Ability to communicate with clients. II

The success of any business is inextricably linked with the personnel of the enterprise. It would be more accurate to say that each employee of the company must master such an art as the psychology of communicating with customers. In the article, we will consider the basic principles of how staff should build communication with customers, how to motivate a person to make a purchase, and other subtleties.

It should be immediately indicated that the employee’s sociability does not mean at all that he owns. The conversation should be built in such a way that the consumer will certainly make a purchase, and most importantly, return to the company again. To do this, organizations periodically conduct trainings on the psychology of communication with the buyer.

How to build a dialogue with a client?

Whether you're talking to a potential buyer over the phone or in person, remember that first impressions matter. It depends on him the further course of the conversation. There are a number of rules used to build a successful dialogue. One of the most important - customer management. You must show active position in a conversation, ask questions aimed at identifying the needs of a potential buyer, talk about the advantages and differences of the product from analogues offered by competitors.
Great importance It has Feedback. Your speech should not look like a boring monologue, you need to involve the client in the conversation, while controlling the course of the conversation. A potential buyer will feel comfortable if you do not argue with him and put pressure on him, trying to quickly sell the product. The presentation must be done beautifully, describing in detail all the advantages that the client will receive by purchasing the goods from you. Make business compliments to the client, by doing this you will translate the conversation into a positive direction. And most importantly, remember that openness and goodwill -.

How to behave during a conversation?

The correct behavior of a company employee is very important. A customer is much more willing to make a purchase if the conversation is relaxed. It is important to smile at the interlocutor, look into his eyes, show interest. The main thing is to sincerely try to help the consumer solve his problem.
In the process of communication, you can not speak monotonously and without emotion. A boring monologue will be interrupted by the client in mid-sentence. Most likely, such a buyer will leave the company and make an acquisition where he can be interested. Don't speak too fast or too slow. Try to find optimal speech rate. Employees of the enterprise should develop diction. The clarity of speech is important for understanding what you want to convey to the interlocutor. Much more trust is caused by specialists who are fluent in professional terminology, have a large lexicon. The psychology of communication with customers is based on the importance of questions in a conversation, the correct use of the name of the consumer. It is important to remember that a person must be addressed in a polite manner, by name and patronymic. During the conversation, you need to listen carefully to the client. If he wants to tell you about his personal problems, do not interrupt him. Just try to bring the conversation back to the subject of the deal. Ask open-ended questions that will encourage the person to answer as broadly as possible.

What is the right way to talk about a product or service?

There are situations when an employee is just starting to tell the client about the proposed product or service, and he is already getting bored. How to correctly present the product and build a dialogue in order to turn an incredulous person into a permanent, loyal customer? The first task facing the seller is to attract attention and interest the client. Inform him about the arrival of a new model, promotions and discounts, and then focus on the positive characteristics and benefits of the proposed product. If a person wants to buy a laptop, then you need to find out what is a priority for him and how much he expects to spend on a purchase.
Having identified the needs of the client, focus only on those points that interest him. You should not tire him with a large amount of uninteresting information, if you, of course, want to make a deal. Last step - encourage potential buyers to take action, i.e. to make a purchase, and process objections. Even if you have not completed the task of selling a product or service, remain polite and friendly towards the client. If a person has a good impression of the quality of service, he will definitely contact the company next time, and thus you will achieve your goal in the long term. Therefore, it is very important not only to improve interpersonal relationships, but also for business development.

Communication with customers. Communication is a process by which relationships between people are realized, and an important component that makes up almost the entire human life. But communication is not just a conversation of people, but a whole communication system that consists of communicative parties, their mutual influence, ethics, communication techniques, and other components. In everyday life with loved ones, a person does not think so much about what kind of intonation he has, tone of voice, and how high-quality information he conveys. But when the process of communication is closely related to work and directly depends on it, then a person must master certain techniques for communicating with clients, methods of conveying information and be guided by certain rules and ethics.

A person dealing with consumers must make communication a way to achieve the goal. Professional communication and communication skills always have an end positive result for the seller and the client who satisfied their needs and purchased the service. Achieving mutual understanding, eliminating disagreements, attracting a person as a regular consumer - these are the main goals of communicating with customers of a company that is trying to preserve its reputation.

Psychology of communication with clients

Representatives of a company that provides some type of service are interested in attracting an increasing number of customers. Therefore, communication is directly a tool for their earnings. In order to successfully and quickly sell a product or service, the seller must have special communication skills, understand well what he wants and be able to correctly draw up a negotiation plan, this will ensure effective communication with sales customers.

A salesperson who knows his business and has the skills to communicate with buyers, before offering his services, thinks about what would be of interest to him. That is, he puts himself in the place of the buyer. He also tries to learn how the client sees himself, so he has to train in front of the mirror in order to know what are the shortcomings and correct them. The seller understands that he must control all his movements and words. Because the slightest wrong move, inappropriate gesture or expression of dissatisfaction can be interpreted by the buyer as a signal of something bad and unreliable, and frightened, he will leave, and the seller will remain without profit.

Techniques for communicating with clients. Highest value has a meeting and a first impression. It depends on him whether a person will agree to the services offered and cooperate with this company. To do this, the first thing you need to create all the conditions for comfort. If he himself came to the office of the company, then this office should be pleasant, such that one would like to be in it. If it is in a store, then amenities should be provided, if it is on the street, then a company representative should offer to find a convenient place for a conversation. A potential client must feel that they are being taken care of, that they respect him, then he himself will open up to a meeting and show confidence.

If we analyze the process of the first impression in more detail, then we can highlight some features that should be paid attention to, since it is they, through the representative, that form the image of the company in the eyes of the client.

Appearance plays a very important role, as you know, "they are met by clothes ...". If a representative of a reputable company is dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, and at the same time talking about business things, he will not be taken seriously. If the company is solid, or wants to become so, its employees should look appropriate, which means that they should be in a business dress code, neat and clean. When a person communicates with such a neat interlocutor, he himself wants to become such, and this is where the client's compassion begins.

