Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

Luqman Babatunde is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management (CIISM) and an Associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He is a public intellectual, experienced corporate relations manager, and media & communication strategist with remarkable reach in training and capacity building. Luqman has taught English as a Second Language (ESL), Communication Skills, and Logic & Philosophy of Human Existence in universities. He is skilled in public presentation as well as research & development (R&D).

Playing Smart: How to Make the Best Use of Social Media for Business Opportunities

January 19, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

One visible difference between a 20th-century and the 21st-century marketplace is the ability to play smart in the latter. To work hard was fashionable advice given to business owners to get them to promote their business in the old time. But now, this advice has seen better days and working smart is the new normal. A necessary skill that every entrepreneur – whether greenhorn or expert – needs in the 21st-century business space is the ability to play smart in the digital space. And playing smart requires learning and acquiring vital information to help you maximise the digital space potential and be relevant. Social media in particular is crucial to business success. To this end, below is some relevant information that you need to have about some popular social media applications in order to be a smart digital market player. Facebook Facebook allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and videos, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. Marketing on Facebook holds a lot of opportunities. To be a relevant player on the platform, you will need to be a constant creator of good content. You will also need to actively relate and interact with people who engage your posts. Prompt response to queries is especially important for attracting customers. Facebook allows users to create profiles for business marketing, political movement, companies, individuals, products and services. Facebook’s Primary Audience Facebook is simply too big to be ignored as an enduring social media platform for business digital marketing communications campaigns. Worldwide there are currently 2.93 billion monthly active users (MAU) on the platform. There is a 9% increase in Facebook’s MAUs every year. It has over 26 million monthly active users in Nigeria alone. Facebook has users from all age demographics, making it one of the most diverse social channels. Users spend more time on Facebook (at least 40 minutes daily) than on any other social media platform. The platform can be an effective tool for small business owners to build an audience and image for their brand and business. Optimizing Posts on Facebook Highest traffic occurs mid-week between 1 pm and 3 pm. Engagement is 18% higher on Thursdays and Fridays. Posting only 1 or 2 times a day attracts the most engagement. Uses of Facebook for Business Marketing Building an audience and following for your brand. Interact with customers and fans by being there to answer questions and start discussions. Drawbacks Facebook can be a hard platform to stand out organically, as it has a fancy algorithm which is constantly changing. The algorithm favours content based on fans’ usage habits and past interactions. So just because you have X number of Facebook fans, that doesn’t mean all those fans are seeing each thing you post. It’s likely only the fans that interact with your page on a regular basis will see it since they have shown the most interest in your brand. Twitter Twitter allows users to send and read short (280 characters) messages referred to as ‘tweets’, with the possibility of grouping tweets into threads. The platform currently has over 750 million users and it is a great channel to engage with other users and make new connections. Many Twitter users are more likely to buy from brands or third-party influencers they like or follow on Twitter, so this can be a great and necessary tool for start-ups and small businesses. Twitter marketing strategy is centred around creating, publishing and distributing short, valuable content for followers. Concision and brevity advertisement is very important on Twitter because of limited character permission. This makes messages digestible and brisk enough for deals to be sealed quickly. Twitter’s Primary Audience Twitter’s largest demographic is young adults and has a pretty equal gender breakdown globally. Uses of Twitter for Business Marketing Following and engaging with other users who would be interested in what you have to offer. Interacting with your fan base and answering questions, resolving complaints and so on. Building relationships with current and prospective customers, partners and people within your network. Optimizing Posts on Twitter For Business to Business (B2B), weekdays provide more engagement than weekends. For Business to Customer (B2C), engagements and clicks are highest on weekends and midweek. A minimum of three tweets a day is recommended for optimal engagement. Drawback Unlike Facebook with a complex algorithm that determines the lifecycle of your business’s content, Twitter has a very short lifecycle. A tweet only has about an 18-minute lifespan, meaning that if you aren’t active and regularly posting, your content could be completely missed. LinkedIn LinkedIn is designed for the business community to network and connect. The site is clearly a popular one among the professional community. Linkedin allows you to set up a company and personal profile and connect with other professionals you may know or would like to know. You will be notified of status updates of the profile of your connections. LinkedIn is an essential site for a successful digital media marketing campaign. At present, it has over 690 million users from over 200 countries. It is known to be the most professional of the major networking platforms. Because it focuses more on B2B, it accounts for more major business leads on social media. LinkedIn’s Primary Audience LinkedIn is one of the only social networks with a majority of users who don’t fall between 18 and 29 years old. It is more popular among those that fall between 30 and 65 years old, ranging from those who are college graduates, higher income-level young professionals and high-net-worth individuals. Uses of LinkedIn for Business Marketing To showcase a workplace and what it’s like to work there. To post new job opportunities and recruit potential employees. To connect and engage with other business professionals. Optimizing Posts on LinkedIn One post per weekday allows you to reach approximately 60% of your audience. Drawback Since LinkedIn is a business-oriented platform targeted at the middle-aged and older generations, it won’t provide much value to businesses … Read more

