How to receive customers

How to receive customers

Business etiquette reception is the most basic and important link in business interactions. Whether customers can get together in a conversation also has a big impact on receiving customers. Below is the content I collected on how to receive customers. Let’s take a look!

How to receive customers

1. Business outdoor reception

1. Reception preparation

For those who come Foreign and out-of-town guests who visit, negotiate business, or attend meetings should first understand the train number and flight of the other party's arrival, and arrange for personnel with the same identity and position as the guest to greet them. If for some reason the host of the corresponding status cannot go, the host who goes to greet the guest should give a polite explanation to the guest.

2. Timely reception

When the host goes to the station or airport to greet the guests, he should arrive in advance and wait for the guests. He must not be late and keep the guests waiting. When guests see someone coming to greet them, they must feel very happy. If the greeting is late, it will definitely leave a shadow on the guests' hearts. No matter how you explain it afterwards, you can't eliminate this impression of dereliction of duty and breach of trust.

3. Reception Etiquette

After receiving the guests, you should first say hello about your hard work along the way, welcome to our beautiful city, welcome to our company, etc. Then introduce yourself to the other party and give it to the other party if you have a business card.

Pay attention to the etiquette of giving business cards: when you exchange business cards with elders and venerables, hand them over with both hands, lean forward slightly, and say please take care of them. When you want to get the other person's business card, you can use a requesting tone and say: If it is convenient for you, can you leave a business card for me?

As the person who receives the business card, you should read it carefully after taking it with both hands. Never put it into your pocket without looking at it, and do not throw it on the table.

4. Transportation arrangements

When welcoming guests, transportation should be prepared for the guests in advance. Do not wait until the guests arrive to prepare transportation in a hurry, which will make the guests wait for a long time. And something went wrong.

5. Schedule

The host should prepare the accommodation for the guest in advance, help the guest go through all the procedures and lead the guest into the room, and at the same time introduce the services and facilities of the residence to the guest. Hand over the activity plan and schedule to the guests, and give the guests prepared maps or tourist maps, places of interest and other introduction materials.

After sending the guest to the residence, the host should not leave immediately. He should stay with the guest for a while and have a warm conversation. The content of the conversation should satisfy the guest, such as the background material of the guest’s participation in the activities, local customs, Distinctive natural landscapes, special products, prices, etc. Considering that the guests are tired from the journey, the host should not stay for a long time and let the guests rest early. When breaking up, tell the guest the time, place, method, etc. of the next contact.

2. Business indoor reception

When receiving indoors, you should mainly pay attention to the following points:

1. When the person in charge that the guest is looking for is not available, you should Clearly tell the other party where the person in charge has been and when he will return to the unit. Please leave your phone number and address, and make it clear whether the guest will come to the unit again, or whether our person in charge will go to the other unit.

2. When the guest arrives, our person in charge cannot receive him immediately due to various reasons. He must explain the reason and waiting time to the guest. If the guest is willing to wait, he should provide the guest with drinks and magazines. If possible, Drinks should be changed for guests from time to time.

3. The reception staff should have correct guidance methods and postures when leading guests to their destination.

Guidance method in the corridor: The reception staff should follow the pace two or three steps before the guest and let the guest walk on the inside.

Guidance method on the stairs: When guiding guests up the stairs, the guests should walk in front and the reception staff should walk behind. When going downstairs, the reception staff should walk in front and the guests behind. Reception staff should pay attention to guests' safety when going up and down stairs.

In the elevator guidance method: when guiding guests to take the elevator, the receptionist enters the elevator first, waits for the guest to enter and then closes the elevator door. When arriving, the receptionist presses the open button to let the guest get out of the elevator first.

Guidance method in the living room: When a guest enters the living room, the receptionist uses hand instructions to ask the guest to sit down. Only when he sees the guest sitting down can he nod and leave. If a guest sits in the wrong seat, the guest should be asked to sit in the upper seat (usually the one closest to the door is the lower seat).

4. Serve tea sincerely. Chinese people are accustomed to entertaining guests with tea. When entertaining distinguished guests, the tea sets should be particularly particular. There are many rules for pouring tea and there are also many things to pay attention to when passing tea.

How to receive foreign customers

1. Before the customer visits

Understanding the customer, for example, the customer’s company background, strength, operating status, and business operations Scope, purpose of visit, what products are you mainly interested in, age, education and hobbies, and what are your excitement about product orders.

Try to understand these as much as possible. You can find some basic information about customers on some wikis and social platforms. A big customer is likely to learn about his company on LinkedIn, and even the entire company's employees will be in their LinkedIn circle.