During the acquaintance, it is necessary to look the interlocutor directly into the eyes, without persistence, but with attention, so that he feels interest in himself. Often people believe that by whether a person looks into his eyes, you can easily understand whether he is lying, and so, if you stick to this narrow-minded thought, then you need to look into the eyes of the client and answer all his questions also directly in the eyes, trying not to slip your eyes to the side. The main thing is that the look is calm, open and confident.

The handshake is a special way for two people to bond even though they haven't talked about anything yet. When meeting, it is necessary to first give a hand to a person, and greet not too hard, and not very softly, but confidently and energetically. Already from the moment of such a handshake, the client can, having perceived the energy flows, also become more positively tuned.

From the moment the conversation begins, it is necessary to be the first to introduce yourself, and ask for the name of the client, and if possible, but not too often, call the client by name. When people hear their name in communication, they turn on the mechanism of self-centeredness, a person thinks that he is treated with respect and understanding.

The agent must ensure that he is physically almost on the same level with the client, being quite a bit taller than him. Therefore, for example, in the office, the agent can adjust the height of the chair to be slightly higher. These features are important, because being on equal terms, the client feels that the agent is the same person as he is, but if he is a little higher, then he already has more influence. Also, the agent must ensure that a distance is observed between him and the person, which leaves the person his personal space, it is approximately 1m.

During the conversation, the employee should show interest in the interlocutor, ask about his wishes and be courteous, speak polite phrases (“please”, “thank you”, “no problem”).

The main thing is not to overdo it with politeness, too many courtesies can also negatively affect the consumer's reaction. He may consider that he is being flattered and take it as a trap, think that they want to deceive and lure him, in which case the situation cannot be corrected and he cannot be returned. Therefore, it is better to focus not on the personality of the client, but on the advantages of the company, its advantages. Be open and friendly with the client. It is very important not to cross the border of obsession. All proposals put forward by the agent should sound easy and relaxed, you can’t immediately put pressure on a person or demand an immediate decision from him. You need to give him time to think about the offer. You also need to instill in the client the belief that he is unique in that he is a very desirable client and the fate of the company depends on him. Then a person succumbs to such manipulation and acquires products or services.

If a manager masters the basics of psychology in communicating with clients, then he will significantly improve communication with consumers and achieve greater sales profits.

Rules for communicating with clients

In the process of communicating with the client, the agent-manager must be guided by the rules that contribute to an effective result.

Communication between a manager and a client should be guided by the personality of the client. To do this, the manager needs to actively listen, listen to all the requirements and wishes. Tell about the quality of goods or services everything that the client wants to hear, answer all his questions, ask about personal preferences. Do not insist on purchasing the goods now, give time to gather your thoughts. The seller can only push for a positive decision, but without being obtrusive. The voice should be energetic, but not hysterical, not fast or slow.

You also need to adapt to the slang of a person, not to speak in abstruse words so that he does not worry about his own incompetence. If you cannot do without some scientific specific concepts or definitions, you need to explain them so that there are no misunderstandings. The main thing is to list all positive traits owned by the product and not waste precious time explaining different terms if the person himself does not want it.

Communication between a manager and a client should be business-like, at least within the framework of business relations to maintain the value of the product. You need to be serious about all matters relating to goods. But you don’t need to play too businesslike, talking all the time on the phone in the presence of a client or being distracted by other things when he is nearby and waiting. You must always arrive at meetings on time, answer messages and calls. Only when respectful attitude you can see the same attitude in response. This is especially important for the seller representing the company.

An agent must always be impeccable in all his manner. When it comes to work, he should always look presentable, keep his posture, speak beautifully, fascinate with his manners, be so confident that buyers associate this employee with the proposed product, respectively, just as impeccable.

Following your perfect image at the first meeting, the seller should remain the same and further in his future behavior should be treated with no less courtesy, especially when it comes to long-term relationships. If the buyer has any questions, the seller should always be ready to answer them. If there are changes in the terms of the contract, the client must be notified immediately.

The rule that the client is always right is not a standard, so you can deviate from it. When a person is a professional manipulator and acts in pursuit of personal goals, demanding, for example, a refund for services, saying that they are of poor quality, but at the same time he used them for a long time. This type of client is a danger to the company and can damage its reputation, so it is necessary to eliminate all contact with him if possible.

From how much proper communication with customers will determine the success of the company. If all the rules are followed, then cooperation is guaranteed, attracting new customers through existing ones and thereby increasing the company's reputation.

Ethics of communication with clients

Every person is pleased when they are treated respectfully and correctly in a conversation. Even in communication between close people there should be courtesy.

Standards of communication with customers are those postulates, adhering to which a company providing goods and services achieves success in its activities. If a company has a well-coordinated team of qualified professionals, polite in communication and customer-oriented, then such a company is able to achieve great success.

Proper communication with customers is the key to a successful business that is associated with sales. And we are talking not only about regular customers, but also about potential ones.

Rules for communicating with clients: features of communication

Strong and trusting relationships are created only through free, open communication. If by the nature of your activity you need to constantly interact with different people, then simple communication is not enough, you need a professional skill.

Proper communication with customers should aim to:

  • the client's connection with the organization was established (visited the store, arranged a meeting with a consultant);
  • customers felt comfortable during the meeting with the person selling the goods;
  • clients received comprehensive answers to their questions;
  • customers made purchases;
  • customers wanted to continue to cooperate with the organization and the seller.

A friendly smile, courtesy and an invitation to come back - these are not all the rules for communicating with customers. The system of interaction with the buyer includes: all the possibilities of informing about the product, its significance for the consumer, service and motivation for sales growth.

In order to communicate effectively with customers, you need to learn the basic techniques for interacting with consumers during personal sales and always adhere to them in your work activities.

Phrases that are forbidden to say to the client: memo

One phrase of the seller can cause doubts in the client. For example, a person contacts a company with a specific request, and the manager stops him with the phrase “I know what to offer you!”. The client will doubt and think: “I know what I need, but they impose another product on me. Don't be in a hurry to buy."

Find out what phrases sellers should be forbidden to say when communicating with customers and how to replace them, find out from the article electronic journal"Commercial Director".