How to Enhance Your Brand Value With a Well-Told Story

January 19, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

Brand value is the quality that you want your product consumers to connect with in their perception of your brand. It is what your brand means to them. That is, your consumers’ positive perception. A brand is a composite of values which constitute customers’ perception. The value proposition of the Toyota brand is ‘Good Thinking, Good Product’, meaning that a lot of research is invested into making their product durable. Businesses are invariably about profit and vision. To actualize these, there must be some form of strategy to campaign for the brand. Perhaps the best way to predict the future is to create it. Thus, the best way to have a great brand is to create it by way of a positive narrative around it. The Nokia Example Nokia started as a paper mill company (book production, to enable communication between people through writing). Then they diversified into doing rubber works like manufacturing tyres and footwear for movement from one point to another. Afterwards, they go into cables and electronics production for ‘linking’ people. Then, they diversified their portfolio again into linking the world through the production of durable mobile telephones. Nokia has successfully built a corporate brand story of ‘Connecting People’ by associating ‘connecting’ and ‘strong technology’ with its evolving story. Creating Brand Value and Vision with an Impactful Story Your brand and business exist to make an impact and a difference. In telling your brand story, whether through your brand proposition, advertisement or social media campaigns, the common thread is that the story should captivate and engage your audience. In order to do this effectively, you need to note the following points: Authenticity is the key to telling great stories. Relate real-life experiences. Be real. Capture and emphasize the emotional qualities of your campaign that can be conveyed through your customer’s experience and impact on them. Adopt the use of human impact analysis. In promoting your brand, use real images of the people you are showcasing (with their consent) to create a positive impact. Provide context. Don’t assume your audience knows your story. Add enough background to build your story. For example, narrate how a business loan fintech solution for budding entrepreneurs was provided by your brand to address the plight of struggling start-ups and how such businesses can grow in phases with the aid of the innovation. This would make a good story. Strike a proper balance between saying only what you have to say and saying enough within a short space. Say only what is relevant. Brevity and concision are important. Play with rhythm of words for effect. Determine and set your communication goals and objectives. Make sure you are clear at the outset of the campaign and on the desired outcome, as this will inform what your call-to-action is. We live in a world whereby disruptive technologies, rapid structural changes and economic turbulence are impacting the global economy by accelerating the rise of complexity. Complexity turns out to be a major force businesses must consider when developing and executing marketing strategies. It affects businesses in managing challenges, remaining relevant and opening new opportunities. By telling your brand story in an impactful way, you will increase your chances of successfully promoting and increasing growth and profitability against the tide of complexities. Temidayo Babatunde is an Associate of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and can be reached via LinkedIn or email: [email protected].

