If your best solution is not suitable for the customer, try to find something that will work. If you are at a loss to know how to resolve a problem, ask the customer what she would do to solve the problem if this were her business. Asking that question will help the customer walk in your shoes. Work together to come up with a realistic solution that is mutually acceptable.
- Renee Evenson, Customer Service Training 101
Topics: Customer Service Skills, Business Skills, Customer Service, Problem Resolution
A rose on time is far more valuable than a $1,000 gift that's too late.
- Jim Rohn
Topics: Being Attentive, Business Skills, Customer Service, Time Management
Innovators persistently leverage why and why-not questions to acquire critical insights.
- Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's DNA
Topics: Business Skills, Innovation, Leadership and Management
It's true that many…marketing channels are primarily geared toward reaching current and potential customers, but you should also endeavor to reach another very important constituency through your full-spectrum marketing efforts—your employees.
-Kirk Kazanjian, Driving Loyalty
Topics: Teamwork, Culture, Communication, Leadership and Management
One of the clearest ways to determine if an email is the best way to communicate with the recipient is to ask yourself if it focuses on who, what, when, or where. If, however, your email delves into why or opinion, you may want to think twice about sending it. The recipient only has your words on the page to decipher your meaning, intent, and tone. Without visual clues or the sound of your voice your message can easily be misunderstood.
- Peter Post, Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business
Topics: Business Skills, Communication, Etiquette, Email
During the planning phase of your presentation, always remember that it's not about you. It's about them. The listeners in your audience are asking themselves one question—"Why should I care?" Answering that one question right out of the gate will grab people's attention and keep them engaged.
- Carmine Gallo, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Topics: Business Skills, Branding, Feature and Benefit Selling, Communication, Sales and Selling