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Increase Your Profits by Training your people
Hi!
What impression do outsiders get when they call your business?
Is it a welcoming greeting such as "Thank you for calling The
Office Organiser, this is Lorraine", or do they hear:
"Lorraine's phone" "Hold the line" (before you even speak) "Hold
the line please" (before you have even opened your mouth)
"Lorraine speaking" (doesn't even mention the name of the
business) or they speak so fast you miss the name of the
organisation and have to check you rang the right number.
Sometimes the initial contact has been positive only to be let
down when the person has said:
"Hold the line for a tick/sec" "I need to find a piece of paper
to write your message down" "Can you hold on while I find a pen"
"Just a tick, I'll pop you on hold" "Alright, I'll see if she's
available" How to Effortlessly Lose Business Recently my 22 year
old had three weeks off from her job as a flight attendant. She
wanted to book into a health retreat for a few days.
As her mother, I was very excited by this, as it's not often you
hear of someone so young, invest their own money...and we're
talking around $2000 plus, who would do something so positive
for themselves.
Anyhow, we spoke about her options and she decided on a
well-known retreat in Queensland (where else?). On the two
occasions she spoke with the receptionist and sales person, Tia
(my daughter) was treated with indifference. The staff were not
enthusiastic or very helpful...a major turn-off.
Tia had never been to this retreat yet the impression she gained
indicated it was very disorganised and not professional. Her
thoughts were - if this is how they respond to potential
customers, what would the actual experience be like?
In the end she decided to go to Camp Eden which both my husband
and myself have experienced. When she made her enquiries and
consequently her booking, she was treated with respect and they
made her feel special.
She's spent the past 5 days at the retreat and has rung me to
tell me how much she has enjoyed it.
Who Answers Your Phone? The person who answers the phone
automatically conveys to outsiders an impression of your
organisation. So what impression is your phone
answerer/answerers, receptionist or Director of First
Impressions conveying to the world?
You can have the glossiest brochures, presentation kits,
business cards, employ polished sales
people who drive fancy
cars and have flash premises, however if your physical image
isn't backed up with a professional image in the office, then
you could lose credibility and even business.
On occasions I have spent my money elsewhere because of the
treatment I received from the receptionist.
Whose Fault Is It? Can you blame your people? No. The buck stops
with the owner or manager of the business. Often they are too
busy to pay attention to the customer service side of the
business and avoid investing time and money into their most
important asset...their people.
Here are some simple, yet very effective solutions to shape up
your phone image.
Top Telephone Tips
Train your people in how to answer the phone. Place a script
next to each phone so they cannot forget what to say. Smile and
stand up each time the phone is answered. The smile projects
down the line and standing up gets you off your butt! Ask some
of your clients and a few outsiders (could be possible
prospects) to ring into your organisation and provide you
feedback as to what they experienced i.e. welcoming greeting,
professional manner, etc. Have a system for taking messages that
everyone adheres to. i.e. use duplicate message pads, message
boards or email. (Tie pens to the message pads). Answer the
phone as quickly as possible, ideally on the third ring. If it
takes too long to answer then the caller may think no-one is
there and may take their business elsewhere. If you answer too
soon it may appear you have nothing to do. Learn the words"
"Please" and "Thank You". The Final Word It's always the little
things which count. The simple, basic, nitty gritties of life.
Ignore them and you risk losing business, credibility, respect,
and who knows what else? Pay attention to the details because if
you don't, other people may not pay attention to you!
Have a great week Lorraine Pirihi
About the author:
Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's No. 1 Productivity Coach. She's
also a dynamic presenter and a leading business and life coach.
Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small
business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so
they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has
produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at
Work!" To subscribe to her free ezine visit
www.office-organiser.com.au
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