In Michael Sorensen’s book, I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships, you discover very early on in his research that the majority of people need someone to listen to their problems and validate them. It’s through validating we flex an awesome power that we all possess. The power of just being there. And, whether it be personal or business, there’s nothing more impactful than this type of genuinely empathetic listener.
It is a very common occurrence that when someone in distress calls out with their issues those that are “listening” want to provide advice. Sometimes the “listener” even wants to relieve the speaker of their troubles by taking care of the issues for them. When in reality, the speaker just needed someone to actually care that they had the problems in the first place.
Just the simple act of being heard and acknowledged for their struggles is all that most people want in these kinds of situations. Not advice, or direction but validation. Plain and simple. And, more often than not, most that express their concerns, struggles, challenges, and hardships won’t get the validation they seek.
Our problems are deeply personal. And, regardless of the circumstances that surround them, in business relationships, the slightest inconvenience could cause a ripple effect on your customer and client operations. But just being taken seriously and confirming the severity and importance of the problems a caller or client conveys is often enough to ease their concerns.
Let’s have a quick look at what it really takes to just be there for your clients and callers. I promise, it really doesn’t take that much at all.
Showing REAL Care
One of the biggest grievances that people have with their typical call center agencies or automated customer service lines, is that they’ve become very robotic. A.I. systems have sucked the life out of our day-to-day communications. And, the general consensus can be made that people prefer talking to people over machines.
Methodically, callers move through these artificial voice prompts to often find themselves right back at the beginning of their communication journey. Much like those choose your own ending books you use to read as a kid, without careful consideration and the validation of any and all information provided you’ll find yourself at an ending you really hoped you wouldn’t get stuck with.
By providing that careful consideration and validation your callers feel like someone important. They aren’t just another caller. They’ve been heard! The last thing a client or caller wants to feel is like is a nobody. It’s important to remember that these individuals are more than just an invoice to be collected on. Making callers feel that they’re treated as a partner in your business is your first priority when building a strong business relationship. Laying down this foundation provides assurance that you and your business will always be there.
Professionalism & Trust Leads to Loyalty
There are two major elements when it comes to winning over a caller. These are showing that you are an expert at what you do in your business and that what you do is in their best interests. They’re the technical and human aspects that every business should have top of mind when engaging with other businesses that are in need of their services.
While each aspect can impress a client on its own, displaying both of them can ultimately win them over. The goal here is to become the go-to vendor when it comes to your industry. Foster a loyal relationship with every team that you work with.
Here’s a particular situation involving a client who didn’t have the staff to cover the calls that couldn’t afford to be missed and what was resolved by being the service that is always there. Using this recent Clutch review you’ll see how this client had no one to cover the busy phones and how the entire company was relieved by the service provided by their new answering service.
Just by practicing the power of being there, this client has seen a major improvement in their answering services. Proving to be “invaluable during the engagement” this client has found a greater value in an answering service that takes the time to not only listen but validate what their callers are communicating to them.
Let’s review one other example of a Clutch review from just a few years back. Note that this was a startup company that didn’t have the resources available to hire somebody to answer their phones, 24/7. This start-up provides services nationally, and need to be available by phone at all times. So, 24/7 answering services are a MUST here.
As you can see, from the use of other vendors that lacked the kind of care their callers needed in the past there were some concerns. But with this change in service, the client has clearly seen a massive improvement in the recording of information, response time, and overall caller experience.
These reviews are just a small example of the impact that a personal attitude and genuine show of care can have on either a business or an individual.
Listen & Validate
Well, now you’ve read it. But did you really hear what was said in this article? Let’s take a quick moment to look over what was shown to you here today.
- A genuinely good listener is one who also validates.
- People don’t usually want your advice when they come to you with their problems. They want to be heard and acknowledged for their struggles. If they want your advice they’ll ask for it.
- Know what you’re talking about. Be an expert at what you do. Don’t fall behind with new fads, trends, and information. Stay on top of your professional game.
- When your callers trust you they call back. Trust builds loyalty in clients. Be sure to get your services and products to the people that need them most.
- By being present and completely focused on your callers you practice the immense power of just being there.
Alright, did you get all that good stuff out of this article? I hope so. But if you still feel like you could use a little more evidence you can always call the source itself.
At Abby Connect, we pride ourselves on providing the most genuine human experience a person can have over the phone these days. We’ve put the people back into this profession, removing all that unwanted A.I. from your callers’ concerns. Check out more stories from small business customers finding ways to be there for their clients on the Manifest’s answering service reviews (compiled by the team at Clutch).
If this is the kind of service you’re looking to provide in your business, reach out and contact us today.