Expert opinion

Listen, understand and do not delay with the main

Konstantin Belov,

Head of PowerGuide, Moscow

I will tell you my rules of communication with clients.

1. Listen without interrupting. This skill can be called the most difficult and most important rule of effective communication. From the outside it seems that it will not be difficult to just listen and be silent. However, try to restrain yourself when they tell you a few minutes about long-known things. It is required to exercise constant control over oneself in order to listen to the client.

2. Delve into. It is important not only to listen and be silent when something is being told to you, but also to make an effort to understand what in question. This is how you show that you support the client and are ready to solve his problem.

3. Directly indicate your interests. When communicating with clients, each side has its own goals, about which no one speaks directly, observing tact. Be sincere, but tactful, clarify the situation politely in order to save others and yourself from empty talk.

4. Do not pull with the main. You remember perfectly well how obnoxious speakers are who drive around in circles, delving into irrelevant details. This speaks of their fear to talk about the main thing and analyze the problem frankly. Such fear is understandable, however, there is very little chance that such a speaker will be heard to the end. Therefore, it is important to build communication with clients in such a way that first the main thing is discussed, and then the details (if they are in principle necessary).

5. Do not rise at the expense of interlocutors. The desire for self-affirmation during the meeting is natural and expected. But this should not be done with the help of interlocutors. There is no need to artificially catch up with thoughts about your uniqueness, it is better to be on the same level with the client. It is worth holding back for friends and relatives stories about your achievements that are not directly related to the case. And if the interlocutor inaccurately stated the quote during the conversation, it is impolite to correct him.

6. Rehearse. Try to pronounce the main remarks even before the conversation with the client begins. You can even record them on a voice recorder. When you listen to the recording, you will understand what can be changed - if you are objective, you will definitely find what to fix. In addition, you will feel much more confident during the negotiations if you pronounce key phrases aloud in advance.

Where and how should communication with customers take place

There are a huge number of ways to communicate with clients and just as many ways to express themselves in work. The main thing is to find for yourself those that will be closest to you. Proper communication with customers, taking into account their individual characteristics, is the key to a profitable transaction.

  1. Individual negotiations.

Face-to-face communication with clients is a method that has long established itself as one of the most effective. Entrepreneurs say that there is nothing complicated here, you just need to be open, friendly and benevolent. The main thing is not to overdo it. It is necessary to behave sincerely, but not to go beyond the line separating goodwill from flattery. Clients feel this very well.

Let your client have their say. Find out about his opinion, desires, goals and use the information you heard in the presentation of your proposal.

  1. Individual calls.

It is also important to choose a personal approach to each. When you communicate with a client on the phone, you should not immediately focus on a business proposal, it is better to first ask about how the interlocutor is doing, how the weekend went (if your level of acquaintance allows it).

  1. Cold calls.

This method of attracting new customers is still very popular. You should not make direct sales during the first communication with the client by phone. Take the contact details of the prospective buyer, invite to a webinar or provide a link to the site.

  1. Use of e-mail for distribution.

E-mail helps to quickly convey necessary information to the client. Create messages that are useful and focused on customer needs. Submit educational materials. Each letter must contain your contact and personal details.

The technique of communicating with a client using SMS messages gives quite a high degree feedback over a short period of time - over 30% of users give the opposite answer. But do not forget that messages are sent to those people who themselves provided you with contact information or attended a webinar / seminar.

  1. The site of the company.

Every self-respecting company has its own website. This is one of the most convenient and flexible means of communication. With it, you can add new information within a few seconds. He has endless possibilities.

Communicate with the client on the site, provide all the necessary information there. It is important to remember that the main function of the site is to sell, so you should actively use this tool.

  1. Webinars.

This method is currently very popular. The webinar allows you to visually see the product, and not just listen to stories about it.

When creating a webinar, it is not necessary to focus on general topics, it is better to talk about some narrow focus. For example, health common topic, but "how to lose weight quickly" and "prevention of cancer" are specific.

A webinar is a great opportunity for online communication with a client. It can be used to educate, care for, and provide the tools to accomplish common goals.

  • Customer communication standards: how to develop and implement

Expert opinion

Communication with a client by phone is a special art

Dmitry Brill,

one of the owners of the Briger agency, St. Petersburg

You did it for the first time phone call potential client. He hears only your voice, but cannot see you. He doesn't have much time to waste on a stranger. Perhaps he will be cautious and distrustful in communicating with you. That is why before and during the conversation, you should use the rules of communication with customers:

  • Make a plan for several calls to your prospective clients at once. Take care of the most difficult ones first, and only then move on to the rest, it will be much easier. Maintain a calm, even tone of voice when speaking.
  • Stand while talking. This position will allow you to feel and speak more confidently and convincingly.
  • Stay close to a mirror. Smile when interacting with clients. So you release the internal tension.
  • Do not forget about regional specifics. For example, most people are sure that arrogant people live in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In other regions, they treat calls more simply and will not abruptly interrupt the conversation, saying that they are not interested in the offer. That's the best place to get recommendations.

How to develop customer communication standards

To retain loyal customers and increase sales, implement customer communication standards in your company. The article of the electronic magazine "Commercial Director" will help you to do this.

: 6 useful tips

By focusing on customer satisfaction, you are able to go towards your goal. We offer six communication tips. They help you communicate effectively with your customers.

No. 1. Determine customer needs.

What does the client want? How does he benefit from your services? Before you take action, first find the answers to these questions. After understanding his needs, act in such a way as to satisfy them with your service.

No. 2. Satisfy the customer's needs.

Use in your speech positive statements, focus on what you will do when the client agrees to cooperate. Do not use the words: "maybe", "I'll try", "I don't know". They will show you as an insecure person who is unlikely to be able to really help with anything.

No. 3. Any doubts? Check it out!

If you really don't know how to answer the client, then use the following phrase: "Let me clarify this." After that, find out when you can answer and keep your promise. So, to satisfy the client's needs (in the example above, the need for accurate information), convince him that you can provide the right answer.

No. 4. Use neutral expressions.

