above it (if possible) and "fall on your sword" and help your client be "ok" again. Even when you are "right", the way you handle it can be wrong.
- Be aware of tonality and the message. We can get so busy that we lose perspective on what and how we are communicating to our clients and our colleagues. Often when delivering what needs to be said, we lose perspective on how we are coming across. Have a sixth sense about how you come across - consult a mentor or get help from your boss. It's important.
If you are interested in this subject, take your interest to a whole new level. There are some terrific resources out there including good models for excellent, consistent customer service. Start at Nordstroms, they've cracked this code. And then see if you can find an SBA lender (CDC, Bank, Credit Union) that delivers sound, effective customer service. Emulate their best practices and watch your sales improve. Your clients become happier and more loyal, and your customer retention numbers improve.
We offer state of the art, customer focused, consultative sales and service training both in person and via web based approaches. We understand this era of tight budgets and travel restrictions. We can customize an approach for you and your team that will keep downtime to a minimum and help your associates "up their game" with respect to client sales and service. And remember, nobody should be immune from this exercise, including workout people. There is a right way to work out a problem loan and effective customer service skills can radically improve the bottom line outcome between a successful recovery or a complete loss.
A special message to our readers: Every week we hear from many of you thanking us for this "TIP of the week" and many asking how they can sign up directly rather than getting it indirectly from a colleague or a friend. It is really quite simple. Simply log on to our website homepage at www.sbaaccess.com and enter your name and email address in the boxes at the upper right corner of your screen. You will automatically be registered to receive our Tip (every Friday morning). Thanks for your continued input and support.
Take the Right Approach
Brian Burke and Karen McHugh
SBA Access ©2009 - All Rights Reserved
All content is copyrighted and unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. If you would like to quote any part of this text, email bburke@sbaaccess.com or kmchugh@sbaaccess.com for permission.
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