The Essence of Tracking Engagement on Social Media

January 17, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

social media connections networking 3846597

The initial motive of social media engagement was for interaction between acquaintances. But it was adopted by businesses that wanted to take advantage of a popular new communication trend to reach out to clients/customers. The power of social media is the ability to connect and share information with anyone – and with many people at the same time. Social media is an internet-facilitated technology. It enhances sharing of ideas, thoughts and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. By design, social media is internet enabled and it gives users quick electronic communication of content. Content includes personal information, instant messaging, documents, videos and photos. Users engage with social media via computers, tablets or smartphones with web-based software or web applications. Tools for Tracking Engagement for Business on Social Media There are a number of social media dashboards and tools that can be used to manage multiple accounts. With these tools you also get the ability to share the same update across multiple platforms simultaneously. These platforms can help in managing campaigns with simple, comprehensive interfaces that even social media novices can easily use. Below is a brief description of some of the social media management application tools for engagements analytics: Hootsuite: One of the most popular tools is Hootsuite. It is venerated because it fulfils all that successful social media management is about: speed and efficiency. It automates and schedules posts, while also giving you analysis and social media monitoring tools. Buffer: Similar to Hootsuite is Buffer. It is compatible with a broad range of social networks and allows for easy cross-posting. What is especially useful about it is that can be used to post on schedule and to space out updates automatically too. CoSchedule: When a new message is scheduled on CoSchedule, the administrator can select the social media profiles where he or she would like them to be published. The application manual offers an extensive guide on how to do this. Sprout Social: This tool is geared toward businesses that want to have more advanced analytics and insights for their social media efforts. Sprout Social provides a “single-stream inbox” for seeing content across multiple channels in one place. Similarly, one can use this tool to post to all social media profiles at once too. Some extra processes that can be run for customer engagement include: Social Media Optimization (SMO): This is the use of various social media network settings to manage and grow an organization or business’ message and online presence. Social Networking: Social networking is the use of internet-based social media applications to make connections with friends, family, classmates, high net worth individuals, colleagues, customers and clients. Bulk Short Message Service (SMS) or Mobile Marketing: Sending bulk online SMS or utilizing multiple distribution channels to promote products and services with technology devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones are helpful ways to reach out to prospective customers/clients. Campaigning for Targeted Business Objectives on Social Media Gaining Clients/Customers: If a business is in start-up or is struggling, the objective will be attaining growth. Therefore, the target metric is to gain more followers. Measuring the number of retweets and shares on content posted on the business’s social media timelines will help create awareness of the business and determine action. Sustaining Clients/Customers: You can turn customers into business advocates by engaging them through mentions with ‘#hashtag’ or ‘@copy’. Also, liking or reacting to their comments with appropriate ‘emoji’ and responding to necessary comments as and when due will help. These strategies will bring vibrant activities to your business’s social media page and show how your customers and clients are interacting with the content posted. Maintaining Clients/Customers: If the aim of a business is to drive leads and sales, conversion metrics by way of tracking numbers of pay-per-click is invaluable. Tracking the number of views and duration of time spent interacting with content is also crucial. Email sign-up on websites will be a good measure. Website clicks will be helpful as well. All these will demonstrate the effectiveness of social engagement. Retaining Clients/Customers: If improving client/customer retention is the objective of a business, testimonials by people (with their consent) who have used the products should be posted as content on the business’s social media timeline. Furthermore, sending birthday or wedding anniversary messages to your loyal customers/clients and driving other sentiments like visibly harping on the business’ Unique Selling Points (USP) will go a long way. Winning Clients/Customers: If a business’s target is to rebrand or launch new products and services into the market in order to reposition itself and have an edge over the competition, posting campaigns or challenges that will go viral will go a long way. Influencers, superstars, and celebrities can equally be nudged to post these on their social media statuses at little or no cost if the campaigns are hilarious and popular. Also, endorsement by professionals and professional bodies regulating the business sector will do the magic for more engagement. The above-mentioned metrics could be measured and converted. However, vanity metrics like ‘likes’ are also easy to track, but it is hard to prove their real value. Instead, focus should be on targets such as leads generated, web referrals and conversion rates. Be SMART In Order to Be Engaging on Social Media For a campaign to succeed, clear goals and objectives should be set as part of strategy. This is how marketing on social media could prove invaluable. Therefore, there is a need to be SMART. This is an acronym for: Specific: Have specific objectives set out before mounting a marketing campaign. Measurable: Make sure there are available metrics to determine success. Attainable: Your objectives must be realizable and achievable. Relevant: Make sure the marketing campaign will address common needs and solve problems. Time-bound: A marketing campaign should be introduced at an appropriate time and must have a sustained span. The SMART goal framework will guide actions and ensure they lead to real business results. Temidayo Babatunde is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of … Read more