Proactively ask if you need help booking a hotel, and make sure you know the number of people and the room type. Plan the process for customer visits in advance.

Meeting room arrangement: preparation of materials and corporate presentations to show the strength of your company, including corporate competitive advantages, market analysis, and performance in previous years. Clear organizational chart, customer service process, complaint channels and handling.

2. Confirm the visit details with the customer,

For example:

For customers who have made a reservation, the lights in the exhibition hall must be turned on 3 minutes in advance. .

Turn on the air conditioner in the exhibition hall at least 10 minutes in advance to cool down.

Beverages can provide customers with tea and coffee choices, and take drinks from the refrigerator to entertain customers.

Use porcelain cups when making tea or coffee for customers, and try to avoid using disposable cups.

Every department of a major customer should know that you can have an English sign for the reception to let customers feel your attention to details. When a customer first arrives, the supervisor of each department must meet SAY HI.

When we finally left, we came out to take a group photo and send it to the client. Perhaps some chance between the client and a certain supervisor was a new link between us and this client.

Arrange drivers and personnel to pick you up from the airport. Plan where to go and what to do after pick-up. If possible, it is best to pick it up in person, so that the customer will feel that you value him. Customer reception starts from the moment the customer gets off the plane. The more careful and considerate you are, the better. This is better than saying your product is useful.

Especially customers from Southeast Asia and South America, customers from different regions, pay attention to respect their habits, do not ask them based on our working hours, let them set a pick-up time, customers in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia are more punctual , South Asia, and the Middle East are slightly worse, so be prepared for delays.

After receiving it, on the way, I asked the customer about their trip to China (understanding the competitors), about the itinerary in this city (the customer’s sightseeing and shopping preferences outside of work), and about their favorite cuisine (preparation place to order lunch). These questions should be completed in a short period of time, be relaxed, pay attention to the rhythm, and do not make the customer feel like he is being questioned.

3. Reception is no different from accommodation, food and transportation.

Accommodation: Large customers and large companies generally stay in well-known international chain hotels. They usually book them themselves. You only need to tell which one is closest to your company. If the customer is small, or your city is small, you can introduce it to him. Generally, it is better to book within half an hour's drive from the company. If you can't meet at the scheduled time, you should try your best to contact him and tell him that he will be late. How long will it take for you to arrive? Generally, half an hour before the agreed time, that is, before you set off, call the customer to confirm the pick-up time, otherwise you are likely to have a headache for parking downstairs in the hotel.

On one side, the boss is waiting, and on the other side, the customer is delaying. What should you do? Both sides should talk slowly, don’t be anxious, and especially don’t have the mood to complain about the customer. On the contrary, relax. Don't have the mood to complain about your customers, think more about your customers, put yourself in their shoes, and you will win unexpected gains.

Food: Before ordering food, pay attention to the customer’s religious beliefs. Pay attention to some dietary taboos. Remember to book a room for lunch. European and American customers generally don’t need to be too ostentatious and don’t need lunch. They want to finish business efficiently. Generally, nothing much comes of the conversation by noon, and if the conversation continues in the afternoon, it is recommended that lunch should be handled in a clean and quick way, which is good for both parties, and no drinking. Some bosses like to eat well and drink well in the Chinese way, but some The client doesn't accept it, and the client likes to have a drink after the conversation is completely finished. If it is during an exhibition and customers from all over the world come, discuss in advance which boss will accompany you.

OK: Ask the customer about their itinerary, see if they need help, and introduce local attractions. Before eating, it is best to send the client back to the hotel to REFRESH and then pick him up. The boss also needs time, and maybe he needs to go back and change clothes. Of course, it depends on the specific situation. Generally, the bigger the client, the more comfortable he will feel.

To put it simply, we can just treat ourselves as friends and relatives outside the negotiation table. The cost of coming all the way is higher than ours, and they have high expectations and even dependence on us, so the reception is not enough. Well, just push this dependency onto your opponent.

4. The content of the negotiation when receiving customers:

The talks are nothing more than products, prices, agency rights, and after-sales. These are all things that your boss has to decide, or you guide the boss. When it comes to decisions, don’t show too much bias towards your customers or your company during the negotiation, and try to be as peaceful as possible.

The more stable you are, the more your customers will rely on you, and the more your boss will appreciate you. Stability is not silence and dullness, it is stability that is shown after you have already thought about it in your heart. Previous communication with the boss is very important. The bottom line of the negotiation conditions must be agreed in advance. If it is exceeded, taking a break for coffee or going to the bathroom is a re-opening of the relationship with the boss. Don’t disagree with your boss or colleagues in front of clients on agreed-upon opportunities.

