Invariably, no matter how good a communicator is, there will undoubtedly be times when confusion or talking over another person creates tension in a conversation. Once this happens, natural back and forth “tempo” is disrupted and feelings of frustration can set in. You just don’t feel “in-sync” with the other person, and this can cost you sales, support and friends.

Listed below are a few simple ways to avoid discord in your interpersonal communications.

1. Always accept responsibility for any miscommunication between you and another party.

Even if the confusion or misinterpretation was legitimately caused by the other party, always take responsibility for it. In most cases, the other party knows it was their fault. By simply smiling and saying, “I’m sorry, I didn’t communicate that very well” you let the other person off the hook and in the process release tension from the conversation.

2. Respond, don’t react.

It is easy to run over others in discussions when you are overly-enthusiastic, fixated on hyper-task completion or under time pressure. Although this mistake is one I still make too frequently, it is one I am working on with the help of a FPG colleague. This mistake can be overcome by following a simple rule and applying some basic courtesy. Wait. Wait two seconds until you are sure the other person is finished speaking, and then respond. Too frequently, we don’t listen and don’t recognize the other person is still completing a thought before jumping in ourselves. This results in cross-talk, and if done recurrently, tension.

3. Use the other person’s name.

A key tenant in Dale Carnegie’s interpersonal skill masterpiece, How to Win Friends and Influence People, states that a person’s name is the most important word in their vocabulary. Using it a few times in a conversation conveys your sincere interest in them, not just in the information you can extract from them. This makes conversation, however long or brief, not just informative but socially enjoyable.

These three easy steps have one common thread interwoven throughout. In order to demonstrate them consistently, you must sincerely care for the individual you are speaking with. If you don’t really care for the other person, it will be impossible to put forth this effort consistently because you will see it as just that…effort. However, if you are sincere in your desire to get along well with others, these behaviors will spring out of your efforts to do so and in the process you will create a persona of grace and professionalism.

Chris Brown - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group

Our goal is simple: build rewarding relationships and deliver results. But the relationships we strengthen are not just those with our clients; we also foster relationships between our clients and their customers.

While coaching the frontline of a client, I was recently approached by a customer who had repeatedly experienced difficulty in receiving reward program credits. He expressed frustration with the company and mentioned he would be using a competitor for his next purchase. Because we were between manager shifts, I acquired his contact information and assured him that the problem would not only be addressed, but resolved, quickly. Prior to his leaving, we spoke briefly about his patronage as the backbone of our client’s success.

The management team immediately contacted the customer and he was 100% satisfied with the resolution. In fact, the customer was so delighted with the way the dispute was handled, he wrote a letter to the organization expressing his renewed faith in the company and his restored confidence that outstanding customer service still exists in America.

The impact you have on your customers revolves around how you make them feel during their limited interactions with you. If you want to positively impact your customers and in the process, move your bottom-line, you need to move your customers through an emotional connection. This is done by the actions of your frontline.

By actively listening to the customer, displaying understanding, sincerity and enthusiasm about his problem, and being responsive to his needs this company was able to not only prevent the loss of a valuable customer, but create a potential customer for life.

- Tom Diaz, Senior Performance Manager, Frontline Performance Group

When you are booking a hotel over the Internet, can you “feel” the difference between one five-star hotel in New York City and another? Of course not. This changes however, if you are on the phone and you have an enthusiastic and motivated salesperson on the other end of the line, describing the property’s distinct benefits. In those moments, that representative is the hotel. It is in those situations that a company becomes “relational” versus “transactional,” producing a huge flashpoint of advantage.

Need proof? Consider these revealing responses from a study performed by T. Scott Gross & BIGresearch that included over 9,000 customers in the retail arena. The participants were asked, “What is the most important thing you look for in a shopping experience?”

• 41.4% of participants wanted knowledgeable and helpful salespeople
• 27.0% of participants wanted courteous, caring and friendly staff
• 18.3% of participants wanted low prices and product information
• 8.8% of participants wanted merchandise that is easy to find
• 4.5% of participants wanted a fast check out

As you can see, 72.9% of what people are looking for is impacted by your frontline!

To be truly successful, you must understand and appreciate the role of your frontline as the vehicle that can transform your bottom-line.

Most companies have four to six customer touch points and related sales opportunities.

If you map out all of your customer contact points, you will find that many of them present substantial revenue opportunities, and all of them provide significant service improvement opportunities.

Look at each of your customer contact points and figure out what influence your frontline can have through them.

When an angry customer begins to complain about his or her experience the most important action a frontline representative can take is to listen.

Studies have shown the biggest concern irate customers have is the inability to be heard. Utilizing the following dialogue with a dissatisfied customer will set the stage for a service recovery.

“Before I am able to assist you, I must first listen to what you have to say.”

Establishing a bond with an irate customer that began by listening will set in motion the process for winning the customer over. Remember, to make an error is a very human occurrence. To recover from an error is divine!