The manager's communication with clients should be in a clear and understandable way. plain language. Do not fill your speech with abbreviations, quotes, technical terminology, talk about the company charter and be a walking encyclopedia. Clients do not need to know the subtleties at all, for this there is you. Build your speech so that they feel comfortable, know that they are welcome. Explain all terms simply and clearly.

No. 5. Less promises, more action.

It is important to serve customers and fulfill the promises made to them on time or even earlier. To make fewer promises and more deeds, figure out what time frame you need to fulfill the request. It is better to add a few more days to the deadline so that there is time to spare.

Don't miss out two moments:

  • think about how long you can fulfill the request before you take it;
  • finish everything to the end, keeping your promise, or warn in advance that you are not on time and offer some kind of compensation for this.

No. 6. Solve problems with the result.

The ability to perform high-quality services is manifested during problem situations. They help determine why customers are drawn to you. How do you solve these problems? If during communication with clients you focus on solving problems, then tell about the stages of overcoming issues that concern them.

  • 6 principles for building trust with clients

How the psychology of communication with customers will help build a dialogue

Psychological moments help create effective communication between the client and the buyer. With their help, you can evaluate whether a person will make a purchase, whether he will be satisfied with it or leave you empty-handed.

Effective communication with clients: when the seller found out the name of the buyer (asked, introduced himself or something else), he needs to mention the name of the interlocutor in the dialogue. After all, the most pleasant thing that each of us hears is our own name.

In the case when the seller heard the name of the buyer, but is not sure exactly, you should ask him to repeat, there is nothing to worry about.

Listen carefully to the client. In any dialogue, whether it is communication with regular customers or potential ones, you need to learn how to listen. Allowing the buyer to satisfy this need, you win him over. He is more willing to make a purchase.

If the client wants to tell details from his personal life, he should be allowed to do so. It is possible that such a monologue can take a long time, the main thing is to carefully then turn the conversation towards a specific goal - making a purchase.

Simple but effective rules for communicating with customers

Rule 1

Starting to communicate with the client, you must understand the degree of his competence. The sooner you identify it, the more useful your conversation will be. No need to use complex phrases if the client does not really understand what you are talking about. This approach will only push him away from communicating with you.

Find out what type of buyer you are and stick to the appropriate model when communicating with them.

« Difficult client »- a buyer who does not understand what he wants to buy and does not want to enter into a dialogue. When communicating with him, it is better to abandon the terminology, use simple language. To maintain communication, ask such questions that he involuntarily gives a positive answer to them.

"Know-It-All"- a customer who is well versed in the purchased product. He may ask questions that even you can hardly find an answer to. When dealing with such clients, it is better not to rush. Take full control of your thoughts, think through your speech in the smallest details and provide a detailed answer.

« Dozing Client"- a buyer who is not focused on buying and is not going to buy anything. Communication with this type of customers looks like this: either transfer yourself in a conversation with him to the moment when he wants to make a purchase, or try to wake him up. Try asking a few questions that will require a monosyllabic answer on his part. Then praise and continue to communicate with moderate compliments.

« Running Client" This client always has a lot to do and little time. He does not enter into a dialogue with the seller, referring to the lack of time. Ask when he will have a free minute, and arrange a call. You must call at the specified time. Such clients are very punctual and demand the same from others.

Rule 2

Don't force yourself to buy. Build communication with customers so that they themselves want to buy something from you.

Rule 3

Honesty is the key to a successful dialogue with the client.

Rule 4

Be punctual and stick to business communication with a client.

Rule 5

During a dialogue with a difficult client who insults you, threatens you, etc., interrupt the conversation and explain that you are not going to continue to communicate in this form. But in no case do not choose the same communication model.

Rule 6

At the end of your interactions with clients, always say thank you for the attention and time spent on you.

  • Effective work with clients: what will not be useful in a crisis?

Expert opinion

Communication rules apply to internal customers as well

Natalya Modina,

employee of the company "Action-digital"

Not all employees of our company are in contact with external clients. However, the service must be at the highest level for each of them. We ourselves act as internal customers while communicating with employees of other departments or carrying out partners' orders. Thus, in order to get an excellent result, you need to build the same relationships with colleagues as with the most priority client.

First communication with a client

What should be the ideal first communication with a client? Naturally well thought out!

Preparation for the conversation is divided into two stages:

  • information,
  • organization.
  1. In the information stage, the main task is to collect all the necessary information about the participant in the conversation:
  • Information about the activities carried out by the client company.

We find information through the media and the Internet. In the case when you are not intimately familiar with the client's business, make inquiries, read relevant articles, so that communication with a potential client is comfortable. Try to memorize or memorize the pronunciation of specific meanings.

  • Detailed information about the client company.

The basis of the data source is the company's website. We get acquainted with the structure of the company, the full name of the executives (directors, heads of departments), company news, the range of goods / services available for general study by price lists.

  • Information about direct competitors.

Check out the offers and prices of competitors. Think of a motivational phrase: "You'd better buy from us than from others, because ..."

  • Information about the goods / services that you want to offer to the buyer.

Prepare in advance documents for business communication with the client: a list of services provided / products sold, examples of contracts, price lists, and, of course, do not forget about the general commercial offer if the client wants to review your offer again after the conversation.

If you can use a computer during the conversation, prepare a presentation. So the client will learn the information visually. Plus, graphics and pictures are easier to perceive than speech. Focus on examples of your own sales, they will increase your rating in the eyes of the client.

  1. organizational stage.

The main goal of this stage is to create external conditions for effective communication with customers. There are no trifles here, so think in advance:

  • Meeting point.

