Psychological Hacks To Better Listen And Connect With Customers

Brands are looking for ways to better connect with their customers, and there are a ton of different methods that companies use to do this. But if you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your customer relationship management efforts, it can pay off to dig into consumer psychology and try to understand what makes people tick.

When it comes down to knowing how your customers think and respond, there’s a good chance they’ll be more likely to buy from you or remain loyal if they get something out of the relationship whether that’s help in solving an issue or even just feeling heard by a company representative who took the time to help them out.

100+ Psychological Tricks to Make People Agree With You

Takeaways
Actively listen to customers and show genuine interest in their needs and concerns.
Use nonverbal cues, such as nodding and maintaining eye contact, to convey attentiveness.
Practice empathy and try to understand customers’ perspectives and emotions.
Personalize interactions by addressing customers by name and referencing previous conversations.
Employ mirroring techniques to establish rapport and build trust with customers.
Leverage social proof by sharing positive testimonials or reviews from satisfied customers.
Implement reciprocity by offering value or incentives to customers to foster a sense of gratitude.
Use persuasive language and framing techniques to influence customer perceptions and decisions.
Anticipate and proactively address customer objections or concerns to alleviate potential barriers.
Foster a positive and welcoming atmosphere to create a comfortable space for customers to share their thoughts.
Demonstrate competence and expertise in your field to inspire confidence and credibility.
Provide prompt and efficient customer support to enhance the overall customer experience.
Continuously seek feedback from customers and use it to improve your products or services.

Table of Contents

1. Use The Magic Ratio

We’ve all been there: your customer has just shared a disappointment or grievance with you, and now they’re looking to you for a response. In this situation, it’s crucial that you listen more than you speak in order to maintain an empathetic rapport.

But if we have an immediate inclination to respond right away, how can we make sure we’re not doing most of the talking? In his bestselling book, The Fine Art of Small Talk: How To Start A Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills and Leave A Positive Impression! (2005).

Communications expert Debra Fine suggests using a ratio of two positive statements from us for every one statement from our customer. She calls this “the magic ratio.

In the context of customer service conversations, the magic ratio can help us maintain trust and empathy with our customers. For example:

Customer says: “I was distraught last time when my order didn’t ship on time.”

You say: “I’m so sorry about that.” (Magic ratio 1)

The customer says: “It seemed like no one could help me get my shipment out.

You say: “That must have been frustrating.” (Magic ratio 1; Magic ratio total 2/Customer’s words total 1.)

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2. Offer A Choice Between Two Similar Alternatives That Both Benefit You

In this method, the seller pretends to go along with the buyer’s wishes and presents two options, one of which is inescapably more beneficial for them. Say, for example, you want to buy an item from a store but don’t have enough money at the moment. The retailer could convince you by saying it’s possible to buy now or pay later.

He then suggests that if you don’t have enough cash on hand, your alternative would be to pay through installment plans; and he would offer several payment schemes each with their interest rates to pick from.

In essence, though the buyer thinks they’re getting a choice between buying or not buying an item, they’re actually being forced into paying through installments because they don’t have enough cash upfront. Obviously, this strategy works only when both alternatives presented are favorable to the seller (and not when one of them is “pay in full”).

3. Summarize What You Hear Before Speaking

Paraphrasing and summarizing are great ways to show you understand and are paying attention. By repeating back what the customer said, you confirm that you are on the right track to solving their needs.

But don’t just repeat the last few words they said. Repeat exactly what they said. For example:

“I really need a new pair of shoes because I dropped my old ones in a vat of acid,” the customer says. You say, “So let me make sure I understand your old shoes fell into some sort of chemical solution?”

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4. Use The Customer’s Own Words When Possible

Using customers’ own words is a great way to build rapport and show that you understand their needs. It also helps them feel more comfortable discussing the topic, which makes them more likely to share more information.

When they’re talking about their product needs, note the language and words they use when describing what they’re looking for. Do they say “product” or “solution?” Do they talk about products as “equipment” or “tools?” Do they say “enhance productivity” or “save money?” Record these key phrases in your notes so you can use them later when discussing the solution with others.

