How to Help Your Customers Buy

It has been said that everyone in an organization or company is in consulting. However, many employees or managers don’t believe it applies to them. Don’t let that kind of thinking apply to you.

If you are in a customer service job, congratulations, you are in an extremely important position. Not only do you service your customer or client, but you have the golden opportunity to influence him or her to buy more of your company’s services or products. You do this by serving as a trusted advisor or consultant.

Many people are reluctant to help influence their prospects or customers in making a purchase, because when they are interfacing with them, they don’t know what to do or say. The key to being able to do this, is to keep in mind the true definition of selling, and that is, “helping people get what they need and want by asking questions and educating them about your service or product.”

One of the best ways to do this is to look at your prospect or customer from his or her perspective. What kind of things would they need to know about the product or service your are offering.

For example some of the questions you could ask, to find out, would include:
• Have you purchased a service or product like this before?
• What did you like about it? How do you mean?
• What didn’t you like? Could you elaborate?
• Who else do you know that has used a service or product like ours?
• What are some of your worries or concerns?
• What kind of a guarantee would you like?
• How soon would you need it?
• How many options would you like to have to choose from before you would feel comfortable making a choice?


The key is to ask questions that give the prospect or customer the opportunity to talk and to communicate with you his or her needs and wants. By gently probing and using open ended questions like: “How do you mean?” or “For instance?” or making the comment, “Tell me more,” you are learning more about what is truly important to that person. As I have stated before, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. When you ask questions, you learn more about their concerns. More importantly, you are communicating to them how much you really care about them as a real, live human being, and not just another order.

So, to make yourself more valuable to your organization or company, take on the attitude and the title of consultant. By doing so you will be better able to serve the people who make your job possible, and that are your prospects and customers.

Tom Borg is a consultant in leadership management, team building and customer service. Please see more of his blogs at csjobsblog.com and businessworkforceblog.com To view additional job postings at Nexxt