One Word that Enhances Cooperation by 57%
Harvard Psychologist, Ellen Langer discovered a surprising way to gain cooperation. In her study, researchers would interrupt someone making photocopies; asking if they could make their copies first. Only 60% of machine users would comply. Next, researchers would interrupt another user, this time adding a phrase beginning with the word, “Because…” Apparently, it didn’t matter what came after the word. Even saying, “Because I’m in a hurry,” resulted in 95% compliance – a 57% increase! The lesson – anytime you’re asking a customer, co-worker, or family member to do something, remember to add, “because…” and you’ll gain greater cooperation. Not bad for remembering a single word!
What will work best for you?
There are times when dealing with dissatisfied customers that you may not be able to repair the damage or inconvenience that they were subjected to. A common error when attempting to salvage the relationship is to ask, “What would you like us to do?” That phrase sounds too much as though you won’t do anything unless the customer gets you to do it. Instead use the phrase, “What will work best for you?” That wording sounds much more like you’re willingly going to do whatever it takes to make it right.
Give something for the inconvenience
To appease dissatisfied customers, managers generally rely heavily on refunds and exchanges – to their own peril! While providing a refund or exchange may fix the problem, it does nothing to fix the relationship. Exchanges and money back guarantees don’t fix relationships – people do. That means employees need to express empathy about the customer’s frustration, sincerely apologize and then offer something (in addition to the exchange or refund) to compensate the customer for their inconvenience. That way you turn an upset customer into an advocate.
What’s mood got to do with it?
“It’s no big deal that we made the error; the customer wasn’t upset.” Is that the criteria your team members use when deciding how to deal with mistakes? One of the tips I share in my seminars is how to recover trust with customers when things go wrong. Unfortunately, the common practice in many organizations when they make a mistake is to do the minimum required to fix the problem. Especially if the customer isn’t particularly upset. The right thing to do when there is a problem is not just fix the problem; it’s also apologizing and providing something extra to address the additional time, hassle, and possible money the customer had to spend to finally get what they originally paid for. The mood of the customer has absolutely nothing to do with it. Do your customers need to be angry before you do the ethical thing?
What’s mood got to do with it?
“It’s no big deal that we made the error; the customer wasn’t upset.” Is that the criteria your team members use when deciding how to deal with mistakes? One of the tips I share in my seminars is how to recover trust with customers when things go wrong. Unfortunately, the common practice in many organizations when they make a mistake is to do the minimum required to fix the problem. Especially if the customer isn’t particularly upset. The right thing to do when there is a problem is not just fix the problem; it’s also apologizing and providing something extra to address the additional time, hassle, and possible money the customer had to spend to finally get what they originally paid for. The mood of the customer has absolutely nothing to do with it. Do your customers need to be angry before you do the ethical thing?
Tell them Why they’re a Good Customer
Imagine you’re a regular customer at a business and the salesrep or manager says to you: “I was thinking about you the other day and I did some checking… Turns out you’ve been doing business with us for X years now so I wanted you to know that I appreciate your business – when you place your order you don’t ask to have it delivered yesterday, you’re nice to our staff, and you pay your bills.
Tell them Why they’re a Good Customer
Imagine you’re a regular customer at a business and the salesrep or manager says to you: “I was thinking about you the other day and I did some checking… Turns out you’ve been doing business with us for X years now so I wanted you to know that I appreciate your business – when you place your order you don’t ask to have it delivered yesterday, you’re nice to our staff, and you pay your bills.
Ask if it Would be Useful
Here’s a handy tip to enhance your influence. Before providing information, offer a “teaser” benefit. Then ask if it would be “useful” for them to hear about it. For example, before you describe your company’s background, you might say, “It’s important to know that the people you do business with are well established, so you’re not left in a lurch. Would it be useful for you to hear about the company’s background?” Now, you’re not perceived to be “selling.” Instead, you’re providing information that’s useful.
Six words to become a trusted advisor
Imagine you are planning an extended vacation travelling around an unfamiliar country. You spend hours searching hotel and tourism websites trying to decide where to stay and what's worth seeing. Even after all that work you still feel like you're taking your chances. Contrast that scenario to one where you have a close friend who has been living and travelling in that country for the past 10 years. You ask them for travel advice and they reply with 6 magic words, "Knowing you, here's what I'd suggest..." Research - done! The lesson for anyone dealing with customers is you become a Trusted Advisor when you thoroughly understand your products and services and the customer's unique needs. Once you reach that level of understanding, you can instill confidence with the simple phrase, "Knowing you, here's what I'd suggest..."
Selling to Skeptical Customers
When potential customers ask you about your products or services, it's only natural to focus your discussion on value and benefits. The problem is when customers are deciding whether to do business with you, they of course want to know about your products/services; but they also - often subconsciously - are trying to determine your motives. They may suspect you're just trying to maximize the purchase price to serve your own needs. That's why to build greater trust, it's helpful to point out for your customer a few ways for them to save money on the purchase, or even suggest things they could do themselves (rather than paying you) and save even more. By demonstrating that you're looking out for your customers' interests, you become positioned less as a 'salesperson' and more as a trusted advisor.