Encourage the boss to come out during the negotiation. Even if it is not the whole process, if you improve the atmosphere, the boss will be extra supportive of you or your customers. In this way, customers will feel valued, and you can ask the boss to answer some decisive questions on the spot.

In addition to talking about orders, you can also talk about travel. Try to get close to the customer. The more you talk about the topic, the closer you will become, and it will be easier to discuss business. Chatting about business is actually based on having a relationship with the customer. One boss even tried to study football that he didn't like in order to chat with an Italian customer. The outcome of the negotiation will make you, your client, and even your boss feel different.

Girls should smile more, boys should be more serious. Male clients should talk to women, and female clients should talk to men. If a couple comes, remember to be sensible. If a superior comes, pay attention to priorities. We still need to pay attention to all aspects of our dress and conversation. Sometimes our domestic companies don't pay much attention to these things, but foreigners pay more attention to them.

Some salesmen may feel that their factory is small, just over 1,000 square meters, and their exhibition hall is not big enough, and they worry that it does not look professional enough. In fact, sometimes, don’t have no confidence in yourself just because the factory is small. Visiting the factory is only something that must be done in the customer's work diary. In many cases, the most important thing is to talk. Find out what differentiates you from other competitors and what your advantages are. Customers from European countries love cleanliness and are very particular about hygiene, especially those from Germany. Therefore, it is best to keep the hygienic environment of the factory's production workshop clean.

5. Regarding the cost of the customer’s visit:

Generally, the customer pays the room fee for the customer’s visit, and his company has a budget for this. Some children's shoes have encountered Russian customers coming over, and they regarded the situation as bribery. When clients come, some fruits can be prepared in the conference room. When customers come to visit, we are only responsible for treating them to meals.

Generally speaking: when receiving, be relaxed and moderate, neither humble nor overbearing, focus on the key points, and stop when you hit the point. It is more important to pay attention to the subsequent follow-up.

The first impression largely determines the future pattern. Prepare what you want to talk about before the customer visits, and that's basically it. Pay a little attention to etiquette. If the customer is not particularly idle, he shouldn't be too entangled in these small things. The focus is on work. After all, time is limited. My feeling is this. Many customers are very busy and don’t have time to eat. We rarely give gifts to customers, and some customers have company regulations that prohibit accepting gifts. Once I helped a client buy a mobile phone, but the client still paid part of the money.

6. When the customer is leaving: You can give some small gifts, if you can give them small gifts with the company logo printed on them, or tea, silk, embroidery, handicrafts, etc. Many customers like these beautiful things from China. .

7. After the customer returns to China: Write a thank-you letter to express gratitude: first, greetings, and second, send the understanding and meeting points reached by both parties during this visit to the customer to facilitate the order.

8. Some things to note when receiving (For female sales)

When receiving, be relaxed and moderate, neither humble nor overbearing, highlight the key points, and stop when you hit the point. It is more important to pay attention to follow-up later. When meeting with clients, be sure to dress appropriately and not overdress.

When you encounter a customer with a different purpose: Just smile and look into his eyes. You should smile gently but have serious eyes.

9. Characteristics or habits of customers from several countries that we have received

Australian and New Zealand markets: It is said that they are not big. If you visit at home, I heard that the effect is quite good. Russia: Most people do not understand English and cannot use English well. Africa: It is best to use TT for payment, otherwise use credit guarantee. Dubai: T/T is available. Indonesia: Does not eat pork, likes badminton, likes to travel in China, buys counterfeit famous brands, and likes to eat fried chicken and fish

India: Customer prices are relatively bad, and many Indian buyers keep an eye on the exchange rate every day. Only exchange currency for payment when it is appropriate. Indians will go to great lengths to get a low price, and they will even do whatever it takes, but the order volume they give you is still considerable. Generally, they can agree to limit the price based on quantity, but they basically cannot fulfill it to the end. It's considered good if it can perform 60-70. But India is indeed rising and is gradually becoming the world's factory. Their biggest advantage is that they do not have the word "sorry" in their dictionary, and they are obsessed with profit-seeking. There is nothing wrong with being a businessman.

Americas: Customers generally won’t reply to your email when they don’t have a clear answer. They rarely say, I’m confirming, give me some time and I’ll get back to you later. Maybe he is seeking or waiting for that answer, but this cycle is relatively long. Middle Eastern customers: Very cunning. Turkey: Very aggressive at bargaining. Venezuela and Iran: It is difficult to make payments. Political instability makes it difficult to do business. ;