Customers polled in a recent survey said they tend to buy from brands with “strong personalities.” Friendly, conversational brands are considered the most appealing, although most consumers say they prefer brands to be consistent.
For small businesses, a brand’s personality is often defined by the salespeople, floor staff, or customer service agents interacting with customers daily. Understanding the personality traits that customers love can help improve your hiring and training, as well as boost customer retention. In this guide, we’ll outline key soft skills or personality traits that can build customer affinity.
Empathy
A little empathy is all it takes to turn a frustrating customer experience into a rewarding one. Empathy requires your employees to put themselves in the customers’ shoes. This perspective can drive better results in customer service, sales, marketing, and product development.
“In business, empathy can look like anticipating your customer’s needs, empowering your team members to take time off to recharge when they need it, and giving both employees and customers space to voice their opinions and concerns,” wrote HubSpot.
Empathy isn’t just important for customer-facing jobs or troubleshooting when an issue comes up. Customer empathy is necessary for all roles across an organization. The 2023 Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) Empathy in Business Survey found that mutual empathy between company leaders and employees leads to higher innovation, efficiency, and company revenue — suggesting that customers respond positively to empathetic businesses.
[Read more: Entrepreneurs Reveal the 6 Personality Traits That Make Them Successful]
Resourcefulness
Along with empathy, customers want to patronize businesses that are resourceful in coming up with solutions — solutions ranging from innovative products that solve a problem to resolving an issue to boost customer satisfaction. “Being resourceful requires a can-do attitude and willingness to work creatively to effectively manage a business without having the immediate know-how,” wrote HubSpot.
When a customer comes to your business with a question or concern, they want the first person they speak to to be able to provide an answer. Your team must be fully equipped with training and empowered to make decisions without too much oversight. Put policies in place that make it clear to the customer what they can expect and to guide every team member in providing five-star service.
It’s simple: when a customer feels like their time is valuable and that a company will do what it takes to be responsible, they’re more likely to come back.
Active listening
Active listening means paying full attention to customers, asking clarifying questions, and reflecting back their concerns. Good listening skills are essential for fully understanding customer issues. Effective listening helps representatives tailor their customer service, improve product development, and find ways to gain a competitive edge. “Employees can provide thoughtful, personalized solutions by truly hearing and considering what customers say, enhancing customer satisfaction,” wrote Clevry, a recruiting platform.
Active listening requires curiosity, patience, and strong communication skills. Patience allows your team to listen carefully and provide thorough assistance without rushing the customer.
Humor
A sense of humor can build rapport with customers, making interactions with your brand enjoyable and engaging. Humor and a positive attitude can go a long way.
“People hate to be treated like a number. The majority of people prefer to interact with a human when faced with issues,” wrote Benchmark, an email marketing tool. “The ability to stay genuine and show clients that they really matter to your business can make a whole world of a difference in their customer experience.”
Friendly, optimistic business representatives can put customers at ease. They make them feel welcome in a way that ultimately leads to customers making more purchasing decisions.
[Read more: 5 Alternatives to the Myers-Briggs Personality Test]
Responsibility
A sense of personal responsibility is invaluable, especially in customer service. Look for employees who feel a level of commitment to customers that goes beyond clocking in and out.
“[Candidates] who come with the soft skill of being responsible feel accountable for the tickets they’re assigned and work toward actively tracking them to a closure. In general, a responsible support associate will be a good listener as well,” wrote Harver.
It’s simple: when a customer feels like their time is valuable and that a company will do what it takes to be responsible, they’re more likely to come back. A sense of responsibility, like other skills on this list, can be trained and empowered with the right policies, employee handbook, and management approach.
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