FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tom Ellis
April 10, 2008 Ellis Communications, Inc.
Phone: (417) 881-5635
Email: tom@elliscomm.com
PHOENIX, Ariz. – A utility’s prospective customers always have lots of
questions as they decide whether to buy a product or service, but there are
questions they don’t ask that can make or break a sale.
“A utility’s customers won’t come right out and ask questions about trust,
respect and value, but they are wondering about those things as they interact
with customer service representatives,” says David Saxby, president of
Measure-X, a company that specializes in helping utilities improve their
customer service and sales. “The perception they have of the utility will be
formed in their mind as they collect answers to those questions.”
Saxby says utilities need to be aware of the following four questions that may
be topmost in a customer’s mind but that won’t be blatantly asked.
Question No. 1. What value do you bring that others don’t? “When a
prospective customer believes that you offer superior value, they simply want to
trust you more,” Saxby says. “It’s important to effectively communicate and
emphasize the value or benefit you bring to the table. The more clearly you
demonstrate how your product or service can improve their business or personal
life, the more the customer will want to find you trustworthy.”
Question No. 2. What’s in it for you? “It’s normal for a customer to
wonder what the utility gets out of the sale,” Saxby explains. “Obviously, you
make a profit, but the customer often wonders why you think he should buy, buy
now and buy from you. To keep this question from getting in the way of a sale,
focus the conversation on outcomes and objectives that benefit the customer.
Customers listen to what you say. Focus on what’s of value to the customer.”
Question No. 3. Are you competent enough to deliver on your commitments?
“Customers gauge your ability to deliver on large commitments by how you handle
the small ones,” Saxby says. “Something as trivial as forgetting to send an
e-mail you promised or failing to respond with requested information may not
seen like a major offense to you. But in the early stages of a relationship,
these simple things may be the only foundation from which your customer can
judge whether you can be trusted.”
Question No. 4. Do you respect me enough to deliver on your commitments?
“Trust and respect go hand in hand in customer relations,” Saxby says. “It’s
impossible to trust someone we don’t respect, but it’s easy to trust someone we
do respect and who we believe respects us. Earning your customer’s respect is
critical. Your attitude and behavior help to earn your customer’s respect, as
does showing him respect.”
Prospective customers may not come right out and ask about such intangibles as
trust and respect, but they do wonder about them, Saxby says. “If customers
sense trust, respect and value in their interactions with your utility, they are
more likely to feel good about doing business with you.”
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Measure-X is a measurement, training and recognition company that specializes
in customer service and sales skills. For more information on Measure-X, call
888-644-5499 or visit its Web site at
www.measure-x.com.
