Interpersonal Communication Skills Quote – Robert W. Lucas

Excellent customer service skills are crucial if you want to deliver the best possible service to your internal and external customers. By practicing positive interpersonal skills such as verbal and nonverbal communication, eye contact, gesturing, body language, and listening skills, you can effectively send and receive messages to all types of customers.

As customer service author and performance consultant Robert W. Lucas is quoted as saying:

To gain insights into more effectively communicating with customers verbally and nonverbally, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Non-verbal Communication With Customers

by Robert W. Lucas

Non-verbal Communication With Customers

To be successful in the service profession, you must be aware that nonverbal communication is occurring between you and your customer(s). These unspoken messages to others make it impossible for you to not communicate. That is because no matter how you position your body and use your facial expressions or body extremities, you are constantly being evaluated by your customers. Body language, eye contact, and other nonverbal cues aid or detract from communication.

Through awareness of potential nonverbal messages that you might be sending and the fact that people interpret them based on their own backgrounds, knowledge, and experiences, you can increase your effectiveness in customer encounters or anywhere you come into contact with another person. A significant fact to remember is that, according to a classic research study by Dr. Albert Mehrabian on how feelings are transmitted between two people during communication, nonverbal signals can contradict or override verbal messages. This is especially true when emotions are high.

For more insights on nonverbal communication in a customer service environment and how to more effectively harness the power of communicating without speaking, check out copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Interpersonal Communication – Your Key to Customer Service Success

by Robert W. Lucas

Interpersonal Communication – Your Key to Customer Service Success

To be successful in your interactions with customers whose values, beliefs and experiences differ from your own, you will need to broaden your scope of knowledge related to interpersonal; communication, especially nonverbal signals (cues).

Because nonverbal communication styles and interpretations often differ from person-to-person and from one culture to another, the likelihood of breakdowns in interpretation and misunderstandings of nonverbal cues is high.

To enhance your awareness and skills in this area, attend seminars on nonverbal communication and cultural diversity, explore books, articles, and other information online or at the library, watch other people and talk about differences with others that you know. The more you know, the better your interpersonal communication skills will likely become.

For additional ideas and tips on more effectively honing your interpersonal communication skills, get copies of Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

Nonverbal Communication Quote – Ralph Waldo Emerson

by Robert W. Lucas

Nonverbal Communication Quote – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The importance of effective nonverbal communication when dealing with customers cannot be overemphasized. This is because people send and receive nonverbal cues differently based on many factors in their backgrounds (e.g. culture, education, experiences, ethnicity, and many others).

As Ralph Waldo Emerson is quoted as saying:

Interpersonal Communication Skills Tip

by Robert W. Lucas

Interpersonal Communication Skills Tip

Effective interpersonal communication skills are crucial for delivering excellent customer service.

Verbal communication skills are important, but nonverbal communication cues are often more so. Still, while you may potentially gather a lot of information through nonverbal cues received from others, be careful of putting too much emphasis on your interpretation. Why? Because many factors influence the messages being sent by others. For example, nonverbal cues can have different meanings or be interpreted differently based on factors like gender, culture, diversity, education, personal experiences and other factors.

The easiest way to prevent misinterpretation is to always ask someone to clarify their nonverbal cues when you are not sure of their meaning.

For more tips on dealing effectively with customers, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Nonverbal Communication Success Tip

by Robert W. Lucas

Nonverbal Communication Success Tip

Whether you are dealing with customers or potential customers, never forget that the way that you communicate verbally and nonverbally (interpersonal communication skills) will determine the outcome of your interactions. In particular, nonverbal cues can often override your spoken words.

Personality types, cultural and educational background, the environment in which people have been reared, and many other factors affect the manner in which nonverbal cues are sent and received. All of these and more can create communication barriers since nonverbal cues carry powerful messages, you should remember that there is considerable room for misinterpretation of the cues used by different people. The skills of recognizing, assigning meaning, and responding appropriately to nonverbal messages are not exact. That is because human behavior is too unpredictable and the interpretation of nonverbal cues is too subjective for accuracy of interpretation to occur with consistency.

To prevent possible communication and relationship breakdowns, take the time to study ways in which nonverbal cues are sent and received in various cultures and by different categories of customers people based on age, gender, personality style, abilities, and other factors. Use what you learn to measure your own patterns of nonverbal communication and send messages wit others accordingly.

For customer service tips, ideas and strategies on communicating with different types of customers in your own workplace, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success, Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures, and How To Be a Great Call Center Representative.

Inspirational Customer Service Quote – Mother Teresa

by Robert W. Lucas

Inspirational Customer Service Quote – Mother Teresa

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to start building brand and customer loyalty is to train yourself and others in the workplace to send customer-centric messages to everyone with whom you come into contact.

A quote from Mother Teresa sums up this concept.

Mother Teresa has Many Famous Quotes, here are a few more!

Peace begins with a smile.
There are no great things, only small things with great love. Happy are those.
If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.
Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

About Robert C. Lucas

Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Bob Lucas B.S., M.A., M.A, CPLP is the principal in Robert W. Lucas Enterprises, Inc and an internationally-known author; learning and performance professionals. He has written and contributed to numerous books on the subject of customer service skill training.