How to Create a Good Service Experience for Client and Customer Satisfaction

January 16, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

Efficient customer/client service forms the basis of the customer experience. Most customers’ main interaction with a business is through interacting with a business’s employee, either by visiting an office as a client or a store as a customer. Interaction could also be through virtual means like email, phone call, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and so on. The company representative has the opportunity to deliver excellent customer/client service, thus creating a great experience so as to remain in business. Customer service is the reason a client comes to us while customer satisfaction is the impactful experience we give them which makes them to return and become loyal. Key Points to Note about Providing Customer/Client Service Satisfaction Some customers/clients often make requests in inappropriate and impolite ways. If you can resolve their needs without blaming yourself or them, you will reduce stress and everyone will feel better. You will be on your way to customer satisfaction. Customers are often difficult for their own reasons and not necessarily because of you. Key points to note in delivering an excellent customer/client service satisfaction are: It sustains you in business It sets you apart from competition It takes little or no extra time It costs little or nothing It is usually pleasing because it is not usually expected Your attitude toward customers’ behavior influences your gross sales output. Though it is usually hard to suppress curt actions because you cannot always feint how you feel, your attitude determines the level of job satisfaction, because: It affects everyone who comes in contact with you. Hence, there is a need for you to always be calm, empathic and positive. Your tone and body language reflect your attitude. Remember attitude is caught and not taught. Your attitude is not fixed. The attitude you choose to display is up to you, hence the need to always be deliberate and intentional about acknowledging, apologizing, listening, explaining action, thanking and following-up. Your emotion is a reflection of your life mutation. Approach customers/clients professionally and not personally. Listen for the signals that you are taking things personally. Focus on the problem and not the person. Strategy for Delivering a Great Customer/Client Experience Aim for customer satisfaction, not just service delivery. Create a clear customer experience vision. Quickly study and understand the emotional state of your customer/client. Create an emotional connection with your customers/clients. Capture customer feedback in real-time. Use a quality framework for development of your team. Act upon regular employee feedback. Temidayo Babatunde is a public relations professional and can be reached through [email protected]

