Is “no problem” … a problem ?

When ‘No Problem’ is a Problem

How often do you say the phrase “no problem” or “no worries” to a customer?

They say “can we change the time of the meeting?”, you say “no problem”

The issues:

You are diminishing what you are doing for them
You could possibly be offending them – “you are usually a problem, but this one? no problem”
When you want to use the phrase “no problem”, instead see it as an opportunity to use the principle of reciprocation.

Here’s how: Frame your answer positively “I am happy to do that for you” or even better “I’m sure if the roles were reversed you’d do the same”. By using the second phrase you are gently reminding someone that you are doing them a favour and they can then consider if they would in fact do the same thing if the roles were reversed.

It strengthens the favour that you are doing for them. And the best phrase to use in order to get someone to really acknowledge what you are doing for them….. “How helpful is that to you?” Think about what this does. It forces the person to consciously think of a reason why the favour you are doing for them is helpful. They are less likely to forget that you are doing them a favour.

So the next time you are about to say “no problem”, ask yourself if there is a better way of phrasing your reply. Think about how this information could be useful to you and your team.

Effective Business Communication: pile of coats technique

Pile of Coats Technique

This is how we communicate…

 

There is an abundance of opportunities to get it wrong.

Imagine you want to communicate to one of your employees that a customer has been in touch and they were not happy with the service that this particular employee delivered.

So in the diagram above you are ‘the sender’.

First, you decide the wording you will use to communicate the message. Will it be along the lines of ‘you shouldn’t have said…’ or ‘why am I getting complaints about…’?

Pitfalls galore for putting someone on the defensive.  

Next, you decide on the channel to communicate your message. Do you make a phone call?

Send an email? face to face?

Again depending on the message you are communicating the channel you choose is key.

Then it is over to the receiver. They have to decode your message.

As part of this process they will use the filters that they have developed over the years that are intertwined with their beliefs and values.

These filters can involve distorted thinking such as ‘blaming’: “It’s all someone else’s fault!”. Coupled with a possible belief (…not necessarily a true belief) that you are out to get them then we could be set for a fireworks display worthy of new years eve. So they perceive you message and apply an understanding and then the finalé; their response!

They are of the opinion that the company would collapse if they left and that  customer is always problematic etc. etc. Communication is hard to get right, maybe it’s best to get under a big pile of coats and just hope it all works out.

Marketing Sales Technique: The Double Bind

The Double Bind

Check out this advert from Brennans bread in Ireland:

This is a sales technique known as a double bind. It is offering choices that are both desirable to the business.

So it is giving someone two choices and there is no option to pick neither.

In business, you can use the double bind when looking to close a sale.

E.g. “Would you like to sign the contract now or after lunch?” There is an inherent understanding that the contract will be signed.

The only choice for the customer is when they want to do it.

When it comes to your kids and you want them to dress warm, you give them two choices that you are happy with and give them the illusion of them being in control.

Or you want them to drink more water….”do you want a cold drink now or a hot drink later?”….devious.

Would you like a pice of vanilla cake or … a piece of cake of vanilla ?  You decide, it is your choice.

How could you use this in your business?

Social Media for Business: Twitter

Using Twitter for Business

On average there are 6000 tweets posted every second – 500 million tweets per day, that’s 200 billion tweets a year. If this is a social media platform that you are not utilising to the best of your abilities, then you are missing out, and there’s no other way to put it.

Likewise, if you do not have a regularly maintained presence on Twitter, then you are missing out on the conversation. This conversation can be about new developments within your industry or about your own brand. By not listening to your target market, you will not be able to know what their wants or needs are, or how you could achieve a unique selling point (USP) over your competition.

Furthermore if you are not frequently on Twitter, and following what people are saying about your brand across this platform, then you cannot respond appropriately to any issues or concerns they may have.

An angry customer, who is upset with your brand, can create a hurricane of negative reviews on social media, and if you’re not there to answer them and respond to their fears, then you are going to lose trust in your organisation, which will inevitably lead to lost leads, business and ultimately revenue. Or in other words, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

But before you go running to your twitter account to make the most of your 140 character limit, you have to have a reason as to why you are tweeting. You have to put the time and effort into creating a Twitter strategy. So think about what the end goal of your Tweet is going to be, whether it is for customer support, brand awareness, to generate leads, or all of the above.

Twitter is a powerful tool for business, so do treat it with the respect it deserves, and you will benefit hugely from it.

Find the right business categories on Facebook

What Category do I Choose for my Facebook Business Page?

Setting up a business page for your business can be a daunting experience, and the last thing you want to do is put in all that hard work and resources into creating it, to then be categorised incorrectly, meaning that your target market can’t find you as easily.

The first step here is to create a personal profile before you can setup your business page.

We would recommend you create a completely new personal profile purely to manage your business page. This is handy if you decide to have someone else manage your business page in the future.

Once you’ve done this, you can now choose the correct category for your business.  This is an issue a lot of people have when first setting up their business Facebook page. So I’m going to break it down into the simplest terms for you here right now.

If you have a physical location, that you want people to visit, so that could be a restaurant, café or store, then you would select ‘Local Business or Place’.  This will allow you the option to give your business’s address and opening times.

Moving on from there, if you have an e-commerce business or service, so if you have a purely online presence, I recommend you pick ‘Company, Organization or Institution’.

Furthermore if you have a product or brand that is sold by various different outlets, go for ‘Brand or Product’.

The rest of the categories are self-explanatory, such as ‘Artist, Band or Public Figure’, ‘Entertainment’ and ‘Cause or Community’.

Now once you choose your category, the plot thickens, as you are then prompted to choose a sub category. This step is pretty straight forward, but if you can’t find your specific sub category, or you are not sure which one to go for, I recommend you choose the general options such as ‘local business’, ‘company’, or ‘product’.