There are lots of things that you have to remember as a business owner, manager or employee, though the most important thing you have to remember is information about your customers. Not only information about what they purchase from you and how much they spend, though that is part of it, you should also remember your customers as individuals, their likes and dislikes, their loyalty. Starting with one of the most effective things you should know about your customer (take a guess…yes you are right) his/her name.
When customer walk into a business that they frequent regularly and the employee who is helping them remembers his/her name it makes a big impression on the customer. It makes your customer feel that s/he is important to you and valued as a customer. Using someone’s name activates their brain, so you know you have their attention from the beginning of the interaction.
Unfortunately unlike Queen Elizabeth or the President you don’t have someone whispering into your ear the name of the person approaching you and/or a small tidbit about the person, so here are a few tips on how to remember names.
When you first meet people and realize that they are going to become a regular customer you should (if you haven’t already) find out their name and find associations so that you will remember their names the next time you see them.
Ask the person their name and if you don’t get it when they say it ask them to repeat it.
That way you have heard it twice and are more likely to remember it. If you can think of an image that goes with the name, connect the person with someone you already know by that name or someone famous with the same name.
There is a reason why teachers put their name up on the board in school, seeing the name written out allows you to picture the letters in your mind, which makes it easier to remember the name next time you see it.
Keep working on associating people with the additional information you get from them, Remember that most people like to talk about themselves so you should be able to find an association that will help your memory.
If you can’t remember someone’s name, apologize and ask them to tell you again. The fact that you want to know will make them feel good and increase your sales at the same time.
A tip of the glass from me to you
E Column
by Elizabeth “E” Slater, In Short Direct Marketing
A recognized expert in the fields of direct marketing and sales in the wine marketplace. Slater has taught more wineries and winery associations how to create and improve the effectiveness of their direct marketing programs and to make the most of each customer’s potential than anyone in the wine industry today.