Of course, having settled down on your territory, you will feel more confident, however, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the meeting is fruitful in the first place. When choosing a location, keep the following tips in mind:

  1. When making an appointment in your own office, make sure that you have a separate office for communication with a potential client. This will show your businesslike approach to the conversation, and people and extraneous noise will not interfere with the meeting.
  2. In the case when your office is not so presentable that you want to hold meetings there, or the client offers a neutral territory, then find a small cozy coffee shop or rent a meeting room in a business center or hotel. The place and status of the client must be equivalent. When choosing, pay attention to the fact that it can be easily found. When choosing a time for negotiations, stop at when there are not too many people around, so that there are no extraneous noises. Most likely, it will be uncomfortable for the client to have a conversation with you, for example, at McDonald's.
  3. Try not to schedule negotiations at lunchtime in cafes, restaurants and bars. You will be constantly lost, either distracted by food, or waiting for your partner to chew and express his opinion on the issue. Moreover, when you first see a person, you run the risk of not guessing with his tastes and preferences, you can choose a restaurant that is too expensive or cheap, an unloved cuisine, etc.
  • Resources.

Necessary set of things, which the manager takes to build the right communication with clients includes:

  • business cards;

The business card should have brief information about you: company name, full name, position, addresses and telephone numbers where you can be contacted, e-mail and address of your office. When choosing a design, favor simple layouts. The main thing is that the words are easy to read, it was good quality the paper has a pleasant font color for the eyes. It is better to take more business cards to the meeting, because you will never guess whether the client will be alone or with business partners.

  • diary with multiple pens;
  • advertising brochures about your company;
  • sheets of blank paper to record for the client, if necessary. It happens that for some reason the client forgets his diary. So how to rip out of your notebook sheets are not in the rules of etiquette, clean sheets just right for that;
  • the entire list of documents (agreement, questionnaire, application form) in case you need to sign an agreement;
  • communication equipment (tablet, laptop, mobile phone) that supports Internet access.
  • Your appearance

If you can find out what style of clothing your client prefers, then try to look similar. In the case where there are no reliable sources of information, stick to classical style. Instead of a shirt, you can use a thin sweater or turtleneck to emphasize the friendly spirit of the meeting. Trousers to change to dark jeans strictly cut. Everything should be restrained and tasteful.

You have come to negotiate with a client. What are the next actions?

  1. Come in, say hello and introduce yourself.

Use any form for a polite greeting and refer to the interlocutor by name and patronymic. Do not forget to introduce yourself: name, position and company in which you work. If the interlocutor is the first to offer you a handshake, do not refuse. However, never take the initiative, as it must come from the cabinet owner. Try to keep the greeting calm and confident at the same time. Don't be overzealous like salespeople on the subway. You don't need it when dealing with clients.

  1. Exchange business cards.

Etiquette rules say that you need to pass a business card from hand to hand. In the event that the client fails to take your business card, then put it on the table in front of him. Having received a business card from a client, we look at the data, and then put it in a business card holder or leave it in front of us. Treat your client's business cards with care, so you show your attitude towards him.

  1. Settle down at the table.

When you are in the client's office, and he has not offered you a seat, then ask yourself where you can sit. In the case where no man's land is being used, sit down without being asked. The most optimal place for negotiations is on the side of the interlocutor, on the opposite side from the corner of the table. Naturally, if communication with customers is conducted on your territory, then invite the guest to sit down yourself. For the duration of the negotiations, turn off your mobile phone or use call forwarding services. The client can also be politely warned about such a need.

  1. Start a conversation on a neutral topic.

Going straight to the point, you move away from the interlocutor, creating a tense atmosphere. It is quite difficult to start productive communication when they start talking about solving important issues from the threshold. You may get the impression that you don't have much time and you want to get everything done quickly and leave. Perhaps this approach will be unpleasant for the client. There are certain stages of communication with the client that must be followed. For example, first talk on some distant topic. The main thing is that the chosen topic should not be too ordinary and boring. Do not talk about political, religious, age or sports preferences. It will be great if you make a neutral compliment to the client's company, and then ask some kind of unobtrusive question. For example, “Nikolai Nikolaevich, you were recommended to me for a long time as an excellent specialist in the field of financial analytics. Do you think the dollar will fall in the near future?

  1. Get to the heart of the matter.

Now is the time to get in touch with the potential client. Ask him to tell you more about the company. At this stage, he gives answers to the questions you asked, and after commenting on them a little, you continue on with the next question. Use situational questions first. This will help determine how the client's business is going. After situational, smoothly move on to problematic issues. Then ask what the client will do when they know it occurs (action question) and how they are prepared to deal with it (predictive question). After the client outlines a solution to the problem, ask a value question. It will allow you to learn about the required costs for the solution and understand what measures will be taken to reduce them. At the end there should be an informational question. His task is to find out how your companies can jointly cope with the problem.

In the course of positive personal communication with the client, you can move on to getting acquainted with the commercial offer, describing goods and services. Be careful not to overload the client with information. If you do not immediately have a specific solution, tell in general terms, re-specify the needs and problems of the interlocutor, and then agree on new meeting. On it you can discuss all the details in more detail.

  1. At the end of the negotiations, thank you for your attention, once again turn up a new meeting.

After leaving the client's office, immediately outline the agreements received and the most important stages of the meeting. Do not postpone this matter, because some of the information will soon be forgotten.

  • The art of negotiation: how to achieve high results

How to keep in touch with a regular customer

There are two methods for increasing turnover: retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Here will be described in more detail about how to retain old customers. Why do you need to do this?

Is it worth keeping old customers?

Imagine that new customers are flowing like a river. If everything satisfies them, then most likely they will return. However, you will never guess what interested them and when they will return again. In addition, to attract one potential client, you need to put in 5 times more effort than when working with regular ones.

On "you" and by patronymic.

Think about the next figure: modern man daily receives 3000 advertising messages!

You can try to go through the wall, or you can choose a different direction. In order not to go ahead, you should learn about the needs of each client and personally address the problem. You will need to get a phone number from the interlocutor and agree on periodic SMS notifications. With the help of mailing services, you can individually address each client.

Scary?

Many businessmen have a fear of SMS mailings, because:

  1. There is no faith in the work of SMS mailings.
  2. They think that people are annoyed by advertising SMS.
  3. They have no idea where to get the base.
  1. Mailing lists via SMS have long established themselves as an excellent system for communicating with customers. However, you need to know how to use them correctly.

One example:

An auto parts store in the city of Podolsk sent an SMS with a 15% discount offer on Ford parts. The message reached 450 users, 14 of whom visited the store and purchased auto parts worth 56,000 rubles. The advertising campaign cost 432 rubles.

