There are many ways to improve the way you communicate. For example, you will always start things off on the right foot by opening the conversation in a way that creates mutual respect. Using phrases such as, "If you have a minute, I'd like to talk with you about something that I think may improve the way we work together," helps set your conversation partner at ease. It tells him or her that you have positive intentions.

It is also important to know your purpose for the conversation. Some purposes are more useful than others. A useful purpose is one you have power over. For instance, you can control your own reaction; you can share your view; learn about your partner's view; or work toward a sustainable solution. On the other hand, examples of purposes that are NOT useful are: trying to change the other person; attempting to control their reaction; or going in with a hidden agenda.

One of the best many ways to improve your conversation skills is to demonstrate genuine interested in the other person. Curiosity is one of the most useful tools in the communication toolbox. When you enter the conversation with an approach of "curiosity" about the other person, you will necessarily adopt the attitude of a learner. You will not have to pretend to ask honest, open questions. They will come naturally. As you listen, you can reflect on what is being said (and not said). You will gain information and ease tension. If you can't think of a question, you can always acknowledge what you've heard, or you can say: "I see, tell me more about that."

One of the reasons we're not curious more often is that we may mentally equate curiosity with being somewhat intrusive or argumentative. We may think that if we simply listen to what the other person is saying without comment that we would be currying favoring with our conversation partner be leading him to assume that we're okay with whatever he is saying. This is not useful thinking. It prevents you from seeing the whole picture and from learning more about where your partner is coming from.

By asking relevant questions on the other hand, you demonstrate that you are actively listening to the other person, which convey the impression that you are genuinely interested on what the she is saying. This in turn translates into a sincere interest in the other person and paves the way for building rapport.

The next time you find yourself in a difficult conversation, give yourself and your partner a gift by asking questions-questions to which you do not know the answer. Watch what happens. You will learn a lot, and you will feel more powerful, not less, because of it. Remember-listening without asking questions does not necessarily communicate agreement, and it certainly doesn't do anything to generate a deeper understanding of another. Asking questions not only brings increased energy to interpersonal communication, it also indicates that you are a skilled and active learner, a good partner, and a conscious communicator.

Are you curious? Contact us today to learn more about how you can increase your performance as an effective communicator!

 

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If you talk to most business people about how they approach customer retention, many of them will say that they are continually striving to develop satisfied customers. While it certainly is important that customers be satisfied with the product or service they receive from a business, satisfaction in itself is not enough to keep customers coming back. What businesses should strive for in today's business environment is customer loyalty.

Customer loyalty involves more than just customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer is simply one whose needs are being met. A satisfied customer is happy with the product or service that is provided. But does that mean that a satisfied customer will not shop elsewhere? Not necessarily. What if a competing business provides a comparable level of customer satisfaction? What is to keep a previous customer from also patronizing the competitor? Nothing! Customers may work with you so long as it is convenient for them, but if a better deal comes along or a similar deal that is a bit more convenient for them, they're off. The Harvard Business Review has reported that that between 65 and 85 percent of customers who chose a new supplier said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their former supplier.

A loyal customer on the other hand is one who maintains an allegiance to one particular business or enterprise. Customer service is important to such customers, and it is certainly difficult to develop customer loyalty if customers are dissatisfied, but there is something that transcends excellent customer service that makes loyal customers want to demonstrate faithfulness to a particular business. Loyal customers will be with you through thick and thin; they will be the first to try out your new product; they willing give you honest feedback; and they will regularly refer new business to you.

Businesses have adopted various tactics to developing customer loyalty including approaches such as frequent flyer/shopper programs, volume discounts and membership buying clubs. Such program do work, but their focus is almost totally on providing a financial incentive to remain loyal to a particular vendor. There is little if any emotional involvement on the part of the customer, and it is emotional involvement that is the epitome customer loyalty. The attractiveness of financial incentives can diminish over time and are always at the mercy of a better offer. On the other hand, if a business has developed an emotional connection with a client or customer, that bond will hold fast and will in many times cause a customer to resist a more financially appealing offer. In addition, a strong feeling of loyalty on the part of a customer may often even cause her to overlook and/or forgive a momentary lapse in satisfaction brought on by poor service.

Here are some things you can do to generate customer loyalty.

1. Provide top quality customer service. This is the starting point. Promise excellent service and then deliver on your promise. Remember, it's always about the customer. Make every transaction as easy as possible for your client or customer and do your best to minimize customer stress. Focus on the key connection points of your customer interaction process and strive to make these positive and satisfying to your clientele. Be a 'Can Do' Business. Be a business where solutions are always looked for and problems seen as challenges. Customers like nothing better than a business which delivers on even the most difficult of requests. 'Can Do' businesses will always have loyal customers.


2. Build Relationships. Loyalty can only be achieved if you have a true relationship with your customer. Aim to build rapport. Work to know who you are dealing with and to understand what they are looking for. Keep in regular contact with them. You don't necessarily have to be selling something. Always use their names, especially their first name if you can. All of this will help in building a long term relationship. You want to make your customers like you and like working with you. You want them to become your friends. Once you have this, they are less likely to walk away.


