Hey it’s October – my absolutely favorite month of the year – and not just because it is the birth month of my youngest, Liam. I can’t believe that he is turning into a teenager!! I am absolutely determined to get one more golf game in before I call it a year. Seeing I hardly played this summer, I am getting desperate!
This month’s tips include:
1. Five tips for great client communications
2. Overcoming nervousness and anxiety
1. Five Tips for Great Client Communications
1. Make your client feel that they are your entire purpose for your business, enterprise, department (whether an internal or an external client).
2. Always add value to whatever service or product that his or her clients need. If you can’t define the value-added then you need to think very hard about that and communicate it to your client.
3. Anticipate their needs – don’t just react. By thinking ahead you actually make them a better client. It also sends the signal you are thinking about their needs all the time.
4. Be fast, and deliver consistently. A sixty second turnaround is 1000 times more impressive that one day -and, in turn, 1000 times more impressive than 48 hours.
5. Thank them for their business, consideration etc. The word ‘thank you’ is golden – which means it is very valuable and unfortunately rare.
So….in case I haven’t said so lately….thank you for being my client.
2. Overcoming Nervousness and Anxiety
Before every major meeting, presentation, media interview or event practice the following steps:
1. Do five minutes of slow deep breathing – stomach breathing. When you breathe in, push your stomach out. Then when you breathe out, gradually pull your stomach all the way in to exhale fully.
2. Tighten and relax your muscles from the toes to the top of your head.
3. Psyche yourself up -with positive affirmations (shades of Stuart Smalley on Saturday Night Live. Yup, you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and, dog gone it, people like you!). In other words, remind yourself of your strengths and positive character traits.
4. Think of the other people as reasonable, down-to-earth, people who have an open attitude.
5. Be yourself. You will always be a better original than an imitation of someone else.
Let me know how you’re doing. Or suggest a tips topic for next time. If I use the topic, you win a McLoughlin Media travel coffee mug!
Until next time, I hope you have a great October!!
Barry
About the Author
Barry J. McLoughlin is President and CEO of McLoughlin
Media, a communications training firm with offices in
Ottawa ON and Washington DC. Barry is the author of the
Communicate with Power® series of pocket tips books.
Barry received his Master’s of Public Administration
from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard
University and is a former television broadcaster.
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Contact us:
by email at barry@ceo.tv
by phone, in North America: 1-800-663-3899 or Overseas:
1-613-230-9235
or visit us at www.CEO.tv or www.FAQ.tv
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