5. Pay Attention To Nonverbal Cues

Next time you are engaging in a conversation, whether it is in person or over the phone, take some time to observe the nonverbal cues from yourself and your customers. Your facial expression, tone of voice, posture, and body language can all tell stories about whether or not you are engaged and so can theirs.

The next time someone calls your business with a question and you find yourself having that same old tired conversation for the thousandth time try something different. Put on a genuine smile that reaches your eyes and listen carefully to what they have to say.

You might be surprised by how much more positively they respond to your traditional advice when it sounds like you really care!

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6. Give Feedback Using The Customer’s Own Word Choice

One of the best ways to connect with a customer is to use the same words and phrases they used to describe their problem. This helps you understand what’s important to them, and also helps them feel understood.

If someone is telling you that they’re “kind of frustrated” with your product (or using any other word or phrase), try repeating back whatever they said, like this:

That’s understandable I can see why you’re frustrated. We hear this a lot from customers, but we don’t want anyone to be left feeling frustrated by our product.

7. Use The Phrase “If You Had To” Instead Of “Why” Questions In Interviews

Instead of asking customers “why” they did something, try asking them “if you had to.”

Asking someone why they did something can put them on the defensive. It’s a confrontational question that pushes people to explain their actions and can make them feel bad.

However, asking someone if they had to do X and talking about their thought process is less intimidating and helps you understand what made them come to a decision instead of just hearing their answer.

Here are some examples:

Why questions: Why did you like this feature? Why didn’t you use our site? Why didn’t you buy from us? Why do you think that happened?

If you had two questions: If you had to choose only one, which feature would it be? If you had to pick one reason why our site wasn’t helpful, what would it be? If you were an executive at our company, how would you address this problem?

8. When Delivering Bad News, Emphasize Empathy And Compassion-First

It’s inevitable that sometimes, the conversations we have with customers will turn into something negative. It can happen to anybody, anywhere in the world. For example, one day a customer visits your office and wants to sign up for your services (said service is a stock market crash research service).

The same goes for telling somebody you got a job transfer to somewhere else: there’s no way around it; sometimes lousy news needs to be delivered. What matters then is how you do it.

Keeping empathy and compassion at the forefront of mind when delivering bad news makes an impact on how they feel about what you say next. For this reason, practice these psychological hacks:

Don’t always say “I’m sorry”

There are times when it might be appropriate to apologize for something like not being able to make it in time for a meeting or flight departure, but in most situations, people don’t need an apology every time they hear some unpleasant information from us (i.e., we have to tell them something bad).

Don’t just repeat the information we told them

Let’s get specific: if you’re talking about a stock market crash that occurred three days ago, repeating exactly what you said three days ago does not provide any benefit at all (unless maybe one of those other speakers was really fast at sharing information).

The best thing you can do is provide context meaning transition from what actually happened with your last sentence following the bad news by sharing how long it took until things were brought back up again before they finally bottomed out. 3) Emphasize empathy and compassion first

Those two adjectives should be our first words after delivering any kind of information giving people Bad News as in our regular conversations with customers that could go sour. By starting with these two words, our customers will feel more sympathetic towards what we’re talking about and thus are more likely to react accordingly once their feelings are put into perspective by us

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9. Provide A Script In Your Message

A script provides structure to conversations, allowing you to easily find the right words in any situation.

Use a script when someone asks you a question that you don’t know how to answer, or if you need help remembering key points.

For instance, let’s say your boss asks you “What’s our strategy for online advertising?” and you’re not sure where to begin answering. By following an outline or script with the information you do have, it won’t be difficult to fill in the gaps later.

Maybe start by listing all the channels where your company already advertises then assume that he/she meant something specific about one of those channels, and proceed from there.

Provide an example of a script: “We advertise on Twitter because we want to reach new customers who are active users of Twitter”

10. Get People To Like You By Asking Them To Do Something Easy First

Email: Send an email to your customer and ask them if they have time to talk on the phone.

Phone: Ask your customer if they have time to talk

In-person: Ask the person where you can find the product, and once they tell you where it is, move on to what you wanted to talk about (how are their kids? )

On a web form: Ask them for their email address as part of a signup process, and then contact them there with further questions

11. Close Your Body Off If You Want Someone To Listen With More Attention, Even If It Goes Against Your Instincts

You may feel that you need to “open up” your body language in order to connect with others and put them at ease. But it’s often better especially when trying to listen more intently to close your body off a little bit, in mild but unmistakable ways.

