Client-oriented approach: goal and training program

Have you heard about seminars and trainings, the theme of which is a client-oriented approach to doing business? Let's figure out what these activities are and how useful they can be to you or your employees.

What does "customer oriented business" mean?

The essence of the client-oriented approach lies in the fact that the focus of attention of employees is directed primarily to the buyer or the customer. The main task of each member of the team is to do everything to ensure that the one who replenishes the firm's cash department wants to return to you more than once.

The following principles of the client-oriented approach can be singled out:

1. Deep understanding and satisfaction of the needs of the buyer or customer.
2. The implementation of products and services, the quality of which meets or exceeds the expectations of the consumer.
3. Effective interaction with customers, built on mutual respect.
4. Readiness of managers of any level to open communication.
5. Flexibility of the organization with regard to changing requests of customers and customers.
6. Creating a comfortable psychological environment for the client.
7. The desire to help the buyer, to participate in solving his problems.
8. Constant work on improving the quality of service.
9. Planning actions aimed at attracting and retaining customers.

As you know, the classic way of doing business involves simultaneously working on 4 elements of marketing: product, price, location, promotion. Scheme 4P (product, price, place, promotion) is described in sufficient detail in the famous book of F. Kotler's "Fundamentals of Marketing".

How is the arrangement of priorities in the business realizing the client-oriented approach? Marketing theories are many, their value is not denied. But with a new type of building relationships with customers and customers, the company places the emphasis not on the product or price. The most important direction of work of top management and other employees is effective interaction with customers.

The advantages of the client-oriented approach are as follows:

1. Positive business reputation of the company is formed in the market.
2. A circle of loyal customers is formed, constantly replenishing the cashier.
3. There are more and more new customers and customers contacting your company at the recommendation of acquaintances.
4. The client-oriented approach promotes sales growth and business volume growth.
5. Advertising costs are declining or becoming more efficient.

Why do seminars and trainings for client-orientedness?

It's no secret that the introduction of the client-oriented approach is implemented gradually. First, the company needs to study its customers and customers, understand and anticipate their needs. To do this, employees need to mentally stand in the place of customers, to understand:

• What exactly do they want to receive when they apply to your organization;
• What goods and services do customers and customers need?
• That is an ideal service from their point of view;
• With what difficulties the client acquiring your goods or service collides, due to what they can be facilitated;
• That the buyer or the customer expects to receive, cooperating with you, whether it is possible to do something more for him;
• Which can cause positive emotions in the client, as your company is able to bring joy to the buyer.

It is important to work out each point of contact with the client: promotional materials, telephone conversations, parking spaces at your office or store, the service process.

One of the best explanations for implementing a client-oriented approach to sales is provided by John Schole. The American expert on quality service suggests focusing on how to listen carefully to customers, constantly recording their wishes and complaints. Receiving feedback from buyers and customers in the form of filling out questionnaires is ineffective, according to Shole. Not all clients want to fill in the questionnaires, and those who agree tend to embellish reality. Much more information employees receive from customers and customers in the process of work. Based on it, the company can significantly improve the quality of service. So, for example, if customers want to call you at night, it's important to give them that opportunity. Otherwise, the company, in particular, will lose the opportunity to work with buyers living in the other half of the globe.

The implementation of the client-oriented approach will not be possible if the company's employees' philosophy of doing business is not properly taught. The difficulty lies in the fact that the art of effective interaction with buyers and customers can not be transferred in theory. Rather, it is brought up in the general atmosphere of the company. The top manager of the company and middle managers themselves should set an example of client-oriented behavior.

What about the documents regulating the process of customer service? The client-oriented approach at the enterprise will not be realized, if we confine ourselves to informing the employees how to sell. It is necessary to work out a system of effective work with buyers and customers.

Objectives of training on client-oriented approach

The client-oriented approach should be encouraged in all employees. And with each member of the team, the immediate supervisor should regularly discuss the situations in which the employee made a mistake when interacting with customers.

At production meetings, it is better not to talk problem situations. For general discussions it is more convenient to use the game form of training.

Interactive employment partly solves the problem of "educating" employees, although they do not replace the daily communication of managers with subordinates.

Typically, the following training objectives are identified for client orientation:

1. Teaching employees skills in effective thinking and behavior.
2. Increase the level of emotional intelligence among members of the team.
3. Development of effective communication skills.
4. Stimulation of personal growth of employees.

Sales managers after the training with pleasure are practicing the client-oriented approach. The training program for this category of employees often gives good results.

