FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tom Ellis
July 20, 2007 Ellis Communications, Inc.
Phone: (417) 881-5635
Email: tom@elliscomm.com
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Telecom customers generally fall within four
different personality types, and Phoenix-based Measure-X says telecom employees
that interact with them need to recognize their behavioral characteristics and
respond accordingly during communication.
“It’s easy for telecom employees to use cookie-cutter communication when
delivering the same or similar messages time after time,” says David Saxby,
president of Measure-X, a company that specializes in helping telephone
companies improve their customer service and sales. “Day after day, customers
ask basically the same questions about billing problems, service outages or the
company’s products and services. Oftentimes, employees not only deliver the same
message, they also use the same style to communicate that message, even though
customers have different personalities.”
Saxby says telecom employees that want to build relationships with customers
must not use a one-size-fits-all style of communication. They must respond to
each customer in a way that’s relevant to that person, he says.
“In the course of a workday, telecom employees will probably encounter four
different behavioral styles among their customers,” Saxby explains. “It’s much
easier to quickly build trust and rapport if you can recognize these styles and
mold your form of communication to meet their needs.”
Saxby explains the four personality types and how they should be handled as
follows.
Dominant. “This customer is typically decisive, strong willed and independent,”
Saxby says. “This person wants things done now and they want them done right.
When communicating with a dominant-type customer, be well prepared and
organized, get to the point quickly and be clear and specific.”
Influencer. “This customer is enthusiastic, friendly and demonstrative,” Saxby
notes. “He or she is very outgoing. When communicating with this type of
customer, allow time for some chatting and socializing and convey energy in your
tone of voice.”
Steady. “This customer is relaxed, modest, patient and, well, steady,” Saxby
says. “Communicate with this type of customer by providing reassurances. Speak
softly. Use quiet gestures if it’s face-to-face communication.”
Compliant. “The compliant customer is conservative and careful,” Saxby notes.
“It’s important to this person to know the reasoning behind a decision that has
been made. When communicating with this person, present a realistic picture, be
well prepared with facts and support information and take time to be accurate.”
Learning how to adapt one’s communication style is easy and fun, Saxby says.
“Every time you interact with someone, practice active listening to determine
which type of communicator that person is and then model your communication
style to match his or hers,” Saxby suggests. “This skill will help you build
positive relationships with customers.”
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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.
