HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY ADDRESS MY NEEDS IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE? This weeks THE REPORT addresses 5 issues pertinent to offering the service customers demand. It is very often very easy to determine what it is that a customer needs and wants. What is very often very much more difficult is giving […]

HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY ADDRESS MY NEEDS IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE? This weeks THE REPORT addresses 5 issues pertinent to offering the service customers demand. It is very often very easy to determine what it is that a customer needs and wants. What is very often very much more difficult is giving the customer the confidence that you understand their needs and wants. Listening and substantiating that listening has occurred is critical to establishing customer confidence and satisfaction and ultimately to maximising sales and the average sale per customer. I have conducted upwards of 100 surveys on behalf of professional service firms and listening skills are almost always an issue. Firms that have staff who listen and demonstrate that they have done so are applauded. On the other had firms where staff respond before they are seen to have listened are criticised. I would argue that many…