How can workplace training enhance customer service skills and sales performance?

Whatever industry a company operates in, if it deals with clients, strong customer service skills are critical in ensuring customers stay loyal and a high level of customer retention is accomplished. Additionally it is vital in creating more business, since the customer service standing of an organisation is one of the major motivating factors which can help create new client opportunities.

Any staff member that comes into contact with clients should be well-equipped to deal with interactions with them. Therefore, every worker should undergo customer support training. In actuality, if all members of your team can find the training, the better. This is because every member of your team should be working to keep your clients content. Happy customers are what provide you with the ideal opportunity for growth.

Like me, you have no doubt experienced both good and woeful customer support. It’s very likely you haven’t returned to the company with bad service, whereas you might be a loyal customer of one which always delights you.

So, you want to know how to improve customer service skills? If so, these tips will help. They will help you make your customers feel like your biggest fan.

How Do You Improve Customer Service Skills?

1 Cultivate your customer base. Be an expert in product awareness. Learn your clients’ feedback on their experience with you.

2 Be an active listener. Learn how to listen to your clients, and what to say in response. Practice active listening by calling a common customer question by using a prerecorded script. Then, follow up with a more personalised answer, using your own words.

3 Utilise call shadowing. Call a prospect several times after she has indicated that she might be interested in your company. Find out how she responds when you call, what her take is of your company’s customer service tools and how effective she is at using them. Once you have identified potential weak areas, practice your call shadowing skills until they are second nature.

4 Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Identify your customer’s needs, and match your skills to theirs. For example, if you are a call center agent, you will most likely be good at understanding what customers need. However, if you are a bookkeeper, your skills may be better focused on customer service skills, such as helping customers to file income tax returns or handling other finance related issues. If you work in a retail store, your skills may be better targeted toward customer service skills, such as helping customers locate products or checking the inventory to ensure that it is correct.

5 Develop product knowledge. Asking the right questions goes a long way toward customer service. If you do not know something, ask, you may learn something that will make your job easier. For example, if you suspect that a particular product is dangerous, ask the retailer about the recall and be sure to follow up with the appropriate authorities.

6 Become an emotional intelligence expert. Emotional intelligence refers to a personal sense of how a person thinks, feels and behaves. A person with high levels of emotional intelligence is more skillful at utilising available customer service tools and can often handle any situation that comes their way. An emotional intelligence expert also has an advantage over others because he or she has developed their ability to listen effectively and find creative solutions for problems.

7 Partner with other retailers. Join or start a networking group. Attend seminars or training sessions. Participate in online forums and social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

8 Develop your own marketing plan. A strong marketing plan includes the development of clear goals and clear plans for action. It should also include a strategy for evaluating customer service performance. Conducting periodic evaluations of your retail operation is an excellent way of staying abreast of industry trends and best practices.

9 Develop your own in-house customer service departments. These departments should be located in areas where your retail operation is busiest. For example, it would be pointless to have an in-house customer service department in a store located in a middle-of-the-day shopping center because people are not going to be shopping during these hours.

10 Partner with other organisations. Form a committee of external consultants who are willing to share their experiences and tips with your department. They can offer a host of ways to improve your work culture, approach, and methods. They can also help identify opportunities for enhancing internal productivity, such as making sure that all employees understand the proper procedure when interacting with customers. The more informed your employees are about how to best provide customer service, the better they will do on the job.

Here is the full list of 20 ways you can improve your Customer Service Skills.

1. Become a specialist in product knowledge.
2. Review your clients’ feedback.
3. Develop your emotional intelligence.
4. Improve your technical skills
5. Know your Services and Products
6. Search for common ground
7. Communicate clearly
8. Be solutions-focused
9. Admit mistakes
10. Provide first-class training
11. Set your standards high
12. Have a clear escalation pathway
13. Align your client journey touchpoints
14. Be smart about automation
15. Use tools that boost efficiency and speed
16. Quantify and analyse customer feedback
17. Use closed-loop feedback
18. Be Willing to Learn
19. Practice active listening.

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What are Assertive Communication Skills?

This is just one of the questions that may be occupying your mind: “What are assertive communication skills?” Below is an answer that may surprise you.

Using assertive communication skills when communicating with others will help to build a strong foundation for developing successful interactions. When you express yourself assertively, others know that you mean business and this gives you a sense of control over the situation. You are able to get your point across in a clear and assertive manner. In turn, this creates an atmosphere where everyone’s needs are being met and where everyone is being heard and respected.

How do they help you?

When you use assertive communication skills while communicating with others, you are communicating that you will not take any “back seat” or be “put on the spot.” When you communicate in this way, you are allowing everyone the opportunity to be heard and understood – and that is what good communication is all about. When you feel that someone is not getting your point or opinion, using assertive communication skills gives you the power to simply cut off communication.

