customer service

Talk Your Way to the Top - Careers That Will Put the Money Where Your Mouth Is

Do you have the "gift of gab" and want to put your money where your mouth is, somewhat literally? Using your voice to help you career-wise is perfect for those who love to talk and do it well. There are specific careers that are well-suited for folks who thrive on inter-personal communication done the old-fashioned way, you know, before texting was the norm. No more keeping quiet on the job front when you can talk your way to the top.

Advertising Sales Representative

Communication is key wirthconsulting.org

If you are a big talker with genuine charisma and trustworthiness, ad sales may be your calling. Being a rep will put you in front of lots of potential clients, or at least on the phone with them. You will need to not only know the ins and outs of what you are selling, but how to convince people to buy into your marketing.

As Monster notes, "A key to their (ad sales reps') success? Developing solid relationships with their clients, which, of course, means having lots of conversations."

Career Builder adds, "Even after a sale, staying upbeat is a huge part of the job, so non-talkers need not apply."

Customer Service

Being able to speak with customers is a valuable skillvceplus.com

If you are not only the chit-chatty type but also enjoy solving problems and helping others, customer service would serve you well. As per Monster, "Customer service reps are constantly fielding questions and concerns from customers, either over the phone or face-to-face. Customer service reps are expected to have all the answers and be able to communicate clearly."

You will need plenty of patience when customers call in with a gripe, but if you can put your top-notch talking skills to task, both parties will wind up satisfied in the end.

Teacher/Professor

Effective communication is an essential part of teaching dreamstop.com

Teachers and professors talk nearly all day long. Communicating with students clearly and impactfully is a must in order for the lessons to be well-presented and powerful. Monster notes, "Teachers must have the stamina to talk throughout the day, often repeating the same material to different classes of students."

As Career Builder points out, "No matter what age you teach, your speaking skills are crucial to being a successful mentor and inspiring your students. Teachers are some of the best communicators around." Have you thanked a teacher lately?

Lawyer

Persuasive talker? this could be the career for you! sciencenews.org

A quiet lawyer in the courtroom is not the one you'd want to represent you. As Business Insider explains, "The ability to communicate well is crucial to any lawyer's success. They need to be able to talk with clients, argue motions, meet with judges, and question witnesses during the course of a trial. Many also have to present evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation — and how they do so, verbally, can determine the outcome of a case."

There is a load of preliminary work, back and forth communication, following up, and following through. Attention to detail is of the essence along with confidence and compassion that must come through when speaking.

Public Relations

Being the face of a brand or campaign takes A+ communication mediabistro.com

In PR, you are representing someone else, so not only will you need to come forth as well-versed and outgoing, but you will need to leave a lasting impression. A positive one.

According to Career Builder, "Most public relations executives need to spend a great deal of time communicating their clients' messages to media. Pitching journalists is a large part of the job, which is perfect for talkers."

Monster adds, "They're constantly meeting with people and making phone calls." If you consider yourself a "Chatty Cathy" or "Chad," then public relations can be fulfilling. Talk up your clients… and talk some more!

Be heard on the job front. Mimes need not apply.

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5 Lessons I Learned From Working in the Customer Service Industry

In any business, no matter the domain, there will always be some element of service. When you picture any kind of customer service representative, what comes to mind is an overly-cheery person chirping away on the phone to a disgruntled customer. It may seem hyperbolic, but having worked in several customer service industries, I can attest to its tricky balance of authenticity and acting. But the skills that you can come away with through a service job can be invaluable when applied to everyday life. Here are some of the things I learned on the job.

1. Become a character

Customer service reps can seem utopic. But the people who work in customer service are not so different from everyday people. They don't have superhuman levels of patience; they don't have an extraordinarily high pain tolerance. Mostly, they're able to reason with unreasonable people because they make a transformation. "Becoming a character" may be over-exaggerating the point, but working in service requires you to put on more than just a happy face. It's a performance, just like being on stage. You can think of it like a switch that you turn on, to turn into your cheery self, able to combat even the most banal of administrative woes.

It gives you the opportunity to momentarily forget your personal issues and take on a positive persona. This can be helpful in real life in almost every situation, from a first date to a corporate presentation. Adopting a positive attitude is not being "fake," but projecting your best self onto your audience. We all want to come out on stage looking great, right? Plus, having a positive attitude can also reduce stress!

2. Always have an answer

Customer service people never have all the answers. But it's their job to be hubs of information and assurance. That means, even if you don't know the answer to a question, you have to assure the customer that you will find out, or direct them to the person that will know the answer. But whatever you do: don't lie. A lot of times, people think it seems weak to tell someone that you don't know the answer. But it's a lot worse of an idea to make something up and have to deal with the fallout after. At the end of the day, most reasonable customers appreciate and respect your efforts, even if their problems aren't solved immediately.

In life, always having an answer makes you appear even more confident. But when it comes to big decisions, don't feel that you have to provide an answer right away. Consult with your best sources of advice and then come back with a day that you will have your answer. Remember, the longer you take to respond, the more effort it seems that you are putting into your response.

3. Don't argue

Now the lawyers in the room might disagree with me, but the negative energy that's created during an argument is not healthy for either party, especially in a professional environment. If you're dealing with an unruly customer, you need to know how to de-escalate rather than fuel their fire. People love to complain, and the next step after complaining is ranting. And then, hopefully not, throwing stuff. Your job is to speak in a calm and respectful demeanor and not blame the customer.

Arguments happen in life all the time; they're a part of humanity. But greatly reducing arguments will also reduce your cortisol levels. No screaming, just speaking.

