Patti was interview by Sonja Carberry for Investors Business Daily regarding Smiles. Ways that smiling in business interactions can improve sales and enhance customer service. You can read Patti's insights highlighted in yellow below. Or check out the actual article at the link below.
A
pleasing delivery generates good vibes with clients. How to connect:
•
Delight them. First impressions count. How one hotel charms: Its bellman
reads luggage tags as he assists new arrivals and he walkie-talkies the
information ahead so the front desk clerk can greet lodgers by name.
"It's
just a simple touch, but for me that inspires a wow reaction," said Liz
Jazwiec, author of "Service Excellence Is as Easy as PIE (Perception Is
Everything)."
You
don't have to move heaven and earth to win a grin, "though it might
require some outside-the-box thinking and a willingness to engage with your
customers on a personal level," Jazwiec told IBD.
•
Extend yourself. The most important question you can ask, even at your
busiest: Is there anything else I can do for you? "I'm here to tell you
that when you ask people this question, they don't make up frivolous
stuff," Jazwiec said.
By
offering further assistance, you're perceived as helpful. Rush your customer
off, and he or she will return with the same request — and a less-than-positive
attitude.
•
Get together. So much business is done via email, text and Twitter
(NYSE:TWTR),
people forget the power of sitting face to face. "Social media and
technology do have their place, but they are not, and never will be, a
substitute for in-person interaction," said Michael Houlihan, Barefoot
Wine founder and co-author of "The Barefoot Spirit."
The
personal touch strengthens the wine maker's rapport with retailers and
customers.
"People
don't just buy your product. They buy you," he said.
•
Pay attention. Make the most of a get-together by tuning in completely.
"In my experience, when you use someone's name along with eye contact and
an attentive demeanor, they're more likely to be agreeable," Houlihan
said.
•
Close the gap. When distance prevents physical meetings, Houlihan goes
virtual with Skype.
"I
love that I can make eye contact with someone who is sitting on the opposite
side of the country," he said. "We can accomplish so much more when
we become more than just an email address or a disembodied voice to one
another."
•
Get clued in. Pay attention to the other person's facial expressions and
verbal inflections. Picking up on those cues speeds comprehension. "It's
much easier to get intentions behind the spoken word," Houlihan said.
•
Greet and grin. Facial expressions prompt
reactions.
"A smile typically generates a
smile from the other person," said Patti Wood, body language expert and
author of "Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and
Charisma."
To bump up your approachability, raise
your eyebrows slightly when you meet someone.
• Control reactions. You might
smile and say yes when asked to take on a weekend project.
But if the slightest grimace crosses
your face, your true mood will show through. Wood calls that fleeting
expression a microfacial cue. "It reveals your true emotional state,"
Wood said. "You'd be surprised how often that happens."
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
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