3. Continually Seek Feedback. If customers are unsatisfied, you simply have to know about it. It may sound strange but the average customer has to be encouraged to complain. Many will keep quiet about poor service but if they can find someone else to do their business with, they will. Set up a clear complaints procedure so customers can complain if they wish. Follow up all complaints to ensure that they have been resolved. Show your customers that you are interested in their views. Run regular surveys to find out what they think of your service, to find out what you can do differently. Taking the trouble to contact your customers will reinforce the message that you want their custom. But don't forget - take action on what you find out.


4. Generate Staff Loyalty. If youa staff that supports you, you must absolutely make sure that the people who work with you on the same wave length as you. You simply cannot cultivate a loyal customer if your staff is not loyal to the business? You must have staff that cares about you and your organization and will do anything to protect and move the business forward. Customers will be more loyal if they see familiar faces. Treat your staff well. A business with a high staff turnover will find it difficult to build a relationship with their customers. Recognize individual and group successes and reward their achievements. Apply Customer loyalty principles to your staff as you would to your customers.

No matter how satisfied an organization thinks its customers are, if they haven't made an emotional connection with their customers to develop a long- term relationship, satisfaction will ultimately be worthless. Satisfaction alone does not build a strong and loyal customer relationship. - Gallup Management Journal, March 13, 2003

Click here to learn more about Customer Loyalty. 

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Attitudes represent collection of personal beliefs, feelings and values that influence a person's behavior in response to specific ideas, objects, persons or situations. Attitudes represent habits of thought formed over time through exposure to people, events and ideas over the course of one's life experiences. This storehouse of acquired attitudes acts like a sub-conscious computer master program for controlling behavior. These habits of thought have an impact not only on how we see and react to the world around us, but also on how we see ourselves.

Attitudes are often based not on reality but rather, simply on how we personally think or feel about something. This then, becomes our reality. Because our attitudes reflect what we think, feel and believe, about ourselves and the world around us, they effectively shape our expectations of daily life, and these expectations directly influence the nature of our behavior which, in turn determines our results. This is why the nature of our attitudes, especially those that relate to how we see ourselves, is so critically important.

All attitudes come in two varieties-positive or negative. There can be no such thing as a neutral or ambivalent attitude towards someone or something. At its core, an attitude represents a leaning or bearing in one direction or another, so a neutral condition would simply reflect a non-attitude. The fact of the matter, however, is that we generally display an attitude, either positive or negative, about most every situation we encounter during our day to day activities. People's attitudes are illustrated by both their actions and by their reactions.

Now it isn't so much that we develop a positive or negative attitude to a specific situation as a response to the details of that particular situation that poses a problem for us generally, but rather the fact that our inherent attitudinal orientation (positive or negative) influences our behavior in a situation often without our awareness.

When presented with a challenge, people with a negative attitude will likely focus on problems: what can't be done, and why things won't work. Their conversations will usually center on negativity, criticism and blame. Such people do not respond well to compliments and will even discount them. However, they remember every one of their failures and mistakes, and this memory stifles much of their activity. They are usually part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Individuals with basically positive attitudes will focus more on possibilities and optimistic outcomes. This will be evident in the way they treat people. They will be very comfortable giving others credit, and their interactions will concentrate on helping other people feel good about themselves and their circumstances. They accept both constructive criticism and compliments with grace and appreciation... People with positive attitudes are usually part of the solution and are rarely part of the problem.

But where do our attitudes come from? It is important to understand that attitudes are developed over time. Years and years of early conditioning helped to develop the attitudes that many people carry with them throughout life. They are derived from one's family, environment, friends and life experiences. Much of early conditioning is often negative, e.g., what you can't do, where not to go, etc. Unfortunately, negative attitudes are significantly more prevalent than positive attitudes. Too many people think more often of what's wrong, how they might fail, and why it won't work rather than what's good, what's right, and how it can work.

The intentions and influence of family, friends, coworkers and society are intended to be helpful. We can generally benefit from the experiences of others, and wisdom that has withstood the test of time can aid us in decision making and problem solving. However, sometimes even helpful advice can inhibit our ability to imagine, explore and create. In order to grow and achieve, we must each follow our passion, chart our own course, set our own goals and determine our own actions.

Far too often, peoples' attitudes determine the nature of their lives. People's success and happiness are the direct result of the attitudes they bring to personal interactions. In other words, people's interactions with others are often determined by their inherent attitudinal predisposition. Ideally, this situation should be reversed so that we control our attitudes rather than having them control us. In the words of James Allen from his wonderful inspirational little book entitled As a Man Thinketh,

"All that a man achieves and that he fails to achieve is the direct result

of his own thoughts ... His condition is his own, and not another man's.

His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks,

so is he; as he continues to think, so he remains."

Click here to learn more about How Attitude Affects Motivation.

We can help you to replace the negative conditioning you've developed with productive thoughts and behaviors, contact us today to learn how.