Sales and Customer Service Strategies to Separate You from the Competition presented by Louis Feuer, MA, MSW GAMES 2008 Annual Meeting August 5, 2008

Sales and Service is Everyone’s Responsibility

What is Customer Service? Personal reaction to an interaction. A good feeling. Feeling appreciated. Respect and dignity for all involved.

Secrets to Service Success People do business with people they like. People do business with people that are easy to do business with.

No Harris, you cannot call in sick because you do not feel positive.

FAKE IT!

The Foundation of the Sale You identify a need. You create a difference. You develop a working relationship. You impact change.

Customer’s For Life by Carl Sewel Give customers what they want again and again. No complaints!... then something is wrong. Measure everything. Let the customer help you improve.

Stop Selling and Work at Creating Positive Relationships Avoid asking for business, and ask for an opportunity to show people what you can do. Meet a need and become part of a team. Create a relationship with your homecare team.

Careful Active Listening Avoid distractions when listening. Acknowledge your understanding. Clarify all possibly misunderstood issues.

Make the Customer Feel Important Give undivided attention. Tell them they are important. Let them you look forward to working with them in some way. Let them know your are in business to meet their business needs.

Good Service with Good Communication Talk in a language the customer understands. Speak with assurance. Provide written information. Prepare everyone for emergencies.

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years trying to get people interested in you. d. carnegie

Sell Honesty Times, services, products - the customer is counting on you! Maintain consistency - they expect the same service every time. Often it is one strike and you’re out!

Keep Your Promises Customers never forget! They repeat your broken promises. They use your broken promises to separate you from the competition. Promises are how you are judged!

Offer to Help the Customer Offer to take the extra step. Be willing to exceed expectations. Become more than a service or product provider - and try to be a customer educator and consultant.

Show Customer Courtesy Be polite - you know how! Selling is about relationships and you want to create the very best one. Refrain from becoming angry. Use words like “please” and “thank you.” Thank the customer for their business.

Admit When Wrong Learn to say you’re sorry.Always consider the long-term business effects of your behavior. Do it quickly and promptly. Do with the sincerity. Be gracious!

! Exceed all expectations ! Under Promise and Over Deliver!

The Satisfied Patient Keeping in touch with the customer. Calling regarding the approximate time they can expect you to arrive. The consumer will become the judge of your success, your profits and your survival.

Customer Satisfaction Does Not Guarantee Customer Loyalty!

Pick up the telephone, there’s money on the line!

It’s Telephone Time The telephone is the front office to over 95% of your business. Answer in three rings and the same way every time - use your name. Ask permission to place people on hold. Always take a message with date, signature and time. Never provide the caller with another number to call.

Impact of a Complaint For every customer who bothers to complain, 26 remain silent. The average person with a complaint will tell more, - more than 10% tell more than % of unhappy customers never return. It costs five times as much to attract a new customer than it does to keep the old one.

Comments to Avoid I’ll do the best I can. I don’t know. That’s the second time I heard that. It’s not my department. I’ll look into it. The computer is down. That’s not our policy. You should have told me that first. I never heard of that happening.

Solutions to Complaints Listen - or at least act like it! Hear the entire problem. Repeat problem as you understand it. Make sure you have all the information. Ask customer for suggestions. Develop an action plan. Show concern. If you cannot solve the problem, quickly find someone who can!

Without Customers You Have No Business!

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