One cool method for setting the “tone” of your customer relations

0
28

Share on LinkedIn

I hate commercials on the radio. I will change stations just to avoid having to listen to a commercial break. But you know what’s fun to do? Next time you hear a car commercial for one of the major car manufacturers or if you see one on TV, pay attention to the music behind all of the talking.

That is some of the coolest music out there.

It got me to thinking: if there were a soundtrack to your business or your work, what would it be? Would it be like the swashbuckling music of the Pirates of the Caribbean, or would it be more like the soft strains of a romantic movie like The Notebook, or maybe the quirky music of a cartoon comedy?

I like car advertisement music for several reasons, and if you stretch really hard and squint your eyes, you may even be able to see how these reasons for liking auto commercial ad music can apply to improving your customer relations. Maybe.

It can be cool.
Is your work cool? Do you feel cool at work? Is your business cool? It’s funny how people tend to like cool things. From James Bond gadgets to the simplicity of “Ikea-like” furniture designs, coolness reigns supreme. If you think that what you do at your work each day is cool, then there is a much higher chance that your customers are likely to think so, too. Think about ways to make things more cool, and you will operate with more confidence.  And that’s kinda cool.

It can be hard-driving.
Some of that car advertisement music rocks, especially when you’re listening to commercials for sports cars, pickup trucks, and motorcycles. The announcer talks fast and is backed by a solid beat, screaming electric guitars and super-fast tempos.

Do you have a hard-driving attitude at work? When everything is falling into place and you have tons of activities going on at once, and you’re navigating right up the middle of it all ensuring that all the pieces fit, is this the type of music that’s going through your head? Is there a sense of adventure and excitement about what you do? That “bring it on” attitude can help let customers know that their concerns will be taken care of no matter what comes up.

It can be sophisticated.
This is the luxury car set. Smooth jazz or refined classical music. Quiet, relaxed, in control, stable, secure; these are the qualities that customers look for, especially when they are making a large purchase for a high-end car or a home. Is this the characteristic music that accompanies your work? By finding ways to bring stability and calm to an otherwise frenzied work environment, you will be highlighting the benefits of experience and class that your company exhibits when dealing with customers.

Your efforts at satisfying customers encompass a wide range of business practices and ideas, yet one of the most far-reaching implications of your work habits is the context within which you operate. By using this music analogy to bring out some definition to your context, you can intentionally set the “tone” of each day, and in so doing, the tone of your customer relations.

That’s pretty cool.

“Conrad Hilton was very generous to me in the divorce settlement. He gave me five thousand Gideon Bibles.” – Zsa Zsa Gabor

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Steve Martorano
Steve has been on the front lines with customers for over 25 years. He is currently Director of Customer Services for Polygon Northwest, a real estate developer in both the Seattle and Portland markets. Steve is also the creator of ThinkCustomerSatisfaction.com, an online resource designed to provide insights and training to customer professionals across many industries.

ADD YOUR COMMENT

Please use comments to add value to the discussion. Maximum one link to an educational blog post or article. We will NOT PUBLISH brief comments like "good post," comments that mainly promote links, or comments with links to companies, products, or services.

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here