What topics are important to highlight during the training

The client-oriented approach assumes that the employees have a whole range of professional knowledge and skills. Therefore, modern trainings devoted to this topic usually include the following blocks:

1. Implementation of practical tasks, the purpose of which is to form the participants' understanding of how important it is to take care of the client. Clarifying the reasons why customers and customers leave. Making a plan of action, how to keep the client.
2. Games and exercises that develop the ability of managers to stand in the shoes of buyers and customers, understand their needs.
3. Discussion of customer loyalty phases (regular client - loyal client - client-adherent).
4. Study of the specifics of buying behavior, the factors that influence the decision on the transaction.
5. Familiarization with visitor service techniques. Training skills work simultaneously with multiple clients. Experimentation with active listening methods.
6. Block, dedicated to interaction with difficult clients. Implementation of practical tasks on the analysis of objections. Study of the principles of work with complaints.
7. Familiarization of managers with techniques that allow you to enjoy work. Studying the methods of self-regulation and self-organization. Mastering the techniques of working with stress and getting rid of fatigue.

Let us consider in more detail some of the tasks used in training for client-orientedness.

Calculation of customer loss cost

The benefits and economic benefits that the client-oriented approach gives can be demonstrated by the example of an arithmetic problem, the solution of which can even be achieved by a student.

Suppose that the customer purchases goods and services from your firm for the amount of 10 thousand rubles. in year. Each year this amount is increased by 2 thousand rubles. What volume of sales will the company lose if the buyer or customer does not buy from you for the next 5 years? Calculate the amount of future lost profits. In our example it will be:

10 + 12 + 14 + 16 + 18 = 70 thousand rubles.

This is the cost of a lost client. Automatic calculation of this indicator is useful to configure in the CRM program, if such is used in the firm.

Knowing the approximate profitability of the company, you can also calculate the amount of lost revenue. For example, if the net financial result is 20% of sales, in 5 years the firm will lose 14 thousand rubles.

In the process of solving the problem, the participants of the training should understand how costly the enterprise is to lose each client. It is also important to emphasize that the search and attraction of a new buyer or customer is even more costly.

The reasons why the customer leaves

At the next stage of the lesson, it is important to understand the reasons why the buyer or customer most often ceases to apply to the company, which he previously used goods and services.

For this purpose, it is necessary to ask each participant of the training to recall a case from life when he was very poorly served in the store, after which the retail point was not attending. It is important that students answer the questions:

1. In what mood were the employees who communicated with you?
2. How did they keep themselves?
3. What exactly did not satisfy you in the service?
4. How did the conflict begin? What prompted you to get angry or upset?
5. What emotions did you experience during and after visiting this outlet?
6. Did you continue to shop at this store after an unpleasant event?
7. How many people did you share with an unpleasant story?

In the process of discussion, a list of reasons why customers or customers cease to use the services of companies is compiled. It is also suggested to recall cases from business practice when clients left.

Service Levels

It's no secret that every person has his own understanding of how the service should be in the company. Spending money, we expect to get a certain level of comfort and experience positive emotions (or at least do without negative ones).

The client-oriented approach in modern management assumes knowledge of 3 levels of service that can be observed in various organizations:

1. Low. Customer expectations are not justified. He gets less than he expected, he experiences negative emotions.
2. Standard. Customer expectations are met. He gets exactly what he expected. The client is indifferent, calm.
3. WOW-service. The client receives more than he expected. He feels positive emotions, feels the desire to return to the company for new purchases.

To study the different levels of service, the participants of the training are divided into 3 teams. Each team for a limited period of time (10 minutes) should come up and play a shopping scene in the store:

- Low level of service;

- with a standard level of service;

- with a WOW service level.

Before each scene, the participant of the training, playing the client, must inform the present, what organization he is going to, what he plans to buy, what expectations he has regarding the buying process.

After the presentation, the client voices what emotions he experienced and what thoughts circled in his head. The participant also reports how he evaluates his desire to come again to buy the invented company.

Game "Yes, and More"

An important component of the client-oriented service in the company is the ability of its employees to agree with the buyer and the customer, to be on the same side with him. The arising problems in affairs are important to be solved in such a way that both sides will benefit. For this manager it is important to teach to perceive the client not as an adversary, but as a friend with whom one can always agree in kind.

It's no secret that one of the most important rules for effective interaction with a partner is not to tell him that he is mistaken. It is important to agree and immediately make a counter offer, how best to act in the current situation.

At trainings in order to gain this valuable skill, often a fun game is played, according to the rules of which? Participants do not enter into a dispute, but only agree and agree with each other. The facilitator suggests that participants split into pairs. Partners in the game must imagine that they are hardly familiar and found themselves together in an unusual situation: stuck in the elevator, lost in the woods, shipwrecked and ended up on a desert island, became hostage to bandits. They need to agree on what to do next. Players take turns making their proposals. According to the rules of the game, you must always agree with the opinion of a comrade (say: "Yes ...") and complement his own idea ("... and more ...").

As a result, we get dialogues of amusing content:

"We'll buy a bottle of wine."

"Yes, and another cake."

"Yes, and we'll go eat it in the forest."

- Yes, and we'll share with the squirrels ...

The game lasts for 3-5 minutes.

