14 Tips to Own the Moment with Your Customers

Don’t open a store unless you like to smile.

- Chinese Proverb

What about you… do you like to smile? Like to be personable and make new friends? Nobody owns the customer, but somebody will always own the moment. You need to own the moments of customer engagement.

If you are a customer-facing employee, you need to enjoy doing these things to be successful in any customer engagement strategy. Either in person or online.

Here are 14 tips for your customer engagement strategy. They apply for one on one or online engagement. Note that following these tips will yield a good customer experience. In most cases, you will have to go beyond this level to yield a great customer experience.

Grab and hold the attention

Make your information interesting. If it is boring to you, it will be boring for your audience. The kiss of death. Keep in mind with all the information on the internet, people skim and don’t read. If your material is not really interesting, well you know the answer.

Be relevant

Be relevant to your target market. Keep in mind that one message does not fit all. It starts with knowing your target market.

Think simple

Communicate with simple words and messages for a broad audience. Keep in mind that pictures are far more valuable than words.

Rely on visual messages

60% of our brains are dedicated to visual processing. Take advantage of this. Use images to convey your messages and re-enforce with words.

Be Twitter friendly

Create Twitter-friendly key points, messages, and keywords. Then use them with Twitter to re-enforce your communications.

Focus on dreams

Go light on your products. It is the end state customer utility that counts most. Focus on what they are looking for.

Acknowledge that they are there

Let customers know you are there, as soon as possible. If you are busy with another customer, inform them you will be with them shortly.

Be responsive

Avoid making customers wait, either in person or online. Always respond … never ignore input or question.

Know more

Always know more than your customers do about your products and services. Always assume they have done their own homework and product research. If you don’t know, DON’T BLUFF, but do offer to do some research to find an answer.

Don’t sell

Use your knowledge and experience to help customers decide. Help them with their problem-solving. No selling is your best move.

Listen well

Always make sure you understand what they are saying and asking. Then respond.

Be quick

Help them complete their visit quickly, and hopefully, without seeking other help, or ‘handing them off’.

Exceed expectations

Exceed expectations whenever you can. If your business doesn’t have what the customer wants, offer alternatives, including other businesses.

Always close

Do what you say or promise. No excuses. If your response will be delayed, keep them informed.

These 14 tips on how to own the moment are not things that we do not already know, of course.

Yet this list of little things simply reminds us of what we already know but may have forgotten. Then it is up to us to put these lessons (or reminders) into daily use through persistence and practice.

Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of a small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.