Why You Should Maintain Online Digital Etiquette

January 15, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

book etiquette manners emily post 2752591

Maintaining online digital etiquette is crucial in this day and age. TRW Consult writer tells us exactly why we should – and how we can do so. Understanding Digital Interaction The connective power of digital technology provides a guide for people to effectively navigate globally interconnected digital spaces in ethical and respectful ways. Digital technologies offer wonderful possibilities for people who can navigate online efficiently, communicate with people respectfully and access information responsibly. In a global digital age, members are expected to act according to norms and rules of interaction online in order to have a civil interaction. Ethics of Messaging and Commenting When you are interacting with others online, there are some commonly accepted rules for respectful communication known as digital etiquette. Digital etiquette is about remembering to humanize the person behind the keyboard and across the screen. It’s about being socially responsible and showing empathy and kindness. While this may sound obvious, it is not uncommon for people to forget that there is a human behind every comment or post on the web when they communicate. In order to maintain civil etiquette, ensure to reply as quickly as you can to sincere messages that are meant for your attention and which require your response. Give every message the required attention regardless of who sends them and irrespective of how it is coined. You need to respond with civility. You can use necessary and respectful ‘emojis’ if you cannot type a response immediately. Cultivating a wholesome habit of responding to messages as and when due says a lot about your person. If you didn’t need reactions in the first place, you probably wouldn’t have sent out the message. Also, the comments section on a video, post or blog is a space for people to exchange information, resources, ideas and feelings. It is a place for them to ask and respond to questions. If not for the comment section, the web would not have been a vibrant space. Guides to Writing a Quality Comment Add new factual information with little fun Make a connection with the writer Proofread your comment by dotting the I’s and crossing your T’s Compliment the writer in a specific way End with a relevant question; this will give your comment a better chance of getting attention and reactions. Digital Footprints and Digital Identity You should be professional and respectful online because every time you connect to the Internet, you leave a trail of data referred to as ‘Digital Footprint’. A passive digital footprint is a data trail you unintentionally left online, for example your browsing history. An ‘active digital footprint’ includes data that is intentionally submitted online for posts and uploads. The collection of our active footprints, including writings, audio, video content, messages, comments and sign-in details, are searchable. The reflection of this data as it appears to others is called ‘Digital Identity’. Therefore, digital identity is also your digital reputation as it influences how you are perceived based on your online activities. It is important to create a positive digital identity because it: assists in the exchange of ideas and resources positively influences recruitment and admission creates fruitful personal and professional relationships makes an impact on a cause provides powerful learning opportunities While we aim to be 21st-century global citizens, we should always have it at the back of our mind that interaction in the digital space at any point in time is searchable. A digital footprint is searchable in the sense that anyone can search and still gets the information we posted even if it has been deleted at the backend of a website. Therefore, always think before you contribute or share sensitive and personal information online. Need help with maintaining a positive online reputation? Let us help you. Temidayo Babatunde is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management (CIISM) and can be reached via [email protected].

How to Be An Effective Digital Citizen

January 13, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

The digital space is a virtual community, but are you a good citizen of it? Citizenship confers special status on those that are qualified. It separates them from aliens, allowing them to fully associate with the aspirations and objectives of the community in question. A citizen enjoys the full privileges and benefits of their environment if they operate within the existing system as a bonafide member by abiding by the relationship standards. Some of the privileges you can enjoy as an effective citizen of a space include protection, security, rights and liberties that make it possible for you to fully express yourself. You will have the right to relate with other humans in the community and also fully utilise the opportunities of the space without putting yourself at risk. Old and young people today are growing up surrounded by technology but are often not very skilled at making good use of it. Although some people are comfortable using technology, they may use it inappropriately and may be unaware of how to harness the power and potential of technology to pursue their passions and contribute to their community. Based on this background, this write-up provides clues on how to build skills and the confidence to communicate with people respectively and responsibly in the digital space. Elements of Digital Citizenship A scholar of emerging media, Mike Ribble, in 2015 named three elements of a good digital citizen. He also provided nine sub-elements as key indicators of an effective player in the digital space. The elements are as below: Respect yourself and others by: Observing digital etiquette in conducting yourself with orderliness and appropriateness online while avoiding tardiness Observing digital laws against damaging, stealing, phishing, poking others in the digital space Observing digital access of equal chance to available technology, since accessible technology involves finding alternative means by way of individual skill Educate yourself and connect with others by: Observing digital literacy of knowing the capability of using digital technology and knowing when/how to use it Observing digital technology of selecting appropriate options for communication Observing digital commerce for effective and informed consumers in a digital economy Protect yourself and others by: Observing digital health and wellness of understanding physical and psychological health, balance between the online and real world Observing digital rights and responsibilities of knowing about privacy, freedom of speech, ethics and empathy in the digital space Observing digital security of protecting information and devices from malware, phishing, spam messages, keylogger, data or copyright theft Your digital footprint online is permanent and important. Permanent in the sense that it can be accessed. Your uploaded content might have been downloaded, screenshot, copied, or saved immediately you posted it by an end-user on a computer, phone, drive or cloud which could be recalled at any time. It also creates activities and forms your personality. So, while it is impulsive to want to break a news, it is also critical to restrain yourself by using the SIFT formular (Stop, Investigate, Find and Trace) method in order not to promote fear amongst your followers or other internet users by focusing only on the negative. Active and vibrant participation in the digital space opens up opportunities, connections and learning in the connected world. Being able to use digital technology has become an important function in our community and it is rapidly changing the way we interact. Digital technologies offer wonderful possibilities for people who can navigate online efficiently, communicate with people respectfully and access information responsibly. These online practices are part of what is known as Digital Citizenship. TemiDayo Babatunde is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management (CIISM). He can be reached via his LinkedIn ([email protected]).