He regularly conducts workshops on creative training, train-the-trainer, customer service, interpersonal communication, and management,
and supervisory skills.

Learn more about Bob and his organization at www.robertwlucas.com and follow his blogs at www.robertwlucas.com/wordpress,
www.customerserviceskillsbook.com, and www.thecreativetrainer.com. Like Bob at www.facebook.com/robertwlucasenterprises

Communicating Effectively with Customers Who Have Disabilities

by Robert W. Lucas

Communicating Effectively with

Customers Who Have Disabilities

When the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the United States, the number of people with disabilities was estimated to be over 43 million. Since then the number of aging societal members has swelled that number to more than 56 million people – over 19% of the population. The impact of those numbers is that more of your customers today and into the future have to deal with sight, hearing, speech and mobility impairments than ever before. These disabilities can create challenges in customer service, communication, and the workplace overall for you and other customer service representatives.

By educating yourself on the needs of people with impairments that reduce ability in the area of seeing, hearing or speaking can aid communication and help build stronger customer management and relationship skills. Through interpersonal communication skills, you are able to potentially improve customer and brand loyalty by enhancing overall customer satisfaction levels.

There are hundreds of pieces of literature and research in these areas available. Plus, each governmental jurisdiction has a multitude of agencies, nonprofit and advocacy groups that provide information. Start by a sound Internet search to identify resources.

For proven customer service ideas and strategies get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success, Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures, and How to Be a Great Call Center Representative. Each of these resources provides sound practices for improving communication and relationship management skills.

Who is Robert C. Lucas?

Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

He regularly conducts workshops on creative training, train-the-trainer, customer service, interpersonal communication, and management,
and supervisory skills.

Evaluating Your Nonverbal Communication When Dealing With Customers

by Robert W. Lucas

Evaluating Your Nonverbal Communication

When Dealing With Customers

To get a better idea of how you present yourself to customers nonverbally, ask a co-worker to use the following guidelines and evaluate your nonverbal communication during a service transaction with a customer. Once it is over, spend some time having them provide feedback on how well you did.

Body Language. How do your body posture and positioning send a relaxed positive (e.g. confidence and self-assurance) or tense negative (e.g. uncertain, confused, or not confident) message about you?

Facial Expression. Does your face say, “Hello, Welcome, I am able and ready to serve you,” or does it show a bored disinterested employee who is going through the motions of providing service?

Eye Contact. Are you making appropriate and adequate eye contact to show interest without causing possible discomfort or offense?

The Tone of Voice. Does your voice project a smiling professional who sounds even-paced, comfortable and confident?

If you answered “no” or “unsure” to any of these questions, think about getting a communication coach or enrolling in training programs that can help evaluate and improve your nonverbal skills.

Failure to improve your skills or project a positive customer service image can lead to perceptions of your poor performance or bad attitude. This can result in:

Your termination.
Negative word-of-mouth publicity.
Customer complaints.
Loss of brand and customer loyalty.
Loss of business for your organization.

For additional ideas and techniques for improving your nonverbal communication when interacting with others, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

He regularly conducts workshops on creative training, train-the-trainer, customer service, interpersonal communication, and management,
and supervisory skills.

Improving Your Listening Ability Can Aid Customer Service

by Robert W. Lucas

Improving Your Listening Ability Can Aid Customer Service

Effective listening skills are crucial in building and maintaining relationships with other people, especially in a customer service environment. Unfortunately, it is a skill that many people do not learn or practice well.

To improve your ability to effectively and accurately receive information and messages from others, take some time to attend training programs on how to listen better. It will be money well spent and like any other skill, the more you work at it, the better you likely will become at using it.

Before attending training, verify the accuracy of your perception about your own listening effectiveness. To do so, ask several friends, family members and people in your workplace, who know your listening abilities well, to rate you. Have them use the scale of Outstanding, Above Average, Average, Poor, and Ineffective. Once they rate you, have them provide hints on how to improve your effectiveness. These submissions or ratings could be done anonymously in order to get more candid feedback. Once you get the information, objectively analyze it and then incorporate it into your listening improvement action plan, as necessary.

For more tips on how to improve your ability to effectively communicate and interact with customers in a variety of situations, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success, Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and How to Be a Great Call Center Representative.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

The key to successfully making money as an author and/or self-publisher is to brand yourself and your company and to make yourself and your book(s) a household name. Part of this is face-to-face interaction with people at trade shows, library events, book readings, book store signings, blogging or guest blogging on a topic related to their book(s). Another strategy involves writing articles and other materials that show up online and are found when people search for a given topic related to a topic about which the author has written.

If you need help building an author platform, branding yourself and your book(s) or generating recognition for what you do, Make Money Writing Books will help. Bob’s popular book addresses a multitude of ideas and strategies that you can use to help sell more books and create residual and passive income streams. The tips outlined in the book are focused to help authors but apply to virtually any professional trying to increase personal and product recognition and visibility.