There has been a lot of discussion about branding in the blogosphere over the past few years. Describe branding. What makes branding successful? What is your company’s name?
The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, has said that “Your brand is what other people say about you while you’re not in the room,” so that might be the case.
If so, your reputation—how what you put out into the world is not only received, but also perceived—depends on how people view you and your brand. While it can be tempting to try to copy Apple’s svelte product designs or Amazon’s extensive shipping options, it’s crucial to remember that reputation isn’t solely based on your product.
How well your customer service channels represent your brand typically determines what your business conveys to a customer. Ronald E. Riggio, PhD, a professor of leadership at Claremont McKenna College, asserts that charismatic leaders are fundamentally excellent communicators who are capable of connecting with their followers emotionally as well as vocally.
The wording you employ in your live chat channel is crucial because of this. You can acquire your clients’ trust and their enduring loyalty if you can relate
- Recognize Oneself
To communicate your brand, you must first determine what language is currently in use and then interpret it. What does the copy on your website say about the services or goods you offer? Your blog posts, how about them? Study:
blog entries
Web copy
written in white
transcripts of videos
using social media
transcripts of agents
Find the phrase or blog post that seems distinctive and sticks out from what you’ve seen other businesses do or say. This is most likely the magic pulse—the characteristic that makes you who you are, so why not embrace it? Do your blog entries contain any amusing jokes? Or perhaps your marketing director creates a crossword puzzle for your email each month. Perhaps compared to others in your sector, your white papers are quite authoritative and really well-written. Think carefully about what it implies, whatever it may be.
After completing this exercise, make sure to consult with individuals from other departments (particularly marketing, sales, and communications) to learn how they interpreted the data; if they concur with your interpretation, you are on the correct route. If not, look for any themes they often bring up that you missed. Pick up on that theme and follow it if the majority of consumers characterise your customer service culture as “casual.”
- Recognize Your Client
You now have a general idea of how your organisation views itself. But do you understand how your client perceives you? Even better, do you understand who your client is? Does your target market value a unique experience? a speedy conclusion? Your recurring revenue?
Even though you might believe that all of these elements are necessary, focusing on a few attributes above others will help you build a stronger brand. The intersection of your company’s perspective and your customers’ perception is where your ideal brand exists. Consider researching the stats below:
Region Spending history and average
Average time for resolution Average age
linking URLs
- Make Your Personality Known
Many experts in psychology utilise the Big Five personality traits to roughly explain the variety in the human psyche and personality. Using the Big Five concept, Dr. Jennifer Aaker, a professor of marketing at Stanford University, developed a comparable hypothesis on business personalities. Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness are the five dimensions of brand personality identified by Aaker’s research.
The following characteristics have been categorised under each personality type by her:
Sincerity: real, sincere, healthy, and upbeat
Excitation: adventurous, spirited, creative, modern
Competence: dependability, intelligence, and achievement
sophistication: affluent, endearing
Outdoorsy, hardy, robust
Ask yourself which of the aforementioned brand identities most accurately describes your company. Which of your strengths may be categorised under a brand dimension according to Aaker?
Once you’ve made a choice, structure your live chat language using the following advice:
Sincerity: Use words that convey a broader sense of joy, graciousness, and empathy. Use phrases like “thank you for your patience” and “I’m so sorry that event happened to you. How may I be of assistance?
Enthusiasm: Make special offers in a style that seems more impromptu. Try saying “Would you like to discover how to earn 50% off your complete purchase today?” instead of the usual, “Enjoy 50% off your purchase with this code.” Use exclamation points like “amazing” and “cool” to get younger audiences excited.
Competence: It’s critical to give customers a glimpse of your well-structured internal policies while attempting to express competence.
Don’t merely say, “Hold for a second, please,” when you need approval from a superior to offer a discount, for example. Try something like, “Will you hold for a second while I forward this matter to my manager?” as an alternative. When applicable, you should also let customers know about your policies. Consistency is valued by clients who value competence.
Sophistication: If you’re attempting to build a sophisticated brand, it’s typically because you sell more expensive goods. Find simple methods to pamper and pamper your customer, and stay away from abbreviations and slang. These customers may occasionally ask for a personal opinion, much like a good diner might inquire about the server’s preferred course.
To assist clients in making decisions, be prepared to go through every detail of your products.
Ruggedness: If your business sells outdoor gear or a small selection of goods, this can be the right brand personality for you. Contractions are normal and more than acceptable in this situation. Avoid burdening your consumer with lengthy justifications. Use clear wording that your customer will find appealing. Say “How can I help you” instead of “How may I aid you?” Keep your tone simple. When in doubt, get ideas from Ernest Hemingway.
- Be Specific “Customers will eventually choose a rival who makes them feel better about doing business with them if they are made to feel like they are outsiders,” says this statement. — Shep Hyken, author of The Amazement Revolution and The Cult of the Customer.
You’ve identified your brand and are working to make your chat scripts and email signatures more effective. Before you go too far, though, remember to incorporate the one quality that is absolutely essential for every brand: efficacy.
Your customer service language must be precise as a result. Its goal is to be extremely helpful in addition to promoting the overall company brand. What does that actually imply to you, practically speaking? Think about the following:
Navigational vocabulary: Think about things from your consumers’ point of view when they ask where to find particular features or pages on your website. How do they view the website from their position, and how, if at all, does it differ from the agent’s? then provide detailed instructions. Use key words such as beneath, above, next to, in the corner, menu, toggle, browser, and so on. For instance, you wouldn’t want to respond, “Click on the shopping cart icon,” when a consumer inquires about how to examine the contents of their shopping basket. The phrase “Navigate your cursor above the red, 50% off banner” would be preferable. Do you notice the icon for a shopping basket in the top right corner?
Promotional details: Make sure to provide clients with all the details they require regarding a sale. Customers should also be informed of the qualifying items, the time the deal expires, and the time zone in addition to the specifics of the promotion. Never mention a sale that is 50% off today. Instead, saying, “Today, we are providing 50% off selected winter items, would be more useful. After 11:59 EST, the promotion expires. If you have any inquiries concerning the purchase, please let me know.
Using a person’s name when speaking to them makes them feel validated, according to Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People. Throughout your interaction, use their name multiple times to let them know that you are speaking to them personally and that you value their business. Additionally, exploit their past interactions with customers to build a strong rapport. For instance, “How did you like the coat you purchased last month? Are you staying warm this winter with it? Customers may feel cherished and remembered.
Conclusion
You want clients to associate your business with “excellent” customer service, no matter whatever brand attributes you choose to highlight in live chat terminology. When in doubt, speak in a way that shows you’re willing to work through even the most difficult issues. In the end, a helpful business gains more customer loyalty than a “cool” or “smart” one that can’t solve customers’ problems.
And always keep in mind, the next time someone says, “Talk is cheap,” think about what your company’s brand would be like without a way to showcase your quality to the public.