That is, using someone else's database is illegal. It's pretty easy to create your own though. The most effective method is to issue a discount card in exchange for a questionnaire with filled in data about the buyer. In 2-3 months you will have your own database of numbers with which you can work continuously.

To come to you, you need to invite guests.

Call to your office, offer gifts, discounts, give a good mood.

Company information

PowerGuide LLC. Field of activity: preparation of presentations and development of infographics, consulting and training in visual communication and presentations. Number of staff: 7. Total created slides for presentations: more than 10,000.

OOO "Bridger. Field of activity: organization business meetings, congresses, conferences and press conferences, presentations, seminars, trainings, incentive tours, team building programs, corporate holidays. Location: St. Petersburg. Key clients: Northwestern Academy public service, a company of the ING Group.

Action-digital LLC. Type of activity: creation of electronic products for accountants - Glavbukh System (www.1gl.ru), for personnel officers - Personnel System (www.1kadry.ru), for lawyers - Lawyer System (www.1jur.ru) ; a reference system for financial managers is being developed. Number of staff: 281. Number of users: over 33 thousand.

Working with clients involves active negotiation - this is the main anchor on which this activity is based.

Therefore, the employee must have communication skills in the most high level. If you are new to working with clients, and may even experience insecurity in communication, you should work on yourself. this work should be carried out not only in work time, but constantly.

To overcome failures in communication and get rid of self-doubt, you need to communicate and communicate again. Psychologists say: the more communication, the less uncertainty. Be careful to catch the chain of dialogue, do not think about your affairs and feelings. So over time, fear and some internal reactions to what is happening will disappear.

Basic rules for communicating with clients:

- You are an attentive listener: first of all, listen to the client, regardless of whether he asks you questions or makes claims. By the way, letting him speak out, without interrupting, you will minimize his anger to mercy. At the same time, you can and should listen actively, forming a subsequent answer in your head and inserting relevant remarks during a conversation;

- do not argue, operate only with facts. There is no need to conflict with the client, but to ally is just right;

- you should not immediately point out to the client his mistakes, you should not start the answer to his words with the word “no”, this can anger the client more;

- answer clearly, with feeling and arrangement, if you work in a chat - do not delay with the answer, remember that time is money. If a certain amount of time is required for a response, inform the client about this, specify when a response can be expected.

- do not be lazy to go into details, dedicating the client to all the subtleties of the issue and paying attention to details, he may hear some concepts for the first time;

- communicate with the client in a friendly tone, use simple, short phrases;

- listen carefully (read the letters) of the client in order to answer all the questions posed;

- if the project is long - communicate with the client, provide progress reports every couple of days, so that he feels that he has not been forgotten and the work is moving forward.

- you should not devote the client to the internal problems of your company, this information is useless to him;

— do not be afraid to offer the client an additional service, especially if it is issued as a bonus to the main order;

- try to anticipate the needs of the client, offering exactly those additional services that can really be useful to him. Thus, try to anticipate the next questions of the client, giving answers to them in advance;

- sum up the conversation in writing and try to make your letter final in correspondence. Don't forget to thank you for your cooperation and wish you success!

So, in order for the client to be pleased to communicate with you, so that he has a desire to do it again, give him full attention, be as open and friendly as possible, in no case flatter. With you - the maximum readiness to solve the problems of the client, but in no case should you put pressure and demand anything. Offer products or possible collaborations in a soft and unobtrusive way, talk about the benefits.

By following these simple rules of communication psychology, you can quickly find mutual language with the client with all the positive aspects that follow from this. If you make the client happy and permanent, then you have achieved the main goal of your routine work, success!

  • 1 Possible shapes communication with clients
    • 1.1 Individual negotiations
    • 1.2 Email
    • 1.3 Cold calling
    • 1.4 SMS messages
    • 1.5 Webinars
  • 2 How to communicate with the client?
  • 3 How to resist arrogance and rudeness?
  • 4 How to maintain communication with regular customers?

The most valuable asset of any company is its customer base. Whatever products or services are in demand, without building trusting relationships with consumers, achieve successful development business and increasing profits is almost impossible.


Sales managers are required not only to be able to interest people in the company's activities (end product), but also to help maintain its image. It is easy to guess that it is regular buyers of goods or consumers of services who make the lion's share of purchases, thereby bringing a stable profit.

Do not forget that the increase in the number of potential customers depends on the ability to establish business communications. They need to be interested and turned into regular customers. The more loyal customers a company has, the higher its profit. To be successful, you must follow simple rules communicate with clients and be able to competently offer effective solutions to their problems.

Possible forms of communication with clients

Consider basic forms communication with clients.

Individual negotiations

One of the most effective tools in promoting a company's product and increasing its customer base is individual negotiations. First of all, the sales manager should clearly define what he wants to convey to the person, and correctly draw up a clear communication plan.

The seller must be able to build a dialogue with the buyer in such a way that the latter understands that his needs will be met in full and he will receive certain benefits from cooperation with a particular company. To do this, the salesperson needs to be able to:

  • listen to your interlocutor, take into account his requirements and wishes;
  • quickly determine the characteristics of a person's personality (psychotype, cultural and social level, mood, disposition to communicate);
  • tune in to the wave of a potential client;
  • be confident when communicating;
  • focus on the dialogue and not be distracted by extraneous conversations.

It is known that it is the first meeting that creates the buyer's impression of the seller, and it depends on whether he agrees to cooperate with a particular company in the future. First of all, you should choose a convenient place to communicate with a person. To do this, you need to invite him for negotiations (for example, to the office of the company) and create all the conditions so that the potential client would like to return there again (of course, already as a permanent one). If the meeting takes place on the territory of the buyer, then the question is put a little differently: the seller must be able to identify the needs of the interlocutor as clearly as possible and, in an unobtrusive form, offer him favorable conditions for cooperation.

In any case, it is extremely important to make it clear to the client that they show attention and respect to him, do not try to sell anything at the first meeting, then he himself will be interested in an open and constructive dialogue.