What are the benefits?

When you practice assertive communication examples on a regular basis, you will find that your interactions with others become smoother and more effective. You will also find that you can handle more responsibility and have more fun. Remember that you do not have to be perfect; just be effective. When you are happy with your interaction with others, they will likely be as well.

If you have a lot of additional work to get done and you cannot take full advantage of using assertive communication examples while communicating with others, consider getting assistance from a professional. There are many communication consultants and therapists available today who can provide training in how to effectively communicate with others and manage your workload. Many times, these individuals can also provide training in how to communicate with those in your organisation and within your team. This is beneficial because the more effective you are at communicating, the more others know and understand you. With this additional understanding, you will find that your workload is easier to meet and more enjoyable.

You may be surprised to hear that there are some people who do not need training in how to communicate effectively. These individuals are the ones that have never needed to train in any kind of communication and they naturally develop an understanding and connection with others and with the things that happen around them. These are the people who simply get along better and deal with whatever comes their way without necessarily having to try to be superhuman, super-productive, or super nice. These are the kinds of people who realise that communicating is about relating and connecting to others. They simply understand that when they are happy and productive, they are happier and more productive overall.

If you are having a difficult time communicating and you find that you are feeling frustrated and annoyed by the nonstop battles you are having with your co-workers and superiors, consider using some of these simple techniques and skills taught in one of our courses. When you think back on your interactions with others, do you really see any behaviour patterns that stand out? When you pay attention to those behaviours, you might notice that many times you used these same assertive communication examples to diffuse the situation. Instead of getting upset and frustrated with the other party or with yourself, consider utilizing this skill and example when communicating with others to help end the conflict. In fact, it has been proven that assertive communication can sometimes be the best way to communicate in the workplace and with co-workers or even with your boss.

So what are assertive communication skills?

Well, these are the skills and tactics you can use to communicate effectively with others without trying to be too direct or being argumentative. If you want to communicate in a more effective and efficient way, consider trying some of these suggestions. Sometimes all you need to do is be more direct with your communication and tell the other person exactly what you want, rather than trying to reason with them or using language that might not be understood. You would be surprised by the difference this simple technique can make in how well you and others get along in the workplace.

Does assertive communication help us express our views and attain goals?

Assertive communication is a method of expressing what you want and need in a way that is respectful to others. Assertive communication is what we should all aim for, as it is the best of both worlds that you fulfill your needs and the requirements of another person; everybody ends up happy.  There are a number of smart and easy ways to boost your assertive communication skills.

How do we do this without damaging or alienating others. The trick is to create mutual respect for one another.

Why Use Assertive Communication?

It empowers us to swap old behavior patterns for a more positive approach to life.

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Why are Communication Skills important?

Without communication skills, a company or organization can’t achieve success. Communication in the workplace includes both verbal and non-verbal communication. Communication in the workplace is important because it helps people to interact with one another and also improves productivity. Below you will find seven reasons why communication skills are important in the workplace.

Understanding the Role of Speaking and Listening Skills

Why are communication skills important? Good listening skills and good speaking skills are important to getting along in the workplace. Both are forms of communication and each can help people to interact with others more effectively. While listening, people are able to take in what another person is saying and then form their own opinion or comment on the matter.

Another reason is that they improve job performance. When listening, people become more attentive. They are more likely to think about what they are hearing rather than just regurgitating what they have heard. As a result, they are more likely to be asked questions, do better on tests, and be more productive at work.

Another reason is that good communication skills allow you to connect with others. Individuals who communicate well with others are happier. They are more likely to get along with co-workers, customers, or boss. People who communicate skills well may want to consider a career as an artist, teacher, writer, speaker, or coach.

A good non-verbal communication also allows people to connect with others. In a classroom situation, if the teacher says, “PowerPoint,” the students will know why our communication skills are important. If you have a boss or coworker who makes you feel uncomfortable, even if it is just in passing, it can lower your self-esteem, which can affect your performance at work.

If you want to be successful in a new career, a career change, or an organizational position, you will want to be able to communicate well. Being able to communicate well means that you know what people are thinking, what they expect, and how you can match your verbal and non-verbal communication skills to their needs. Thus, when meeting with clients, teachers, or employers, you will be able to help them understand what you are trying to say.

Good communicators can impact the entire organization. Good communicators are known to increase productivity, improve morale, and bring in more money. If you want to have a good career, then you need to master these skills. If you want to develop non-verbal or emotional development, then it will take effort and patience, but you will be rewarded.

Learning how to communicate effectively will get you further in your career or job and further in your personal life. Most people enjoy communicating and being able to communicate with others. If you want to be understood, then you need to learn how to communicate well. People like to have their needs met. And if you are able to meet those needs, then you can expect a fulfilling career and personal life.

