May 25, 2023 – Laurie Brown is a communications coach and customer service expert who has worked in a wide range of sectors for over 30 years. From working with bull semen salesmen to teaching customer service skills to the government of the kingdom of Bahrain, she has literally seen it all. Brown recently sat down with Repertoire Magazine to discuss the difference between customer service and the customer experience, where companies get the idea of the customer experience right and wrong, and how companies can improve their communication processes.
Because the nature of communication is so specifically linked to customer service and the customer experience, it’s important to be a good communicator. If you’re not a good communicator, it’s never too late to improve your skills. According to Brown, there are four habits of great communicators:
- They are exceptional listeners
Listening is a critical component of communication. If your audience is expected to care about what you want to say, they need to feel heard. “Great communicators listen to understand. They don’t have agendas. They watch for facial expressions. They listen with their ears, eyes, heart and mind.”
- All communication is personalized
Personalized communication can help to remove any potential barriers or obstacles that might be in between you and your audience. By personalizing your message, you are meeting the customer where they are with the information that is most important to them.
- Communication is easy to consume
Whatever medium or mode you are using to connect and communicate with your audience needs to be accessible and easy for them to use. Any difficulty creates a barrier, and barriers aren’t conducive to good communication. However you decide to communicate, make sure that it meets the needs of your audience and doesn’t waste their time.
- They manage expectations through clear communication
Everyone can come into a partnership with their own expectations, but they should be reasonable and clearly communicated. “If there is something I expect from you or that you can expect from me, make sure that it is stated very clearly.”
Creating a personalized, stress-free experience for your customers isn’t going to be the easiest thing in the world. You’re going to need to be constantly thinking of every touchpoint, considering every word that you choose because it all matters. “And don’t forget to be nice,” Brown said.
Read more in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.