Verbal and non-verbal language are two tools that can help you close deals.
“There are no second chances for first impressions,” is a phrase the writer Oscar Wilde used to say. And he was not wrong. When we walk into a store, use a service or receive a call, we form an almost “unconscious” perception of the service we receive.
In the business environment, this premise carries more weight than ever, as it can mark the start of a relationship of trust and loyalty that lasts over time. It is not unusual to remember that call to a service provider that leaves us waiting for long minutes accompanied by incessant music, only for us to end up, when we are finally attended to, with the classic answer: we can’t resolve it by phone, you must come to our offices.
That impression will clearly identify the company forever, not only with this customer but with those friends to whom the customer tells what happened.
A study by the universities of Glasgow (Scotland) and Princeton (USA) showed that a simple greeting can be enough to draw conclusions about the personality type of the person speaking; and if we remember that a company’s most important asset is its people, then we have a powerful combination.
If what you want is to “woo” a potential customer and turn them into your best spokesperson, keep these tips in mind and make that first impression the one and only, and the best.
- Impeccable presentation. Once an employee joins your company, they become your representative. Everything they do or say will be linked directly to your company, and this is also tied to their presentation. Clean, well-kept attire will show an orderly organization that preserves its image; therefore, it offers trust.
- Smile, it’s free. According to research carried out by the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University (USA), a sincere smile can help us be remembered, since our neurons want to remember people who have been kind and friendly to us, in case we have to deal with them in the future.
- Train your staff in courtesy and decision-making. Train your employees to show proactivity, kindness, tolerance and to be able to make sound decisions for the customer and the organization. Remember that the most successful companies do not need a boss who torments their employees every day, but a leader who teaches them the right path to success.
- A comfortable environment will boost productivity. A work environment suited to the work being done will make your employees more comfortable and invite them to greater productivity, almost without realizing it. If your business is open to the public, try some techniques of sensory marketing to attract more customers.
Don’t miss this first and valuable opportunity; surely a second one will not manage to win over that new customer you so long for.
