PosiTalk is Smart Talk

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"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." -Theodore Roosevelt

If business is war, words with negative connotations are the deadliest incendiary devices for quickly deteriorating a company's bottom line. Using negative words like can't, won't, don't etc. are claymore mines for impeding the development of trusted relationships. The core foundation of profitibility is built on developing long term relationships, one person at a time. So every conversation becomes an opportunity to get the word out about your company with vendors, partners, business associates and people outside.

According to customer loyalty management firm, Walker Information "It costs more to find new customers than to retain existing ones. It's an old cliché, but there's no disputing reams of research showing positive customer relationships are critical. Taking measures to proactively build customer loyalty - along with satisfaction - will help mine an existing customer base for future business."

My experience in staff training, while building and managing helpdesks, has taught me a thing or two about the powerful affect of positalk. The situational squelch button works best by incepting positalk into a conversation. Positalk improves customer service, client rentention and loyal relationships for the long term. It costs nothing to implement a positalk program in everyday conversation. It just takes a little practice.

Taking a snippet from my interactive "High Touch for High Impact Relationships Workshop", here are a few suggestions for quickly implementing a positalk progam in daily conversation.

Practice replacing:

We can't do that with here's how we can handle this . . .

We have a problem with we have a situation

It's not my job with maybe xyz department [or name a go to person] can help resolve this

I don't know what to tell you with let me do some research to see who can help you

You can't do that with can I suggest this approach?

It doesn't work that way with have you considered this?

That's not our policy with let me speak to someone to see what can be done

Please hold with can I place you on hold?

That's not my problem with here's how we can handle this situation . . .

Positalk emphasizes caring and concern for each individual on the other side of the phone or conversation. That builds trusted relationships. Use or modify what works for you. Discard the rest.