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Home > Archive > May 1, 2008

People Skills
By Mac Mcgee
I recently telephoned a home center to ask when they closed.
“Yeah?” The person answering the phone said.
“Am I talking to (So and So) Home Center?” I asked. 
“Yeah, what do you want?” came the answer.
I guess what I wanted more than anything was to have the sales clerk act in a professional manner. I wanted the sales clerk to answer the phone by saying, “This is Kathy at (So and So) Home Center. Can I help you?”
In this short statement, they have identified who you are talking to, the business you have called, and addressed your needs by offering their assistance.
This unfortunate situation is all too common in businesses everywhere. Untrained employees drive customers to the competition by rude and unprofessional behavior while on the phone. Often times, sales clerks do not understand the sales process starts from the customer’s first telephone call or entrance into the business. Are they treated with respect and courtesy? Or is calling or entering your business interrupting your employee’s normal routine?
I have also heard the standard rehearsed line, where a sales clerk repeated as quickly as they could, the ‘standard welcome’ or reply when answering a phone call or greeting someone at the door. No one wants to do business with a ‘robot,’ people do business with people. So the manner in which the customer is greeted is equally as important as the words with which he is greeted. It is important to appear sincere when interacting with customers.
Individuals who are ‘engaging’ as well as helpful will find the greatest amount of success and self-reward in what they do. If you view your job or position as a place where you don’t want to be, the shopping public will pick up that ‘vibe.’ They’ll choose to shop where they feel ‘welcomed,’ where they feel their participation in the buying process is an important part of your business.
I demonstrated this at a national home center training class. I was teaching the students how to observe customers as they came in the door. Through a hidden camera, my interactions were video taped. One man came in with a list that he was pondering intently. Instead of the standard, “welcome to (So and So) home centers,” I said “Hi! – I’m Mac. I see you have a 'Honey-Do' list. Do you need some help finding some things?”
The man stopped his study of the list and jokingly talked about his wife that was driving him crazy because of all the weekend chores she had him doing.
Following his lead, I said “Well she must think you can handle it, but I’m here to help you find what you need.”
He introduced himself as “Frank” and I helped him through the process of finding each item he needed.
This was my first introduction to Frank. When he was checking out, I told him, “If your wife works you too hard, you could come back to the store and hang out with me for a while, to catch your breath and get a break.”
He appreciated the offer and said with a smile, “Catch ya later, Mac.”
Not only was this customer assisted, he was helped in a way that made him feel welcome, appreciated and understood. More importantly, I became a part of that process, and he will remember his experience at the (So and So) home center.
This demonstrated to the sales clerks a way to take interest in a customer, interact on a positive, personal basis and act like a real human being when dealing others. If all you do when you help customers is point them in the direction they need to go, then you should be replaced by signs.
The best salespeople
The best and the brightest are those that realize they wouldn’t have a paycheck without the customer. They are individuals that have great interactive skills, remember customers by name or something about  them. I once remembered a man by the unusual turquoise ring he always wore. I could never seem to remember his name, but when I saw that ring, I'd remember who he was. Even though I couldn’t remember his name, we had conversations and interactions that made him an important part of being a returned customer.
People shop where they can find what they need, feel comfortable, remembered, and important. Often many places carry the same products, making the other aspects of your business that much more important. You only get one chance to make a good impression. More than the impression itself – will you be remembered as someone who helped or hindered the customer’s shopping experience?
What role are you going to portray?
Mac McGee is an accomplished business owner, published author of self-help employment books, articles and training videos. He has assisted the state employment development department in making presentations about networking and job searching. He has helped thousands of people find full-time permanent employment, personally constructing over 1000 resumes. His advice to start-up and existing businesses has produced hundreds of opportunities for business owners. He can be contacted at employmentmaster@aol.com.

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