The appearance of the seller is of great importance, therefore it is necessary to observe business attire, be clean and tidy. The seller must make it clear to the interlocutor that he is interested in an honest and productive conversation. To do this, you should look into the eyes of a person during a dialogue with a certain amount of attention, while the look should be confident and open.

At the meeting, the sales manager must be the first to introduce himself and briefly inform about the company he represents. During the acquaintance, you should shake hands with a potential client, which will allow him to be disposed to further communication.

At the negotiating table, the seller should behave naturally and openly so as not to call negative emotions. During the conversation, it is important to observe the following rules of business communication:

  • do not interrupt the client and listen carefully;
  • speak the truth about the company, product and terms of cooperation;
  • briefly express your thoughts;
  • do not speak in a bad tone about competing companies;
  • do not use slang expressions;
  • control your emotions.

When communicating with a client, it is necessary to listen carefully to what he says and remember the key points in order to avoid disagreements in the course of cooperation. As practice shows, potential consumers themselves tend to communicate with managers and management of companies to resolve a number of organizational issues. For this reason, business cards should be exchanged to agree on contact details.

Every manager who will communicate with clients should remember that you should not embellish the quality of the product and the capabilities of the company. This will further negatively affect the reputation of the company, in addition, the buyer may refuse to cooperate.

Important: the seller is obliged to value his time and the time of a potential client. Many business people prefer when information is presented to them concisely and clearly. Therefore, before starting negotiations, it is necessary to draw up specific plan, which will allow you to convey the essence of the commercial offer without water.

A manager must have a basic knowledge of the psychology of communication with clients in order to be able to direct negotiations in the direction he needs. The main thing that needs to be immediately highlighted during negotiations is the needs of the interlocutor, his desires, goals and existing problems. The ability to unobtrusively offer their solution and tell a person about the benefits that he will receive from cooperation with the company (purchasing a product, ordering a service) will allow the buyer to make a positive decision and close the deal.

Email

Among the tools that allow you to effectively and correctly sell products various companies, it is necessary to highlight the distribution of letters by e-mail. Let's make a reservation right away that this way of communicating with potential and existing customers has nothing to do with spam.

Any company can send e-mails to people who have volunteered to receive information and become subscribers to the mailing list. To do this, you need to create a special form on the website in which visitors will leave their data (mail address and name).

How to communicate with clients via email? First of all, you should know that mailing letters should contain only useful information and free values ​​(no offers to buy the product at first). An exception may be cases where customers are invited to take advantage of various promotions, discounts and other commercial offers aimed at increasing sales. You can not offer the buyer "on the forehead" to purchase a product or order a service.

Many books for sales managers contain the information that people like to buy goods from people, and not from “faceless” sites. This suggests that a potential client needs some communication, getting more information about the company's products. Through e-mailing, contact is made between the seller and the potential buyer. A person should be offered to get acquainted with the features and benefits of the product, create videos with training material and show other “usefulness” that will solve his needs.

When the buyer realizes that no one is “brazenly” selling him anything and he gets a solution to his problem (“pain”), a desire to buy the product will appear. Email marketing is one of the most powerful ways to attract targeted traffic and grow the customer base of Internet companies.

Cold calls

To properly communicate with customers during the first telephone conversation, you should know that the main task of the seller is to obtain their contact information and information about product interest. The seller is obliged to observe the ethics of communication during the dialogue, as well as during real negotiations. It should be borne in mind that a person does not see your facial expressions and gestures, but he feels any changes in intonation well.

It is recommended to start communication with the client by phone with the computer turned on. If necessary, the manager can always clarify the information of interest through a search engine so as not to demonstrate his incompetence to the client.

The sales manager must prepare for telephone conversation, for which it is recommended to draw up a step-by-step plan for conducting a dialogue. As in real communication, during cold calls you need to clearly and concisely convey the essence of the offer to the client.

You can not "recruit" a person in the morning and after the end of the working day. It is best to call between 10 and 17 hours during the day. Many managers prefer “cold” calls, as they allow them to feel free to speak with the interlocutor and confidently speak with them.

Despite the fact that the client does not see the seller, it is necessary to smile during the conversation. As practice shows, the interlocutor feels a change in intonation and positive emotions manager, which ultimately has a positive effect on the outcome of the conversation.

At the end of the conversation with the client, it will not be superfluous to announce joint agreements on further communication or cooperation. It is also necessary not to forget to thank the interlocutor for a constructive dialogue and orient him to the next contact.

SMS messages

SMS messages allow you to get a fairly large percentage of feedback from potential customers. Communication with the client base using this tool allows the manager to increase sales by:

  • notification of customers about upcoming promotions and discounts of the company;
  • invitations to webinars and training intensives;
  • familiarization with the company's novelties;
  • invitations to offline sales events (fairs, exhibitions);
  • offers on favorable terms of cooperation.

Important: messages cannot be sent to people who have not given their consent to the use of their number mobile phone. Newsletter is done only on the basis of customers who voluntarily left their contact details.

Webinars

Today one of the most popular and effective ways communication with customers and maintaining their interest in the activities of the company is to conduct webinars - online classes on various topics.

Before the event, the manager collects a client base through advertising and personal appeal to people. This scheme works great in communities social networks, where information is distributed at lightning speed between users. The company creates its own public page or group, where new members will subsequently come. The manager fills the public with interesting content and periodically holds webinars, the essence of which is to provide free material.

The webinar allows you to conduct a visual demonstration of the product, talk about its advantages and benefits from using it. If a company specializes in providing services, it is necessary to select a narrow topic for classes and present this material in such a way that people want to return to online lectures again.

As practice shows, webinars that do not serve the purpose of subsequent sales of goods significantly increase the efficiency of the company and the demand for services. This happens due to the fact that a person is aware of self-care, receives valuable advice and recommendations on using the product, solving his problem, so he has a desire for close cooperation (shopping).

Also, the consumer understands the value of the free material that he can experience for himself, and realizes that he will get much more benefit by buying a certain product. Thus, proper communication with the client through webinars can significantly increase the number of new people and maintain the interest of regular customers (clients).

