The Power of Your Hello
Customer service is the key to winning in today’s marketplace. Frankly, it always has since the marketplace has existed. But mores change and none more so than the humble hello. From the 60’s to the late early 00’s the trend was toward a formal environment. Save for a few Silicon Valley companies the formal introduction of self and company and the ubiquitous “how may I help you?” were critical to that initial first impression.
But oh how the times have changed. In a market that values knowing your customer personally the humble basic business introduction is seen by many customers as staid and dare I say impersonal. Why? Why is the traditional business introduction seen by many millennials as impersonal and rude? It comes down to what the definition of personal and professional is now. For many older clients personal service did not exist. Oh sure there was PROFESSIONAL service but it was hardly personal in any way. The was always a stand offish distance between the business and their clients. There was always a defined line and the customer was THERE and the professional was HERE.
That professional/Customer barrier is frankly gone. There is a clear expectation of openness, frankness, honesty and most importantly PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. Personal means that the professional listens and does so on all levels. If you are not on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other platforms listening to your clients. If a live Facebook Group experience is new to you. You don’t have a personal experience. And it all begins with that first HELLO. In lieu of the traditional introduction, welcome your clients as you would welcome someone into your home. And if your welcome to your home is the business greeting…..seriously you need to loosen up and get some help. Customers view the marketplace now as their third place; as a second or even third living room. And it doesn’t matter that it bugs you! This was never about you but about the client. “Hey Bob how is Jill and the kids!” or “Bob! I haven’t seen you in forever whats going on?” That is personal, that tells the client that their not being around the company mattered and is important to you.
But I know what you are thinking what about that formal introduction to a new client. While a formal traditional introduction may work in a very formal environment…how many people work in such an environment? Most of us own or work for general public companies that are not formal and don’t regularly do business with Fortune 500 CEO’s over power lunches. No No. We work and do business with average people and average people simply don’t speak like that. Our language needs to be welcoming the way you welcome a friend to your home.
Now if you work for the office of a formal Fortune 100 financial services firm catering to very wealthy, old, staid clients….hey know yourself out. It’s expected….boring….abnormal…but you have to adapt to the environment. But if your workplace is a hardware store or a tool and die shop you need to be personal. Personal wins in the new marketplace. Staid puts you on a path to closure. Remember the humble hello is critical. You better get it right.