Even if it goes against your instincts, try folding your arms, leaning back into a chair, putting your head down on the table (but not too far), looking away from the person for a few seconds, or even using something like an object or pen as a makeshift barrier, albeit one that doesn’t actually block anyone from view.

In many cases, these small actions send the message that you’re engaged and focused on what they’re saying.

As is so often the case with body language tips, there are some contradictory ones here. For instance: closing off can make you appear less engaged and attentive at times! Keep this in mind when considering how best to apply these ideas you may find it useful to experiment with different techniques until you discover what works best for you and your goals.

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12. Create A Visual Cue That Reminds Customers Of Who You Are And How You Help Them

Creating a visual cue that reminds your customers of who you are and how you help them is a powerful way to make them feel understood. By using some type of reminder, you can ensure that your company name, logo, or mascot comes to mind when they need the services you provide.

You can integrate this reminder into other parts of your customer service process by placing it at a spot where customers will see it. For example, if you own dry cleaning business and use plastic bags to transport clothes back and forth between customers’ homes and your store, print your logo on those bags as a visual cue that helps people remember your name when they need dry cleaning services in the future.

13. Make Sure The Moment Feels Like A Special One By Filling It With Surprise And Delight

We love when little surprises arrive in the mail or a company really took the time to remember our name on their receipts.

You can make any customer feel important by incorporating surprise and delight into their experience. The goal is to make that moment feel special, so they’ll keep coming back for more! Try these ideas:

Give your customer a gift. It doesn’t have to be something expensive it could be a coupon for 10% off their next purchase or even just a snack! A nice gesture goes a long way.

Address them by name. If you call them by name, you’re showing that you know who they are and that in turn makes them feel like an important part of your business (which they are!). Plus, it’s just good manners…how many times do we forget people’s names?

Final Thought

To sum up, building a stronger connection with your customers is just like building a stronger connection with anyone else: it’s all about being present, supporting them in their goals, and helping them feel they are a part of something bigger.

The more you can grasp that and be that when you interact with your target market, the stronger the connection will be between you two.

While bringing you closer to your customers may seem like a good thing, the truth of the matter is that too much closeness can actually be bad for business.

The content you write and share with potential customers should make them want to know more about you, but not so much that they feel like they already know everything or are being pressured into doing business with you. It’s about striking the balance between creating a genuine connection and turning off potential consumers by coming on too strong.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Customer-Centricity And Customer Obsession?

Customer-centric companies are defined by their ability to treat customers as individuals, not market segments. In other words, they focus on building relationships instead of transactions. The best way to achieve that is by being customer-obsessed: devoting all of your company’s energies towards understanding and fulfilling their unique needs.

Why Is It Important To Listen To Your Customers?

Listening to your customers’ needs is a great way to improve customer relationships while also boosting long-term sales. When you listen well, you learn what customers are looking for and where you can better fulfill their needs.

Ideally, this leads not only to increased sales conversion but also stronger loyalty; when customers feel heard, they will want to stick with you over time because they know that their voices matter in the relationship.

What are some effective psychology tricks for improving customer satisfaction?

Understanding customer psychology can help improve customer satisfaction. Some effective tricks include actively listening to customers, personalizing interactions, and using social proof to build trust.

How can I apply customer service psychology in my business?

To apply customer service psychology, you can train your employees to empathize with customers, utilize positive language, and offer personalized solutions. Building strong customer relationships based on understanding their psychology is key.

What role does psychology play in business growth?

Psychology plays a significant role in business growth as it helps businesses understand consumer behavior, make informed marketing decisions, and tailor products or services to meet customers’ needs and desires.

How can psychological hacks enhance my business strategy?

Psychological hacks can enhance your business strategy by influencing customer behavior, optimizing marketing campaigns, and improving customer engagement. They tap into the subconscious triggers that drive decision-making.

Are there any ethical considerations when using psychological hacks in business?

While using psychological hacks, it is essential to uphold ethical standards and ensure that customers’ well-being and autonomy are respected. Transparency, honesty, and a focus on providing genuine value should guide the application of psychological techniques in business.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.

13 Psychological Hacks To Better Listen And Connect With Customers