How can I improve my customer communication?

We want to be successful together with our customers and equate success with customer satisfaction. This relies heavily on communication. Therefore, we must constantly question ourselves to avoid becoming blind to our own operations.

To meet our own standards, we continually seek further education. On May 16th, we hosted Google to discuss customer communication and 'sales situations' with us. Accordingly, we will provide you with some methods to help you improve your communication as well.

Fig. 1: The internetwarriors working on sales methods

Communication is Key

Do you have an important call and don’t know how to convey your agenda to the customer? There are countless methods for effective conversation management. Here we present a way to open a conversation which can give the discussion structure.

TPOINT

TPOINT is an acronym and stands for:

• T: Thank you – A simple thank you isn't time-consuming and leaves a good impression, easing the conversation's start.

• P: Purpose – The purpose or headline of the conversation. What's the conversation about? A clear definition can eliminate misunderstandings from the start.

• O: Objective – Discuss the goal, focusing on the actual discussion points, and elaborating on the 'Purpose'.

• I: Input – Here, give the conversation partner the chance to add to the agenda, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

• T: Time – How much time is allotted for the call? This provides a timeframe, limiting digressions, and helps focus on what’s important.

The TPOINT concept offers a reliable framework at the start of the conversation where you can work through the agenda.

More Questions

To ensure productive collaboration, it's always beneficial to know as much as possible about the company, its decision-making processes, and its future direction. Therefore, especially with new customers, it's good to ask as many questions as possible. The 6 Cs, which stand for the following, can help:

1. Company – How does the business operate?

2. CEO – Who is the decision maker?

3. Customer – What does the average user look like?

4. Marketing Mix – What are the sales channels?

5. Competitor – Who are the biggest competitors?

6. Challenges – What are the challenges?

Fig. 2: The 6 Cs for better collaboration.

However, it’s not always advisable to ask these questions openly as this might be met with mistrust. But to optimally align campaigns and your marketing concept, you should be informed about these processes. The 6 Cs approach can also be useful for existing customers to set new impulses and avoid being blind to one's operations.

Think Solution-Oriented!

When communicating, always ask yourself if your approach is solution-oriented rather than product-dependent. For example, if a customer does not understand the customer journey but you want to explain how remarketing and preparatory conversions work, try to think in a solution-oriented way. Do not talk about remarketing lists; instead, speak of a 'journey' with multiple stops that ultimately leads to a purchase. It’s mainly about putting yourself in the customer's shoes to provide them with the best possible options.

What Can We Do For You?

As a full-service agency, internetwarriors offers the entire spectrum of online marketing opportunities, from SEA to web analytics. We assist you with your AdWords campaign issues or visibility on Google. We are happy to advise you.