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Module 6

This module discusses effective communication techniques for face-to-face customer meetings. It emphasizes the importance of body language, including using power poses, maintaining eye contact, smiling, and mirroring the customer's posture. Proper use of hands, voice, and avoiding nervous behaviors like foot fidgeting can also communicate confidence and build rapport. Listening skills and focusing on the customer's specific needs are key to a successful meeting.

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berlantha.g
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23 views

Module 6

This module discusses effective communication techniques for face-to-face customer meetings. It emphasizes the importance of body language, including using power poses, maintaining eye contact, smiling, and mirroring the customer's posture. Proper use of hands, voice, and avoiding nervous behaviors like foot fidgeting can also communicate confidence and build rapport. Listening skills and focusing on the customer's specific needs are key to a successful meeting.

Uploaded by

berlantha.g
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Module 6 : Face-to-Face

Customer Service

In this module you will learn:


How to create a positive first impression
How to use your body language to communicate effectively
About other forms of non-verbal communication
How talking down your competition can have a negative
effect on your image

6.1 Meeting Customers Face-to-Face


The key to meeting your customers face-to-
face and having a successful meeting is to
know everything you can about them.

You should be prepared for their questions, have an


understanding of what their concerns might be, and your
questions must start out as general inquiries and move on to
the customer’s specific needs.

It is very important to create a positive impression from the


very beginning. You should always be grateful to the customer
for their time, as their presence will help your business in
the long-run, and it is likely they have taken time out
specifically from busy schedules.

Remember not to overwhelm the customer with questions or


information. Most people will only be able to hear about fifty
words before they get overwhelmed. If you have given the
customer too many things to think about and too much
information they will most likely only respond with something
along the lines of ‘we’ll consider it’.
Listening to the customer is the most important thing. Make a
note of everything they say so you can gauge the mood of the
person in front of you, as well as their approach to the
situation and what they are likely to be looking for in a
solution.

Make sure you make a note of all relevant opinions and include
all parties in the discussion. It is important to maintain eye
contact with each and every person you are meeting instead of
directing all your attention towards one person. You should
make each person feel heard.

Nothing reflects on your professionalism and the integrity of


your business as much as the way you talk about your
competition.

If a customer brings up a competitor, highlight their


strengths then transition into what makes your business the
more desirable choice. This should be done without blasting
the competition; otherwise, you will leave the customer with a
bad taste in their mouth. Make sure the customer understands
how you will and can meet their needs.

You should only meet a customer face-to-face after you have


done all the necessary research, and furthermore, you should
know how to sell your product to them in a way that would make
them realize it is exactly what they were looking for. The
trick is to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and imagine
how you would like the sale to be made to you.

6.2 Using Body Language


Powerful and effective body language is a skill the best
communicators have.

Only a few simple steps will have you communicating


effectively through your body language.

First, assume a power pose, which will enhance your


confidence in yourself and in your ability to handle the
situation. This means assuming an expansive and
dominating position for even as little as two minutes.
This boosts your testosterone levels and lowers the
amount of cortisol in your system, which is a hormone
that induces stress. Examples of power poses include
leaning back with your hands locked behind your neck and
your feet in an elevated position. Power stances
stimulate control and make you feel more resilient to
risk. They cause shifts in hormone levels for both males
and females.
Second, you must look as attentive as you can. Resist
the urge to go through your phone, look at your watch or
a clock on the wall, observe the other participants, or
look off into space. Keep your eyes focused on the
speaker and make sure you have turned your body to face
them. Maintain eye contact and lean forwards while
engaging in non-verbal communication. This indicates you
are following what they are saying and includes nodding
your head and angling it towards the speaker.

If you want to create a rapport between yourself and someone,


get rid of all physical obstructions that stand between
yourself and them. Even if you are not in a professional
setting, you should be aware of the situation you are
creating.

For example,

Do not hold a coffee cup between yourself and someone else.


Some people can evaluate your confidence based solely on how
you may hold something. Experts claim that the higher you hold
your coffee mug, the more insecure you feel. This means that
keeping your hands at waist level implies you are more
comfortable with the situation.
Shaking someone’s hand creates an instant connection with them
and is one of the most powerful non-verbal signs of
communication you can use.
A touch that is as brief as 1/40 of a second creates a
connection between two people. In the professional world, the
same rapport is established through a handshake, which is an
expression that communicates warmth and positivity. It has
been reported that sharing a handshake with someone increases
the likelihood that they will remember you.

A handshake also leads people to believe you are a friendlier,


more approachable and engaging person.

Smile
Just as a handshake is the perfect way to create a bond,
nothing spreads positive vibes the way a smile does.

Smiling genuinely boosts your mood and gives others the


impression that you are warm and engaging. A smile also
conveys trust. The best smile is one that is slow, reaches the
eyes, and is read on your face. It is not just about the
mouth; it is about your entire expression.

Smiling at someone often means that they will respond in kind


and since your expressions induce actual feeling, it will
affect the emotional state of the person that you are smiling
at.

If you are attempting to create an aura of agree-ability and


cohesion, mirror the stance and expressions of the person you
are talking to. This sends a non-verbal, subconscious message
to the other person that they are liked and that you agree
with them. You should start by observing the stance of the
other person and then naturally letting your body form the
same postures and expressions.

Remember to be subtle about communicating acceptability by


mirroring the other person. You don’t want them to feel like
they are being mimicked, so try to make sure you’re being
subtle.

Hands
Your hands also serve the purpose of communicating. Studies of
the human brain have shown that the part of the human brain
responsible for the production of speech called Broca’s Area,
not only lights up during brain imaging when we are talking,
but also when our hands are moving or waving. Gesturing with
the hands often goes together with speaking and can improve on
the things you say.

Feet
They say that eyes are the window to the soul but when it
comes to communication, nothing reveals the truth as readily
as the feet. This is because while most people will be
focusing on making sure their facial expressions or their body
language comes across a certain way; they will forget about
what their feet are doing.

Nervousness can easily be discerned through constantly moving


feet. Fidgeting, shuffling, and winding your feet around
furniture are tell-tale signs of discomfort. Some people will
stretch their feet, others will curl them to release some
tension or even kick them to mimic the act of running away.

Voice
Nothing communicates authority like the timbre of your voice.

Before an important telephone conversation, make sure your


voice is at its optimal level by pressing your lips together
and humming. Females must be aware of what pitch their voices
are following at the end of their sentences. Too high implies
nervousness. Authority is best communicated in an arc. This
means your voice must rise in the middle of your sentence and
then the pitch must fall again towards the end of your speech.

Did you know that the position of your arms and legs could
influence your memory? Uncrossing them enhances your ability
to retain information by as much as 38%. This is particularly
helpful for those speaking to an audience. If you see your
audience crossing their arms and legs, you can tell them to
take a break or move around to change their stance.

FACT

93% of all communication is non-verbal.

Source: Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages

Module Summary
In situations where you must be face-to-face with your
customer, body language is very important. You must look
attentive and communicate through non-verbal cues by mirroring
the stance and gestures of the person you are speaking to.

[Tweet “I just completed Module 6 of the Customer Service


Certification Course”]

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