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Bonding with customers
By Ken Varga | May 2, 2009
Many of you reading this blog have daily and consistent communication with your customers and prospects.
Here are a few steps on what you can do to create a bonding experience with them when you meet them, or when they experience your business for the first time. It’s good to remind ourselves about these basics from time to time.
The first step should be obvious…Smile.
I’m sure you’ve visited businesses where the salesperson approached you without a smile. Make sure your employees don’t’ make this mistake. They are often the first people your prospect or customer meets. Train your employees to greet customers and prospects with a sincere smile.
The second step is to greet your customers or prospects the way you would greet your spouse…on a great day, that is. Be ecstatic to see them, and again, be sincere.
The third step is to use the right kind of handshake. The secret of a great handshake is not just in the firmness of the shake…a must…but also in the amount of palm-to-palm contact. Studies have shown that opening your palm to someone is akin to opening yourself to them.
In my manual, “How to Capture The Mind of Your Customer and Get them to Say YES”, I go over a Neuro-Linguistic Programming method where you match your body language with that of your prospect or customer. Matching body language is a non-verbal way of telling your clients that you like them.
The idea is that people prefer doing business with people like themselves.
The concept is called Miming or some call it Mimicking.
Once you start mimicking your client’s body language, you will notice that they start to subconsciously mimic yours.
This is when you have the opportunity to open up. If your hands are crossed, uncross them, lean forward, and speak directly to them, and they will now open themselves up to you.
When this happens, it is a signal that you have built trust and rapport, and you can guide the direction of the relationship.
Some of you have created unique ways to make this bonding happen between you and your customers. Share some of your methods with us here, so we can all learn. Also, after you have used the steps I just gave you, let me know what results you get.
Topics: Lifelong Customers, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
June 15th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Hi Ken,
I use this technique when I meet new customers which is almost daily. My favorite is to always hold eye contact with the customer.
Make your eye’s warm and inviting. Never look down or to the sides or your customer might feel that you are a snake oil salesman.
Listen to your customers and take note of your facial expressions as your customer tells there story or experiance.
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