Making Business More Personable

The personal aspects of face-to-face business transactions are disappearing in a globalized market. People are becoming used to strategies designed to engage general concepts in their lives, ones meant to make them think “That seems nice, I wonder what else they have?” And from that point, if they do enter a business, services may become more specific, depending on the needs of a customer or client.

Only after that point do people begin to enter a personable relationship with a company, given they are able to interact with the same agent or broker on a continued basis. For many, it’s the trust of the establishment through the personal relationship that keeps them coming back. The sooner such a relationship can be made, the more beneficial it will be for all parties involved.

The more people know about the company they are doing business with the more secure they will feel, but the more they can interact with a familiar face the more comfortable they will feel, and that’s the key to trust; comfort.

Comfort for customers can be achieved by a business through different means. Being polite is always a plus, but that alone can’t guarantee customer satisfaction. There are plenty of businesses out there where “How may I help you?” and “Have a nice day!” are required mantras for employees, and the constant repetition can make anyone’s tone sound mundane after a long day. People react much better to these phrases if they believe the person saying them is earnest in their expression.

Listening is also helpful. People may seek to compare services while looking to develop a professional relationship with a company. In their search, they may talk about past experiences with other businesses. Whether such experiences were good or bad, customers will feel better knowing that the person they’re speaking to is actively listening to them and not being distracted by something else, like surfing the web or talking to a coworker. Customers may feel that they have been more listened to if who they were speaking with was better prepared to accommodate them after they finish speaking, even if the only thing they are capable of replying with was a sincere condolence for a bad experience or a reference to someone more qualified to further assist them.

Recognizing someone’s needs can also go a long way in developing personal business relationships. People are often asked to make impersonal decisions regarding services offered by companies, a practice that requires them to come to conclusions on their own. Going back to the idea of listening to the customer, a representative could prove they were doing exactly that by offering up what they considered to be the best selection of services. This would further establish a customer’s sense of trust by them believing they were heard and their needs were met. As a result, they believe they can get help with something from the company when they need it because they trust the personal relationship developed from a positive past experience. It wouldn’t end in a negative reflection with the customer avoiding future business with the company because they think someone will once again try to sell them something that they do not actually need.

It’s important to remember the personal aspect of maintaining business relationships in the current economy. More and more, the impersonal styles of the digital age develop and influence new avenues in the worlds of business and social interaction. Granted most are convenient, allowing people faster forms of communication and disbursement of information, they lack a certain connection that can only be made when sitting or standing across from a fellow person and realizing they are engaged in trying to help you.

Do you know of a good example where a company is Making Business More Personable? Share it with us in a comment!

For more career tips, check out these posts:

Social Media and Employment	How to Find Your Next Job Using Social Media	Stop Auditioning for Jobs!	Simple Steps to Easy Referrals

Join Us On Twitter:

Like Us On Facebook:

Visit Our Bookstore for Great Values and Instant Download!

101 Tips Every Seeker Should Know	Ultimate Online Job Seekers	Learn The 10 Biggest Interview Mistakes	Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes

Check out these hot articles!

This makes us laugh… every time we see it	The First Step to a Job You Love	Beef up your email signature

Learning Leads to Earnings, Especially for Men	How to Ace the Job Interview BEFORE it Starts	Video Resumes May Work Wonders; But Not for Everybody

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 1st, 2012 at 8:24 am and is filed under Career, Networking, Personal Branding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.