From Hobbies to Personal Effectiveness

January 13, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

Transforming Positive Habits and Hobbies into Learning Power Learning is the process we go through to acquire new knowledge, skills, attitudes or values. We tend to think of learning only in relation to formal study but we are learning all the time through our experiences. Understanding how we learn is a critical building block to personal effectiveness. Everyone is different and some of us appear more effective at learning than others. Curiosity contributes alot to learning by making sense of trial and error, determination and learning from experience. We sometimes forget about some apparently ‘unconscious’ aspects of learning process. Understanding our hidden skills will help us to be a more effective learner in all aspects of our life. Positive habits and hobbies that we formed have the ability to lead our actions into efficiency and can help our learning power domain to exploring beyond the simple styles of doing things which we have mastered overtime. Habits and hobbies here focus on a broad range of behaviours, beliefs and preferences of the ways we learn in different situations, like, how we respond to new tasks, information, ideas and people. By responding to actuality against planned activities, we present ourselves positively to others and we show sensitivity to their needs by unconsciously obtaining their commitment. The following are real life simulations which we carry out daily without knowing their full import on our personal effectiveness and impact on others. Real-Life Experiences If we love keeping and grooming pets – it portrays us: As someone who shows interest in others welfare, we care! As a time-keeper, As punctual in meeting up with schedules and shifts, As humane, empathic and tender in relationship. If we have ears for news, love watching documentaries, love memoirs or history – it shows we are: A curious person, Willing to learn new skills, Methodical in resolving issues, Analytical in approach, Logical from the beginning to an end of a task, Deploying different techniques in arriving at result. If we love to cook especially for multitudes – it may imply that we: Could organize and prioritize our preparation and can keep to plan, Are willing to do things for other people, Could stick to a plan or a set of instructions, Pay attention to minute and detailed manual, Could be time conscious. If we are always regular and punctual in keeping appointments – this shows that we: Could use a diary to remind and organize ourselves of important dates and times, Could stay motivated, even in the face of challenges, Could stick to a laid down plan and act on information or instruction in a timely manner. By participating in entertainments and games, particularly team sports – it shows that we: Could play a defined role within a team work, Could listen to instructions and advice from a team lead, Could understand the importance of practicing and preparing before commencement of tasks, Are alert and ready at a short notice, Would enjoy celebrating team’s success and accomplishment, Understand that a good team relies on all the members working together, Believe in strategic planning. If we tend to garden – this shows that we: Could work constructively on our own, Are creative and could use our imagination, Could look after tools and equipment that we work with, Could take time out and reflect positively on things that are happening around us, Are meek, tender and patience, Are Hands-On and a practical person. If we have been mobilizing our community – it shows: We have leadership ability in us, We could co-ordinate plans and people, People around us trust us with responsibility for tangible results, We are a rallying point, We are opinion moulders. If we are living with other people amicably – it is likely we: Could work within stipulated ground rules, Have skills such as negotiation in order to help relationship work well, Could cope with challenging behaviour and not lose our cool, Could show consideration and respect for other people, Could speak up on behalf of others less able to do so themselves. If we travel around quite a lot, perhaps with a small group of people – this could mean: Ability to coping with many changes and adapt to them especially in new environments, Ability to working within a system that was new to us, Ability to use a diary or other method of reminding ourself of important dates and times, Ability to sticking to a plan and act on others advice. Personal Effectiveness of Self on Others in a Work Place Personal effectiveness describes how our behaviour impact and influence people around us. We exert this influence in the way we communicate and interact. Underpinning this communication and interaction are the things that are going on in our bodies, hearts and minds. The need for personal effectiveness applies in our daily social interaction with people we relate with at all levels in the society especially in a work place, whereas staff can exercise discretion in their work. The need for personal effectiveness applies to many jobs in any particular organisational level. It is a life skill set transferable between job roles, which can be acquired through practice. Impediments to Personal Effectiveness In order to know what is right to do, we need clarity. It is clarity of purpose that allows us to figure out what is truly important. The biggest enemy to clarity of purpose is noise. Noises are impediments and distractions like procrastination, lack of self confidence, running away from responsibility, fear of failure, low self-esteem, failure in taking initiatives and taking no actual action. Way Forward Knowing what is right to do is just half the question. It is useless to know what we are supposed to do if we do not actually do them. To do what is right, we need to overcome distractions to do otherwise. All distractions can be summarized as short-term pleasures. So, the action we need to take is ignoring short-term pleasures. Since the things we are supposed … Read more