Why are communication skills important part of career development?

This is an important part of career development, because it will get you a job that suits your personality. As you go through life, you may change roles and have different relationships with various people. So, you need to develop your listening skills in order to meet different personalities and communication challenges.

Communication skills are an important part of career development because it helps to improve your customer service skills. When you are able to listen effectively, you can make business decisions better. You can make better sales calls, because you will be able to communicate your ideas clearly and assertively. You will not have a hard time convincing customers about your products and services.

Why are communication skills important?

Discover the real extent to which nonverbal communication affects the recipient’s interpretation of verbal messages. As you can see, to succeed, companies need employees who have great professional communication skills. Subsequently, it is a skill that’s often high in their list during recruitment processes. Professional communication is not a skill that you ought to overlook.

If you look up to somebody who has great communication skills, see what they do and learn from them. This does not have to be someone famous but could be a mentor or leader in your workplace. Virtually every job role requires strong communication skills.

The job that you’re applying for will determine which communication skills you’ll need and the degree to which these will be utilised.

Everything that you do in the office results from communicating. Therefore great reading, writing, listening and speaking skills are crucial if tasks will be completed and goals attained. As you develop your career you’ll see different reasons why successful communication skills are important for you.

With good communication skills, you will be able to understand another person’s body language and understand how they are thinking and feeling. By understanding their body language, you can also determine their tone of voice, inflection and facial expressions. Thus, by understanding the other person’s body language, you will be able to converse effectively and interact positively with them.

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Why does a customer service training course need to teach customer service?

There are many reasons. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing it because of a new customer or fixing an existing one, you must first learn how to deal with them. This means, among other things, having patience, being able to determine what the customer wants and then getting them to want what they really want – but in a different way. And that means knowing what they want without them knowing what you have to offer them.

If you have a new customer and the only thing you can think about is getting them on the “order now” button, then your customer service training course is a waste of time. You’ve already lost that customer. What you need to do instead is give them some advice about staying on track, finding balance, not taking things too seriously, etc. But when you give your advice to an existing customer, you need to make sure you don’t sound too pushy. If a customer has called you for help and all you can say is, “OK, call me back when you’re ready,” then you’ve lost that customer forever.

The other issue is making sure that what’s in a customer service training course will help the people you are supposed to be helping are actually doing something to help the customer. If you don’t believe that, then how do you expect customers to stay loyal to your company? If you think customer service training courses should just teach you what to say to customers, then you’re out of your mind. What you need to do instead is to show the customers that their support is appreciated and that you are willing to go the extra mile to help them. Asking customers to sign up for a “thank you” card is a great way to show them that you care about them.

Also ask the customers why they called you in the first place. That’s going to change things in a big way. 

The third part of what you learn about customer service training is to know how to handle different types of customers. There is no one type of customer, so you need to know how to deal with them all. For example, some customers are friendly and nice, while others have a foul temper and you definitely don’t want to be stuck with them as well. That is why knowing how to handle the different customer types will be very important in the long run.

As an increasing number of businesses turn to electronic and automation to reduce costs, the ability for the business to deliver consistently amazing customer service experiences can offer you a competitive advantage. Remarkable customer service is vital for any organisation that is dependent upon its customers to succeed.

Understanding how to provide exceptional customer service is among the keys to developing and sustaining a business. And regardless of the size of a group, to provide a first-rate consumer experience, everyone has to be on the same page.

More so, the perfectly trained customer support staff will bring you more sales, reduce your advertising costs, encourage loyalty (from staff members in addition to the end-user) and develop a self-sustaining culture of customer success throughout your business. How you approach your customer service training is dependent upon your organisation.

When creating customer support training programs combined curriculums are nearly always the best approach.

So, to recap, what you need to know is what customer service is all about. It is about listening to what the customer needs and then giving it to them. It also involves training employees on how to provide great customer service. Finally, it means that you need to keep learning how to improve your business practices moving forward.

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What exactly is Customer Service Training?

What exactly is customer service training? Customer service is an essential part of a business that is focused on meeting the requirements of its customers. The definition may be narrowed down to the concept of meeting customer needs. With this in mind, the focus is on how best to do this. Customer service is training that improves customer satisfaction and service. It is an ongoing iterative process which involves teaching new skills, competences, and other tools necessary to improve service and satisfaction with customers so that they derive greater value from offerings and services.

In a nutshell, there are three things you need to train staff on in order to make them more effective at their jobs. The first is empathy. By empathising with your customers, you are able to provide a service that matches their expectations, giving them what they expect rather than what you think they should have. The second is listening and understanding. This is also important because a good customer service team training exercise involves getting to know each other and building trust so that team members are able to accurately convey their needs to each other.