Based on the results of the assignment, the participants of the training discuss what emotions they experienced during the game, what thoughts occurred to them, what seemed difficult, and at what times it was very simple.

Exercise to develop the ability to support conversation

The mistake of many employees, because of which often fails to implement a client-oriented approach in the work of the organization, is the reluctance to talk with the buyer on any topics not related to work. Meanwhile, many customers prefer to deal with those sellers with whom they have developed a good relationship.

Therefore, in the course of training on client orientation, the technique of "small talk" is studied. Participants are invited to talk to each other on abstract topics using the following methods:

1. To quote what the interlocutor once said.
2. To give the partner useful information.
3. Tell an interesting story.
4. Give thanks.
5. Make a compliment.
6. Make a positive statement.

Exercise "Glossary"

This creative task helps managers learn how to speak the customer's language. Participants in the training are divided into teams. Each team leader is instructed to compose the text of the presentation of goods and services of the company, adapted to a representative of a certain profession (programmer, doctor, sailor, journalist). For deliberation is given 5-10 minutes. Advertising text should be written using professionalism and terms that are widely used in the client's work environment.

Exercise "Guess what he does not like"

One of the participants of the training depicts a disgruntled buyer: the client decided not to be serviced any more in the company, but does not want to directly voice the reason for leaving. The reason is described in advance on the leaflet. The participant-client can release any comments and express any emotions, but do not sound the essence of the problem. The second participant's task is to understand what the customer is dissatisfied with.

At the end of the game, the presenter sums up the results: did the manager find out the reason for the customer's dissatisfaction, on what grounds could he and should have recognized it, as the client hinted at the crux of the problem.

Exercise "Explain to someone who does not understand"

Participants of the training represent that they sell in the store a usual, but not the simplest product, for example a flash drive or a bank card. At the same time, the client is an unintentional person (a small child, a lady, who does not understand anything in technology, a teenager, a deaf-mute, a madman). The seller's task is to explain politely, the language available to the client, what exactly he sells and why this item is needed by the buyer.

Features of training in the bank

The client-oriented approach in the bank is more difficult to implement than in the trade organization. The tasks of the employees of the financial institution include not only customer service, but also compliance with a number of legislative norms, procedures, instructions. In this regard, the bank employee must put forward a number of requirements to the client regarding the provision of the necessary documents, the communication of the necessary information.

Training on a client-centered approach for employees of a financial institution should include a carefully designed block for dealing with claims and objections. A bank employee is important in the process of training to improve the skills of soft conflict management.

Carefully planned game tasks will help the participants of the training learn how to serve customers at the highest level, while insisting on meeting the requirements of the organization.

The training program for bank employees should include a large block on time management and self-organization. Operational workers, credit inspectors, sales department employees work in conditions of hard time pressure. They are limited by the time of the operational day and at the same time often deal with queues of negatively-minded visitors. Constant stress affects the nature of interaction with customers.

Training skills to keep yourself in good working order should be one of the main topics on the lesson with bank employees.

Conducting training for employees of the education system

In connection with the fact that a growing number of both secondary and higher educational institutions become fully commercial, the attitude towards students and schoolchildren is changing. The client-oriented approach in education is also becoming more widespread. Teachers at the same time fall into a rather difficult situation. On the one hand, they must objectively assess the knowledge of their students, if necessary, exposing low scores. On the other hand, even the most unattractive student is now a client. His discontent with the educational institution can result in the loss of part of the income of the school or university.

Therefore, training for the education system staff should include staging and analysis of all problem situations arising in the lessons, lectures, seminars. It is important for teachers to learn to stand in the place of students and understand their needs.

It is also important for educators to master at the training courses the art of inspiring students, to awaken in them a strong desire to deeply master the subjects studied.

Features of training for employees of the tourism industry

The client-oriented approach in the tourist industry is especially important. In the business sphere, people perceive many minor troubles and inconsistencies, expecting them. Going on vacation, however, even chronic workaholics do not want to deal with difficulties and problems. Enterprises related to the industry of leisure, tourism, entertainment, should be particularly attentive to customers.

At the training, it is important to pay special attention to work on the positive attitude of the participants. Employees of hotels, entertainment facilities, restaurants, travel companies are important to radiate the energy of peace and joy. When buying a ticket abroad or a ticket for an attraction, the client should feel that he is already resting.

Conclusion

The client-oriented approach to the crisis does not cease to be relevant. In the conditions of the strictest savings, many organizations successfully implement ideas that allow not to save on customers and customers.

To keep customers loyal, many companies conduct segmentation and better identify their needs. In a crisis, competition is tightening. Heads of firms care what customers need, what amounts of money they are willing to spend, what products can still be produced or purchased specifically for their regular customers.

It seems that the financial crisis will further spread the client-oriented approach in small and medium-sized businesses. Seminars and trainings devoted to this topic are likely to remain in demand for a long time.