In the last two months we had two very different hotel experiences in two different beach towns. The impressions that were left with us are so contrasting. I have now truly realized how my overall happiness, like many of today's travelers, is driven by the experience rather than the money I spend or save. There is much for every business to learn from this, which I will summarize after you first read the snapshots of our two hotel stays...
Topics: Memorable Interactions, Rapport, Customer Service, Customer Experience, First Impressions and Greetings
The preceding experiments will help you determine when you should use each of the variety of nods with a date mate, the boss, your kids, or the judge. Try them out and see what works for each individual.
- Janine Driver, You Say More Than You Think
Topics: Rapport, Listening, Communication
We know from the latest neuroscience research that our brains are programmed to "catch" the other person's delight and happiness whenever we see a genuine smile. So…wait until you've been introduced, then as you shake your new acquaintance's hand and say her name, you smile broadly. Body-language-savvy alpha leaders know this trick - it's as if you and your name brought a smile to their face.
- Janine Driver, You Say More Than You Think
Topics: Rapport, Confidence, Communication, First Impressions and Greetings
No matter who the visitor is or what the situation is, any time you come around from behind your desk and sit near someone, you set up a friendly climate for a more relaxed discussion.
- Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business
Topics: Memorable Interactions, Rapport, Communication, Etiquette
Even if you need very specific information... a good strategy is to start with a few open-ended questions and become more focused as you go. This gives you the opportunity to develop a rapport with the other person while at the same time getting some valuable background data. It just takes a little patience, which is essential anyway if you want to get honest, reliable information.
-Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, Ph.D. and Wendy Patrick Mazzarella, Reading People
Topics: Rapport, Customer Service, Communication, Discovery and Questioning Skills
Being successful at conducting sales conversations is not something that requires loads of training or preparation. Yes, you want to have the right tools on your training tool belt so you can be prepared, but you don't need to hold back from tackling sales success due to your intimidation or the lack of knowing some of the basics of selling. Basically, you just have to keep it simple (like we instructed in the K.I.S.S. ("Keep it simple, stupid!") article about customer service), and you will find it's easier than you think to simply be a sales rock star.
Topics: Rapport, Confidence, Sales and Selling
