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Harvey Mackay University: Weekly Column
Harvey Mackay's weekly nationally syndicated column
Your Business Depends
on Your Personal Touch
Mamie Adams always
enjoyed going to a branch post office in her town because the postal
employees there were friendly. She went there to buy stamps just before
the holidays one year and the lines were particularly long. Someone
pointed out that there was no need to wait in line because there was a
stamp machine in the lobby.
"I know," said Mamie, "but the machine won't ask me about my arthritis."
The personal touch is no laughing matter. Many people shop and buy where they feel appreciated and comfortable.
I've been in sales
for a long time, and - to me - the concept of personal touch hasn't
changed. People buy from other people because of likeability, chemistry
and people skills. That's why every speech I give I ask the question -
What's the sweetest sound in the English language? It's the sound of
your name on someone else's lips.
Ever wonder why
servers in restaurants introduce themselves? It's the personal
interaction that goes beyond delivering your food and mugging for a
bigger tip. It's to make you feel comfortable and "leave a good taste in
your mouth" for the establishment.
The personal touch
works in all areas of business from attracting and retaining employees
to engendering loyalty in your customer base.
I know the
headmistress of a private school who makes it a practice to learn the
names of each of the more than 1,000 kids attending her school. If
they're new and she hasn't met them, she learns their names by studying
their pictures. On the first day of school each year, she greets each
student by name as they get off buses.
Imagine how
reassuring it is to a frightened kindergartner, suddenly thrust into
strange surroundings, to be recognized immediately by an adult who is in
charge of his or her life. Or to the child's anxious parents. When they
ask Junior how it went the first day, they discover that the
headmistress of the school has taken a personal interest in their child.
In the 12 years this
headmistress was at the school, enrollment more than doubled and the
endowment increased sixfold. Not all the result of learning those names
of course, but it certainly didn't hurt to have a headmistress who
understood that her performance as a salesperson was as important as her
role as an educator.
To quote Meg Ryan in
"You've Got Mail," one of my all-time favorite movies: "Whatever else
anything is, it ought to begin by being personal."
I wrote a short
lesson in my book "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" that
simply states: Once you attach your personality to a proposition, people
start reacting to the personality and stop reacting to the proposition.
But is all that about to change?
Electronic
self-service may be the wave of the future for many organizations, but
lots of consumers are bucking the trend. The CRM Buyer website reports
that researchers surveyed more than 24,000 consumers in 12 countries
about customer interactions. Here's what they found:
- 80 percent prefer customer service from a human instead of an automated system.
- 83 percent say that interacting with a customer service rep is important on the phone or in a store.
- 68 percent believe they're more likely to get a better deal when negotiating in person instead of online.
- 18 percent said they would renew products or services because of good personal customer service, even if they were more expensive.
Are companies paying attention?
The British blog
Fresh Tracks notes: "It's so much easier to fire off a text or an email
instead of making an appointment in person, writing a carefully
thought-out letter, or even picking up the phone. More of us are
allowing technology to replace elements of our face-to-face
relationships. In many instances it's hugely convenient and efficient to
send someone a quick text and receive a reply in seconds."
But it's difficult to
put nuance into electronic communication. You can program responses,
direct customers to FAQ pages, promise that their messages will be
returned within 24 hours or whatever. But never forget that the personal
touch is already one step removed, and you must respond as promised or
they are on to the next website.
When you can't be
one-on-one with customers, make sure they know you are still there for
them. Pay attention to your reviews, handle complaints immediately,
deliver more than you promise. Keep your finger on the pulse.
Mackay's Moral: The personal touch means all hands on deck.
The last paragraph relates exactly to the other post I was working on, which will be about adding value.
Interesting days
Today - Cereal Day, Crown Roast of Pork Day and Be Heard Day
Tomorrow - World Kidney Day, Name Tag Day, International Women's Day, Peanut Cluster Day, and Proofreading Day
Next Wednesday - No Smoking Day, Dribble to Work Day, Potato Chip Day, Pi Day, International Ask a Question Day, Legal Assistance Day, Moth-er Day, Registered Dietitian Day, Science Education Day, Learn About Butterflies Day and Crowdfunding Day
April 7 - No Housework Day, Pillow Fight Day, Beaver Day, Tangible Karma Day, Beer Day, World Health Day and Diy Day
