We are living in a relationship deficit world. Technology has made it easier for us to navigate through our busy lives but has also eroded the fundamental elements of human connections.
So how do we build authentic human connections?
THE 5 KEYS TO TRAINING YOUR EMPLOYEES IN THE ART OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
1. Be authentic. Make sure you’re creating authentic connections with your team members. Demonstrate that no one cares about your customer’s business like you do. There are a lot of people that love what they do but don’t make it obvious. Therefore, you’ve got to love what you do and make it obvious.
Go ugly early. If you have bad news, start with it. Don’t hide it and hope that it doesn’t come up.
Be a resource broker. Your client should think of you as the expert in what you do. However, they should also never make a decision in their business without thinking of you first. That means they should call you. You may not be an expert in sales and they know that. However, they also know that you know someone that is an expert in sales.
Don’t just offer them what you can provide; find out why they need it. A lot of times, they might not need what they think they need. If you educate versus sell, they will be loyal to you and the lifetime value of them doing business with you will blow away the short-term value. Your customer should never imagine a world without you and your company in it.
Be as committed to the success of your customers as they are. Know your client’s top three goals for this year, even if they’re unrelated to what your business provides.
2. Have insatiable curiosity. Never meet anyone smarter at what you do than you. Always be learning and consuming.
3. Have incredible empathy. When we listen and think from another person’s point of view, their message becomes much clearer. When we understand someone else’s plight being a customer, employee, or relative, the importance of every interaction becomes crystal clear.
4. You must love people. Find people that just really enjoy other people. Digital communication often lacks the human touch which creates a sterile transactional lack of emotional connection. Today, more and more people are forced into the virtual world, which is only adding to unintended consequences called relation deficits. That’s why businesses need to create emotional connections both internally and externally. The key, though, is having the right people. Find people that truly enjoy being around others and the training will be easy.
5. You must be a great listener. Listening means giving your fierce attention. Don’t defend your ideas but explore new ones.
For more information and resources on The Relationship Economy, check out The Customer Service Revolution podcast. If you’d like to listen, head over to Episode 047: The Relationship Economy (Part 2).
