When it comes to running a business, it’s not just what you sell that determines how successful you are but how you sell it. No matter how many add-ons, bonuses, upgrades, or samples you throw in, a considerable part of your business comes down to your actual relationship with the customer. At the end of the day, as it’s often said, it’s all about communication.
External communication with clients is an integral part of the customer experience – and stellar customer experiences lead to repeat customers. In fact, 66% of customers will pay more for a product if the customer service that comes with it is top-tier.
Within a business context, communication tends to be mostly persuasive – after all, you’re trying to convince them why the service or product you’re selling is the right fit for their needs. But communication here is not just about making a logical argument for your business. It’s about establishing a relationship with your customer. And relationships can only thrive with emotional connection. Rather than merely trying to talk them into buying something or trying to solve their problem with your product, it’s important that your communication invites, establishes, and reinforces an emotional connection to your brand.
1. Do your research – and put yourself in their shoes.
The most persuasive communication happens when you step into your customer’s shoes. What are their wants and needs, and how does your offer align with them? How might it seem not to? Knowing the latter can help you anticipate questions and problem-solve potential concerns in advance.
In fact, it’s important to know almost as much about who they are as you know about your product or service – don’t just assume you know it all going into it. If the customer feels heard and listened to – rather than talked over or bullied into purchasing a product – you’re likely to create a repeat customer, instead of someone who was put off by the service. This often means that you tailor your communications to each customer and their unique situation, rather than using a one-size-fits-all script for dialogue. After all, you’re selling to human beings, not robots.
2. Keep it informal but educational.
One of the best ways to put someone at ease – and open the door for their trust – is to be at ease yourself. Conversations that are formal and stilted create emotional distance between the seller and the buyer, when what’s really needed here is emotional connection. Casual but informative dialogues are the most successful here. Such dialogues educate the buyer about your product or service and assure them that they’ll have an excellent experience with it.
3. Speak their language.
What’s the best way to create an emotional connection with a customer and quickly build rapport? Speak their language. Studies show that most customers are uncomfortable making important decisions presented in another language. Having your product’s instructions in a customer’s native language will help win them over. Furthermore, it’s been shown that more people will buy from a brand if after-sales support is offered in their language.
While you might have a few staff members who are bi- or trilingual on your team, investing in helping them brush up on their skills or pick up new languages will be hugely helpful for securing sales and building customer relationships.
Babbel for Business goes beyond many other language-learning programs by offering customized programs tailored to the vocabulary and grammar most suitable for your team. After all, there’s no reason why your team should start their language-learning with a course that teaches them how to find their hotel or describe an apple, when that’s not the language they need. Make the most out of your staff’s time, and get them learning the language skills they need right away.
Furthermore, with Babbel for Business, teams can use Babbel’s engaging app to learn a new language’s essentials. One-on-one video lessons are also included to help your team members refine their pronunciation and polish their grammar through live conversations with our tutors.
Interested in improving your customer communication with language learning? Check out our new handbook for customer service teams.