How to properly communicate with a client?

Some sellers do not know how the culture of communication with customers should develop and because of which companies lose a significant percentage of profits. There are standards and principles of negotiation that must be followed in order to get good results and increase the consumer base. Let's consider them in detail:

  1. Question answer. Clients often send company managers (especially at the initial stages of cooperation) e-mails containing a large number of various questions. It is very important to study them, arrange them in the order in which they were received, and give an exhaustive answer to each of them.
  2. Quick specific answer. One of the basic rules of communication with clients says that a person should receive a specific answer to a question of interest to him as quickly as possible. It is considered good manners if the customer receives the information he needs no later than 2 hours after sending his letter. If for a number of reasons the manager cannot immediately respond to it, it is necessary to inform the client of the time when his request will be satisfied.
  3. Demonstration of competence. The seller must understand that the client is not at all obliged to understand the characteristics of the company's product and the various features of cooperation. The manager must show his competence, tell the person about the details of the work, and, if necessary, sort everything out several times. For example, a potential customer is interested in what benefits he will receive from opening a self-service car wash franchise. The franchisor's sales specialist should explain to the potential franchisee that he will be provided with all kinds of assistance in building a business, conducting advertising campaigns, attracting customers and solving organizational issues, visitors to his enterprise will be able to relax while washing their cars, receive some discount for constant service and even buy coffee to go. Thus, customers will be satisfied with the quality of service and begin to recommend the service to their friends, while the profit of the enterprise will become stable.
  4. My client is my friend. Do not be too zealous with the use business style communication. Sometimes officialdom is extremely tiring for both interlocutors, as a result, you may not achieve the desired result. This rule suggests that you need to learn in time to move from a business style of negotiating to an informal one. It is enough to imagine that the client is a good friend with whom you can easily discuss exciting issues. Of course, we are not talking about familiarity and disregard for a person, but healthy humor and friendliness will not be superfluous.
  5. The real value of the product. When during the negotiations the client is interested in the price of the product, it is necessary to justify it. This is especially true of enterprises providing various services. It often happens that managers do not agree on some points, as a result, an inflated price is obtained. Be sure to specify the conditions for the provision of services, since the client has full right know what to expect from cooperation with the company and what to pay money for.
  6. Maintaining constant contact with the client. The manager must remember that communication with customers should not consist only in ordering a product and checking payment for its implementation. It is necessary to call the person, inform him about the results of the promotion of the application, and also resolve any organizational issues. If the client asks to perform any work in relation to cooperation, you should satisfy his request (naturally, if this does not run counter to the interests of the company) and provide him with a report on the results.
  7. Professional problem solving. It often happens that the order cannot be fulfilled for a number of reasons. In no case should a client, especially if it is a large customer, even be aware of possible failures in the company's work. It must be remembered that the result is important to him and he is not interested in the reasons why the application may remain unfulfilled. A professional manager will always find a way out of the current situation in order to maintain relations with the client, because if the customer finds out about the difficulties in the company's work, he may simply refuse further cooperation.

When communicating with the buyer, the seller must be able to tune in to his wave and anticipate the interlocutor's train of thought. You need to try to understand the potential client, know his needs and be able to offer what he needs in time. Professionals always try to look at the problems of clients through their eyes. This allows you to quickly find effective mechanisms for solving and concluding transactions.

How to resist arrogance and rudeness?

The arrogance and rudeness of customers, unfortunately, are quite common phenomena that interfere with a constructive dialogue and a deal. We will give several recommendations that will help the seller understand how to negotiate with aggressive people.

First of all, during a conversation with a person, you should maintain a polite attitude towards him and a smile on your face. This allows you to neutralize aggression and direct communication in the right direction. At the same time, it is extremely important to remain calm and listen carefully to the client.

It is important to learn how to ask unobtrusive questions that will allow you to understand the reason for a person’s rude behavior. Often, rudeness and aggression on the part of the client arise due to the fact that he was deceived, he was treated unnecessarily, or he was left dissatisfied with the quality of service (service, product) in another organization.

To neutralize inappropriate behavior the client, no matter how strange it may sound, you need to apologize to him, and also convince him of full agreement with him. To do this, it is enough for the seller to tell the person that he regrets the cause of his frustration, as well as bad experience work with the company with which the incident occurred. Such behavior will allow the client to understand that they listen carefully, sympathize, treat the problem with understanding and are ready to provide support. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that the seller should not admit his guilt (if it simply does not exist), this may affect the image.

It happens that rude customers insult their interlocutor. A professional will never allow himself to get personal and say obscene things about his opponent. When communicating with an aggressive person, it is unacceptable to raise your voice and give free rein to your emotions, as this will lead to abuse and disruption of the deal.

To avoid this, you should keep a neutral tone during the conversation, breathe evenly and be calm. Don't interrupt the client. He should be made clear that such behavior and rudeness do not bother you. You need to listen carefully to what the interlocutor says. This will allow you to quickly identify the cause of aggression and resolve the trouble that has arisen.

The manager of the company must make an effort to neutralize the overtly rude behavior of the client. Do not comment negatively on his behavior. In this case, it must be said that the interlocutor is valuable as a person (or his decency is valuable). After that, it is worth offering cooperation to the client and making it clear to him that this is important for the company.

How to keep in touch with regular customers?

Regular customers of the company, as we already know, bring most of the profits, willingly purchase new products, and also inform their friends and acquaintances about it. They are, in fact, a free channel to attract new consumers who buy goods (order services) on the recommendation.

Why is it worth making an effort to retain loyal customers? The fact is that new customers, if they are satisfied with the quality of the product, will purchase it and, most likely, will want to buy something else. Nevertheless, it is extremely difficult to find out what exactly attracted a new buyer and why he decided to make a repeat order. As practice shows, companies spend many times more money and effort on attracting potential customers compared to maintaining good relationships with regular partners.

To collect contacts, you can offer customers, for example, "discount" cards (for free) in exchange for their addresses and phone numbers. Within a very short period of time, a large number of people will gather with whom you need to constantly work and stir up their interest.


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