If you want to communicate better with your customers, then you need to take note of the TV show, Mad Men. Fans of the Emmy Award winning program know that there?s little reason to watch the previews for the next week?s episode. And there is a lesson there about how you talk to your customers.
The producers of Mad Men are on record saying that they don?t like next time trailers but are required by their network to produce them. So they string together random bits of dialogue from the upcoming episode. There?s no flow, context, and you learn nothing about what?s coming next week.
In effect, the producers have fulfilled their obligation but totally undermined the preview. As a viewer, it can be a frustrating experience.
In your organization, you can be doing the same thing. It?s very easy to talk to a customer for 20 to 30 seconds and say absolutely nothing. Jargon and technicalities are the friend to those who don?t want to explain shortcomings.
But unlike, Mad Men, people may not come back to you next week. To Clear the Path to better communication with your customers follow these steps:
Listen: No matter if you’re heard the same question before, treat it like it’s the very first time. People love to know that they are being heard.
Don’t Interrupt: It will be tempting to jump in and try to finish someone’s sentence. After all, you’ve probably got lots of things to do. Resist this urge as it opens the door to misunderstandings and customer frustration.
Summarize What’s Been Said: Take a moment to restate the key points to the customer so you’re sure what they are asking. This is also your chance to ask a question that can help you better define the issue.
These are simple steps that can immediately improve the communication process. While the process can take longer, you are given the chance to appeal to the customer’s ego through good listening and prevent misunderstandings by clearly defining the issue.
Improved communication with your customer is something that I suspect would make Don Draper proud.
