Did you know that customer service is the #1 factor that influences how much a customer trusts your company?  Yes, this is true- according to a customer service survey conducted by Zendesk.  Good service = increased trust and loyalty = higher sales.  The reverse of this is definitely scary; poor customer service can result in your company going down like a sinking ship.  If you have not been focusing on delivering good customer service, there's no need for a life raft just yet.  Let's plug up those holes and give your company some customer service buoyancy by starting with the biggest leak (biggest opportunity), which is the first impression.

Businesses aren't successful by chance.  Someone, who may be you, has to focus and have the vision for what it takes to thrive in today's economy and to continue to provide exceptional service to a demanding consumer market who has high expectations.  Might sound complicated, but let's make it easy and go back to "base camp."  How about you simply embrace and teach our "FOCUS" concept, which is a simple method that truly focuses on successfully serving your customers?  It always comes back to paying attention to service and delivery when you want to move your needle of success and increase your sales.  Right?

You have heard it all before - to make a sale, you need to understand needs, have good product knowledge, find the "fit," and so on.  All true; however, without delivering memorable customer service by showing that you genuinely care about the customer through treating him with respect and proving that he can trust you, you may still earn the sale, but you won't acquire a bigger sale or loyalty. 

My first hands-on experience with a box of crayons and a coloring book at school provided a feeling of freedom and independence, not to mention excitement ~ right up to the point when my teacher looked at my masterpiece and said those creativity crushing words, "You need to work on coloring inside the lines."  Life and professional experience has since taught me that, while coloring inside the lines absolutely is quite often necessary, there are also big advantages to going outside of the lines.

Ringing in a new year is exciting.  You have renewed energy and have a positive outlook on what you plan to accomplish, and your sense of anticipation for what's ahead is further fueled by all of the uplifting messages from the important people in your life.  Like, "Here's to a healthy and happy 2014!" and "May 2014 be your most successful yet!" 

How do you maintain this elevated sense of excitement and desire to succeed?  You don't want to be like the vast majority who sets clear visions, but then loses steam within 1-2 weeks.  Commit now to setting your 2014 goals (if you have not done so already), and then throughout the year, constantly work on them and set weekly/monthly reminders to ensure that you're on track with successfully fulfilling your resolutions.  Determining goals can sometimes feel daunting, but keep most simple.  We can help you get your list of goals started, or we can help you by adding some additional helpful strategies. 

Do you take the time to celebrate your customers?  To show them that you really, truly appreciate them?  I am not talking about a generic closing in your emails or invoices that says, "Thank you for your business!"  What I do mean is, are you thanking your customers in such a substantial way that it is memorable and so that they feel the value of their business oozing out of your message?  It's well worth the little effort it takes to embrace this last skill in our "Top 10 Customer Service Skills List" series by showing your customers that you appreciate them.