4. Burn your ego

In the service industry, it quickly becomes clear that you are an ambassador of a brand, a representative of a company. That means you have to sacrifice a bit of your identity. It's not a bad thing! It just means that your job is not to be the winner in a situation or prove that you're right. Your behaviors should directly align with the better good of the company that you represent. So you must act for the whole, even if that means letting go of your ego just a little.

In life, we are faced with certain choices that require us to consider the bigger picture over ourselves. Just suck it up and write about it in your memoir.

5. It's not personal

Whenever you have a conflict at work, it's easy to blame yourself. But most of the time, customer complaints have everything to do with things out of your control. You're just the messenger, remember, not the king. When a customer is going off on you, they're not accusing you of having bad character or being a bad person. They're just frustrated with a usually minor banality and have no personal agenda against you.

Similarly, many things in life will be your fault, but you can't take them personally. If so, you'll start to ruminate and bog yourself down, sabotaging your chances of success. The best advice is to leave it in the past and move on.

Customer service is not an easy profession but teaches a variety of useful skills when dealing with problems in the real world. So put on a smile and prepare yourself to be patient. Your kindness will be rewarded.

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Surefire Ways to Keep Customers Coming Back

If you own a small business, one of the first major milestones is getting customers to like and pay for your product or service. But a one-time hit is not what will keep the business afloat. You need repeat customers who want to stick around as much as you want them to. To keep customers coming back time and time again takes a plan, not just a prayer. These important strategies will let your customers know you care about their overall satisfaction and value their time and money. The customer may always be right, but they'll know you're doing right by them too.

Get Down to a Personal Level

Customers want to feel important. Otherwise, why should they choose your company over a competitor's? In this age of computers and robots, a human connection pulls at the heartstrings. As Small Business Computing notes, "When customers receive a more personal customer experience they can develop a hard to break emotional attachment to the business." And Entrepreneur says, "Companies need to see their customers as people not data points."

This can be a money-maker for the business. Along with the repeat customer, you may find this customer willing to spend more with you too. Small Business Computing posted a study from the Journal of Applied Social Psychology that found, "Waiters were able to increase their tips by 23 percent by carrying out a simple act of returning to a table with a second set of mints. This left the customer satisfied enough to leave a bigger tip." The personal care and attention made all the difference.

American Express reminds small business owners to treat everybody as individuals. "In a small shop, you can go as far as keeping notes about a customer's likes, dislikes and family so you can ask about them the next time you see the customer. Something as simple as keeping track of how long they've been your customer—and mentioning it with a thank you—shows you view them as more than just a note in your profit-and-loss report."

Customizing and tailoring to a customer's desires is imperative as well. Entrepreneur notes that "A 2013 Bain & Co. survey found that 25-30 percent of consumers want to customize their purchases. If 25 percent of online sales of footwear were customized, that would equate to a market of $2 billion per year."

Not to mention, allowing a customer to customize gives new ideas to a company that can increase sales from other consumers who also become fond of the product or service addition. Allow your customers to work for you in a sense!

Get Feedback

Your customers' response to your business is everything. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, constructive or potentially destructive, you need to know what's on their minds in order to keep chugging along with the good stuff and make changes where there's room for improvement.

Vertical Response notes, "Asking for feedback about a customer's experience or product quality shows that you're engaged in your business and looking for ways to improve. You should consider sending a satisfaction survey directly to your customers. Not only will you get valuable feedback to help you make improvements to your business, but it keeps your business top of mind with customers." In addition, be sure to keep on top of review sites where customers can leave comments about your business. A social media or communications employee should comb such pages daily and respond promptly to show your company is on the ball and available to help.

Even if you think you're doing a good job getting your customers' point of view, there's always room for more feedback. All perspectives are valid and can only help your business better itself. In fact, as per American Express, "A recent Harvard Management survey found that 80 percent of companies believed they offered above-average customer service. Just 8 percent of customers of those companies agreed. The last thing you want is a good customer who's silently seething over something you don't know about. Be prepared to handle any complaints you find quickly and in good faith."

Feedback keeps a business on its toes and shows the customer you care about their wants and needs. If customers offer advice and it's ignored, they'll find another company to do business with. Simple as that.

Stay Connected

Just because the customer has left the shop, made an online purchase, or utilized your service doesn't mean the transaction is over. You want a repeat customer, not a "one and done" relationship. That's why keeping connected regularly is the way to keep customers engaged.

"Reach out to your customers on a regular basis. Whether it's a newsletter, coupon, or an event invitation, customers want to hear from you about new products, services, discounts or events," notes Vertical Response. Stay on top of your social media pages as well with updates about the business, sales, new products, and even entertaining posts to keep your fans interested in checking in on your pages just for fun.

Small Business Computing adds, "Digital marketing represents a greater chunk of the market now, and the unrelenting popularity of smartphones means that people are more likely to get their information from a mobile device. Collecting customer information lets you continue to nurture the customer relationship long after the first sale."

This means texting special offers and emailing with a smartphone interface in mind to keep your business on your customers' minds even when they're not making a purchase at the moment. Even a call to check in, depending on the nature of your business, is appreciated. Huffington Post reminds us, "Business relationships are just like any other relationship. They require effort to maintain and they must be mutually beneficial. And don't just call about business; ask about vacation plans and the kids. Be willing to give, share and support, not just try to go in for the up-sell." This non-salesy approach puts a customer at ease and they won't dread that every point of contact is a push to purchase. The true relationship builds trust, and when it is time for them to spend money, your company will be the first choice.

Keep things fresh, loyal, unique, and honest. Customers know when they are being taken for granted and when they are truly appreciated. Simple steps like these not only put a smile on the faces of your customers, but they will have them returning again and again – putting a smile on your face too!
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