It is important for customer support to be relevant. Customers have diverse needs and requirements. To ensure that the training is relevant, you need to ask yourself some tough questions, such as: Why do people call you? What do you offer them? Do you have what they need?

When you set out to implement training for your support staff, it is important that you consider your current situation and goals. It is important to set clear expectations early so that they know what they should expect. When it comes to customer service training, it is also important to consider the current climate in the business. If things seem to be at an all time low, it may be time to re-examine how you provide support.

It’s not unusual for companies to see their client support teams within an afterthought. After a customer becomes a customer and pays for your service or product, the hard work is done, right?

Customer service training is your training that workers receive with the objective of improving service and satisfaction among clients.

It’s no longer feasible to push customer support to both sides and expect clients to be happy. People are more connected than ever, which means they are always sharing their experiences, such as especially awful support interactions. Nowadays it’s important to concentrate on creating a strong customer support section with well-trained, dedicated agents with the resources they need to do the work well.

Very good customer support centers around attentively listening and attending to your customers’ needs and desires. If you’re not always on the lookout for opportunities to enhance your customer service, then your relationships will stagnate.

A training program is a step-by-step strategy created to educate workers on the knowledge and skills they need to boost their performance. It typically includes multiple classes that cover all the overriding issues connected with their work.

Should you train new staff members?

When deciding whether or not to implement new hires in customer support, the most obvious reason to do so is to improve employee productivity. A common problem is that when people are hired from the outside, they often have trouble integrating in. They are trained on the job and are not accustomed to dealing with different people and systems. This can cause problems and it causes negative feelings in the workplace; especially in the team’s strongest members.

The last reason to consider implementing new employees in customer service training is to reduce turnover. When people leave the company, it is usually for a reason. Maybe they did not like the work environment, maybe they did not like the people or maybe they just did not feel that the company cares about their needs. Whatever the reasons, it is important to get those employees out of the building as quick as possible. It is also important to evaluate why those employees left the company in the first place. Perhaps there was something that they saw that they just did not like and they needed to see if they could adjust.

One of the best ways to ensure that new employees and new hires are receptive to your customer service policies and procedures is to put them under test. Ask each of them to complete some tests that you design. Once they have completed the tests, you should review them to make sure that they understood everything that they were testing. It may be useful to have them present a brief explanation to their peers before their first meeting with the management team. Having everyone there will help them get to know each other’s personalities and it will help them feel more comfortable about working side by side.

There are many reasons to implement customer service policies and training. Some of them include having excellent relations with your customers, ensuring that you can deliver on time, reducing the number of customer complaints, ensuring that you have a good reputation within your industry and maintaining good productivity levels. When you take the time to train your employees, it will pay off in the end. Your company will likely do better than it would without the training. If you haven’t already started training your staff, it is time to start today.

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New Personality Plus Training Course

Your personality type will be the driving force behind who and what you are as a professional. This is why it is so critical that you have this type of assessment taken before you start your own business. Taking a personality assessment  like the Personality Plus Course will help you understand yourself and learn more about yourself and your skills. The more you know about yourself, the better you will be prepared to deal with the problems that will come up in your own business. When you are ready, the course can teach you how to use these skills in your own business to make your business the success that you want it to be. It can help you define and identify the personality types that are working in your business. The course is a tool that will show you which type of personality you have.

It does not matter what type of personality type that you have, a personality assessment like the one you can take online using the Personality Plus Course can help you understand yourself better. When you look at yourself, you have to ask yourself, “What is my true nature?” What do you really value? What kind of person are you? By answering these questions honestly, you will be able to figure out your true personality type.

Personality Plus can give you a great advantage over other applicants if you are looking for a job. By  understanding more about your ability you can then select the right type of work, you will be able to get ahead of the competition and be more successful. Personality Plus will open many doors for you and allow you to be more influential in your career and in your life.

The training course will be offered as a one on one webinar with one of our instructors.  Contact our team for more information.

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Paramount Workbook Design System for Your Business

We have been hard at work and are releasing a new workbook design system in January 2021. The system itself is a self help and intuitive system to help you provide our editing team with more information about your specific needs.

It has a range of features such as:

• Personalisation Options
• Business Requirement Solutions
• Self directed questionnaire with optional changes based on your selection
• Colourful examples and choice for design
• Plus much much more.

We will be bringing you more information and access to the system very soon to allow you to trial and design a workbook for your organisation. With the new Paramount Design system, it will allow you to spend less time providing us information and more time enjoying the user experience in our new learning environment.

We will endeavor to bring you more systems and solutions in 2021 as you may be ramping back up your training program as we are able to contend with Covid 19 once again. For more information on this system or others, please feel free to contact the Paramount Training & Development for more assistance.

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