Do you know the names of most of your customers? As Dale Carnegie said, “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest, most important sound in any language.” Research has shown that there is a particular chemical reaction that takes place in our brains when we hear our name.
An easy way to experiment with this idea is to walk into a crowded mall and call out in a loud voice a common name like Bob or Linda. You’ll see many people by the name of Bob or Linda turn around and look at you.
If you or your employees are not regularly using the names of your customers, you are missing out on a technique that can help build a lasting relationship with them. An easy way to get and use the customer’s name, if you don’t remember it, is to read it off his check, credit card, or ticket stub. When in doubt, simply ask. A simple way to do this is to use the fill-in-the-blank method. It would work like this: “Hello, my name is Nancy Anderson, and your name is …..?
Once you get that person’s name, use it in the conversation a few times. It helps to write down the names of the customers you have trouble remembering. Review the list from time to time. You’ll be surprised and delighted at how easy you will be able to build a sincere rapport with your customers.
1. Name ten customers who frequent your business.
2. Look for ways to reward your employees between meetings when they remember and use their customers’ names.
By: Tom Borg
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