Claude Warner - Executive Coach

Articles

 Time Forethought 

Time Forethought

 Leadership

  • It Starts at the Top!
    Posted by Claude Warner on Wednesday 11th November 2009 at 14:30:10
      - 1 comment on this post - most recent Tuesday 9th March 2010 at 14:40:11

 Communication

  • Listening is not Understanding
    Posted by Claude Warner on Wednesday 17th February 2010 at 21:10:49
      - 1 comment on this post - most recent Monday 1st March 2010 at 13:13:59

 Emotional Intelligence

  • 1 + 1 = 3
    Posted by Claude Warner on Wednesday 20th October 2010 at 14:49:28

 Successful Living

 Wisdom

How to Connect with Customers and Clients

Posted by Claude Warner on Wednesday 10th February 2010 at 11:25:06


You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar
 
To connect with potential clients and customers you need to recognize that satisfying their needs is what makes you successful.
 
To find out what a client needs, you must look through their eyes to see their perspective. This is called empathy. Only then do you use your own product knowledge to recommend an appropriate product.
 
By first satisfying their need, the client wins, and you win by achieving the sale.
 
To see through their eyes you need to ask appropriate questions. Let the customer tell you about their need? Ask them to describe it. Start off with open questions such as “What is your idea of a great sound system?” (if you sell audio equipment), or “What is important to you in a car?”, or “How does your lounge get used?” (for couches), etc.
 
Get the customer talking, using their own words. They will feel “heard”, and will be more receptive to your product recommendation.
 
As they talk, listen carefully for key words that align with specific characteristics of a product, but don’t interrupt until they are finished.
 
From open questions move to more closed questions to give you specific answers? “Do you prefer leather or suede?”.
 
Lastly, summarise all their answers and confirm if you have understood their need?
 
Then, you make your product recommendation, linking features and benefits to their need?
 
It costs more to win a new customer than to keep an existing one. Avoid a hard sell to meet your needs (highest price, profit margin etc.). By meeting customer needs you focus on the long term value of the customer relationship.
 
Help them get what they want and you will get what you want!
 
Claude Warner is an Executive Coach who coaches successful leaders who want to improve their leadership performance through developing their emotional, relational, and social skills. He can be contacted on 083 227 5153 or info@claudewarner.com. Further information on www.claudewarner.com

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Client 
Endorsements

"has taught me how
to embrace change"

Chad Andrews - Snr GM
Aberdare Cables


"calmly and effectively
elicits superior performance"

Tim Fox - Area Ops. Mngr
 
Transnet Freight Rail


"opened my eyes to my
thought processes and
behavioral patterns"

Gary Tiedemann - Branch
Manager, Aberdare Cables


"helped me to develop as
a more confident leader"

T Simmers - Business Owner

 
"helped me to 
gain perspective"

SL - Marketing Director

 
"helped me grow & gave
me tools to move forward"

Nontle Jennica Willem
Activia Competition Winner

 

Recommended
Resources
The Online Self Improvement and Self Help Encyclopedia

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Cell:
083 227 5153
Email:
info@claudewarner.com

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