Kellcomm - The World’s Most Beautiful Word

The World’s Most Beautiful Word

“The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved” - Victor Hugo

Why is it that people use the word mate when speaking to a customer? Is it laziness? Is it habit? Is it carelessness? Is it fear of intimacy? Either way it does nothing to create or improve a relationship. Others words used are bud, lad, lass or luv. If you mean it the affectionate way, have you ever wondered that the person hearing it may think you are too lazy to remember their name?

For most people their name is not their badge but a symbol of love, which started when they were a baby. Their parents and family called them that name and mixed it up with cutchy, cutchy coos. The name is embedded with trust and loyalty and unconditional love. It is the name their best friends called them at school, and the name that was written on every birthday card they ever received. Now you come along and try to create an emotional relationship with a word that is so general it fails to cut through.
The greatest communicators in the world make a point of remembering people's names. Some will write down the name as soon as possible or others will ask the person to repeat it or ask a question about it. Is that Zach with a CH or a K?
If you still don’t believe how important a person’s name is you may want to read some more on the man Forbes Magazine valued at $2.8 Billion in 1985. This man made a point of remembering people’s names and using their name whenever he greeted them. This man was Sam Walton. He understood people and it was this ability that helped him create Wal-Mart, the owner of ASDA UK. Walton was known for his sincerity and deep understanding of human emotion.

Another issue you may face is the pronunciation of names.
Have you met a customer with a name foreign to you, and you were unable to say it correctly? The customer may not have been upset because they are used to it. However, wouldn’t you have stood out if you simply asked if they would mind if you enquired about their name. Try this. "I believe that your name is very special, and I don’t want to make a mistake when I say it. Would you please help me spell it phonetically so I don’t make an idiot of myself by saying it incorrectly"?


Which makes you look better in front of your customer, you saying it in error for the next 10 meetings or showing them respect from the start? This also has the added benefit of reducing your stress levels. Now every time you meet your customer you are not thinking “oh dear, how do you pronounce his or her name"?

Love Your Customer Challenge
List the fifteen most important people in your life? When you write their name down think about how saying their name makes you feel. If mentioning their name has an emotional effect on you, how do you think they feel about it?

Darren Kelly
KELLCOMM
The Communication Experts
Leeds
www.kellcomm.co.uk