Understanding a child is easy but dealing with a client…. Ooops!
I really wish to know the magic spell to turn my difficult clients into dream clients (and who doesn’t want to) but unfortunately, nothing of this sort has been discovered yet.
Believe me; dealing with a 6-year old kid is much simple than getting a clear idea of a customer requirements. It is like heaven, when you get along and communicate well with your clients while a difficult client can make you pull your hair.
I am sure each one of us, must have gone through the trauma of dealing with demanding clients, therefore I bring you a list of helpful tips which can save you from going crazy. I am not promising you that my post will disappear your client dealing problems but it will give you a new perspective on how to handle this issue.
1.Show them the right direction:
Most of the clients are distracted with so many things happening around, TV, billboards, cell phone, Internet, e-mail. Take their initial instructions and guide them about your services regarding their project.
2.Listen to your client with patience:
Every one wants to be acknowledged, understood and receive attention. You just need to offer complete concentration to your customer making him believe that you have ample of time and patience to answer their questions.
3.Make them understand your perspective:
Make sure your customers understand what you are saying to them. Use simple and understandable terms with them to avoid any type of confusion.
4.Make yourself easily reachable for your clients:
Don’t make it difficult for your client to contact you. Provide him all the contacts where he can easily reach you and discuss his issues.
5.Don’t confuse them giving too many options/choices:
Don’t confuse your client by offering number of special offers on different products. It becomes difficult to take a final decision when you offer several options.
6.Appreciate their ideas and concepts:
Sometimes, a client fails to give a clear idea of his requirements thinking he might be wrong. You need to make them comfortable to discuss their every requirement. Every one wants to be acknowledged, understood and receive attention. You just need to make your client feel comfortable talking to you.
7.Make them know about your sincerity:
Make your customer realize you are dealing their project sincerely and have pain for their money. This will make your customer have a strong faith in your services.
8.Make them understand your perspective:
Customers requirements should be your top priority but if you find your customer suggesting something which will not benefit his business, do give your advice. Explain your perspective and reason your suggestion to convince your client.
However, this was my take on how to deal with difficult customers. I’d love to hear from you if this stuff helped you understand what your child like client wants, needs and intents.
SOCIAL MEDIA – THE FEVER IS EVERYWHERE!
Lately, I got to attend an event with a group of small business owners in Chicago, to encourage the striving entrepreneurs to share their examples and ideas. Business events where we get more to ask and less to talk are always interesting and helpful. Therefore, I make it a point not to miss such gatherings and highly recommend you as well.
Ok, coming back to that event I attended, this time we discussed something very exciting and happening …The Social Media.
I bring you some guidelines to enter the world of social media:
- Join as many social bookmarking sites you can but do not forget the most prominent ones, such as Stumble Upon, Del.icio.us, Digg, Mixx, Propreller,etc.
- LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, Face book are the most accessible networking sites used by professionals and organizations to stay in touch with prospects, clients and colleagues.
- Invite enough people to connect with you on these social networking sites, despite the fact of unawareness with each other. Invitations for so many people will eventually bring traffic to your site.
- While adding your content on these sites, save your time and energy by submitting the same description for the same pages on all social networking sites.
- Try submitting every page, article and post available on your site or blog because you never know what clicks the customers mind and motivates him to visit your website.
- Whenever you submit any new content on these site just make it a point to mail or IM your family and friends to vote your submission, just remember don’t bug them much that they stop doing such favors in future.
- Every time you write and post anything, use Twitter to announce the update.
These tips will help you alienate potential customers but if you recognize the rewards, you can achieve from social media you will start investing more time on it. As few of them are below:
- It is a shortcut for business owners to gain potential customers;
- Customers get a platform to discuss your product and express their demands;
- Promotes your business within a real community where people of same interest are teamed up;
- The customer feed back you receive through these sites help you modify your marketing strategies;
- Plays significant role in creating brand perception;
- Helps you find more effective, latest marketing tips to promote your business.
Hpoefully, you are convinced that social networking sites are no longer a source of entertainment for youngsters; in fact, they have become a commonplace for more than two-third of business professionals.
So, what are you guys waiting for? Fire up your engines and submit your content!
How Ex-Employees get unfair with their Ex-bosses?
Achieving a successful business by using or exposing confidential information, violating a non-compete agreement or defaming a former employer, is no big deal for the former employees nowadays. To start a business, usually people choose the same industry they have been associated with, during their 9 to 5 job as their experience and expertise can help them establish their new-fangled business.
However, the story does not end here. Laid-off workers, who start their own business, get into an unfair competition with their ex-employers using all the confidential information of their former employer’s business, that is not generally available to the public — like customer contacts, pricing etc.
Many reputable companies make their employees sign particular agreements informing them about their professional limits and letting them know that they cannot solicit business with any of the customers they worked with, formerly.
However, I guess those days are gone when an ex- employee tried to be loyal to his ex-boss, avoiding using all the secrets of the trade to make his venture a success. To win this race of “greed for more” we see number of people joining big companies to learn tricks of a trade and then getting into a competition with the same company.
If you ask me to give an honest verdict, I am not against opting for the same profession for your small business but misusing the confidential success secrets of your ex-employer, sounds unethical.
So, all the striving small business owners out there, do you think I have let you on a decent path of success?