The Best Way to Meet Customer Expectations

January 12, 2024January 12, 2024 by Luqman 'Dayo Babatunde

The more you know and understand the background and behaviour of your audience and their needs, the better you can prepare your approach to dealing with them. Human behaviour is a function of the environment in which the individual finds himself. In business, striving to have our customers’ background information can help us identify their needs, concerns and inquiries. Our competency in establishing this knowledge will be enhanced through effective communication skills, empathy/emotional stability and efficiency in handling difficult situations and customers. Customer service attitude is beyond initiating greeting and smiling to a customer. A satisfactory skill set must be attained to be an effective customer service representative that is meeting up with customer expectations. Gaining, retaining and maintaining customers in a friendly working relationship, while at the same time maintaining a business-like relationship which brings about loyalty on the side of the customer, is a necessary skill needed by salesmen, brands and service providers who aim to control and dominate a market. Who is a Customer? Customers are the people that patronize us in our business and who go away with a positive impression of our firm. A customer may pay for our goods and services but must achieve satisfaction for their expenses. The success of the four essences of marketing, i.e. product, promotion, price and place, is based on the continuous patronage of the customer. A business is dependent on the customer. Therefore, an effective customer service campaign is brought on by delivering service excellence. It is the quality delivery of output. Customer expectations for patronage range from customer to customer, but on a general note, every customer requires the following: Some Customer Expectations To be given awesome service because many are more likely to give a repeated business or referral after a good service experience. Likewise, many customers may stop doing business with a company due to poor customer service experience and failure to resolve their problems in a timely manner. Most customers make purchasing decisions as a result of the influence of visual factors in our workplace, website, staff appearance and approach. Many make judgments about a firm’s credibility based on these factors. Customers like it when you underpromise but deliver beyond expectation. However, reverse expectation is expected if it is otherwise. Sustaining valuable content and brands and presenting new ideas for customers enhance their experience. Consistency in driving and maintaining professional core values will be a measure of loyalty. Measuring satisfaction on customer journeys is more predictive of overall customer satisfaction than measuring happiness through each individual interaction. Pay a lot of attention to the few customers who may have complaints or observations because for every one complaint you get, there are more unhappy customers who have remained silent. Investing in a feedback mechanism is crucial. In this case, on-the-spot attention in resolving customer wants is advisable above the drop-box comment technique. Steady availability on speed dial paid or toll-free lines for making home delivery requests will draw your customers to you. Rewarding loyal customers through socially responsible perks will likely increase the volume of goods and services sold. Loyal customers are more likely to recommend a product, service or brand. Quality customer service forms the basis of the customer experience. Most customers’ main interaction with a business is through interacting with a business’ employee, either by visiting a store or by speaking on the phone. In essence, the company representative has the opportunity to deliver excellent customer service and thus create a great customer experience through proper motivation. If you take care of your employees, they will in turn take care of the customers. TemiDayo Babatunde is an Associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and can be reached via his LinkedIn ([email protected]).