How could I possibly connect with them?
Most people think the same way.
They may not admit it though...
There are a hundreds of reasons why we can't connect to somebody, but there are thousands of reasons why you can.
What makes a person tick doesn't change no matter what stage of life they are in, no matter where they hail from, and no matter where their political loyalties lie.
I lead a team of customer service representatives from all over the world.
Almost every time a new one comes onboard I get this flicker of fear in my heart.
What if I can't connect with them?
It's true, there is a danger that you will not be able to connect with the person you hired, but they could also become one of the best people on your staff. You just don't know exactly the potential of who you hired.
The best place to start with anybody you come into contact with is to remember one simple thing.
Everybody wants to be valued
It doesn't matter who you are. We all want to know that we matter and that people care about us.
This may look different to different people, but nonetheless, this is the first thing you need to know about leading people or coaching a customer service team.
When a customer knows that they are valued by the agent and the company, they will stay forever.
They understand that if they are truly valued, the company and agent will do everything in their power to make things right when things go wrong.
An agent can't show a client that they are valued if the agent doesn't feel valued.
Sometimes the agent will bring a feeling of being valuable from their personal lives, but in my experience, that generally isn't the case.
That's when we have to lead our teams and show them how valuable they truly are.
How do you do that?
Listening
Coaching
Taking time for them
Joking with them, but not being sarcastic
Treating them like friends
Keeping your promises
You can't fake your way through this, you have to actually be interested in the person you are speaking with.
Having that genuine interest in people's lives, asking them questions about them, is the biggest thing about leading a group of good agents and making them great.
This is the relationship that it takes to truly lead.
Remember, you aren't their friends, but you are somebody who has their best interests at heart.
Once the agent feels that they are valued, your customers will feel that too.

If you want some more tips on leading your team, or if you simply want somebody to lead your team for you, send me a message, I would love to hear from you and have a conversation.
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