Centric Hub Vol.  1  Issue  8  

   

WORK  ETIQUETTE  

The  Pulse  of  Customer  Service  

-­‐  Onyinye  Eronini  

A  Custom

er  Centricity  Limited  Publication©

 2013  

-­‐  The  CORE  with  Uloma    

EXECUTIVE  PRESENCE  –  Pt.  3  -­‐    Chinedu  Duru  (MD,  Hamilton  Lloyd  &  Associates)  

5.  Take  Credit:  You  need  to  be  your  own  cheerleader.  Self  promoFon  is  not  bragging.  It's  taking  ownership  and  credit  for  your  hard  work  so  people  noFce  you.  Certainly  give  credit  to  others  where  credit  is  due,  but  it's  not  necessary  to  overly  compliment  or  conFnually  thank  people  for  their  input.    6.  Pause:  Don't  feel  a  need  to  fill  the  silence.  Give  people  a  chance  to  think  for  a  second  about  what  you've  said  before  you  move  on.  This  will  also  help  you  come  across  as  comfortable  and  confident  in  your  delivery  of  informaFon.    7.  Ask  Challenging  QuesKons:  Show  you  will  not  take  things  at  face  value  and  want  to  conFnually  get  as  much  informaFon  as  possible  to  accurately  understand  the  issue  and  make  informed  decisions.    8.  Delegate:  There  is  a  difference  between  delegaFng  and  doing.  It's  always  important  to  help  people  but  that  doesn't  mean  doing  their  work  for  them.  Instead  of  conFnually  offering  to  "put  something  together  for  you"  or  "give  it  to  me  and  I'll  see  what  I  can  do",  it's  important  to  take  charge.  Offer  to  look  or  help,  but  then  suggest:  "why  don't  you  put  it  together  and  I'll  take  a  look  at  it".    9.  Manage  the  Message:  Avoid  too  much  detail  when  presenFng/speaking  to  execuFve  audiences.  Most  listeners  do  not  want  to  sit  through  a  bunch  of  historical  perspecFve  and  background.  They  want  you  to  get  to  the  point  quickly.  What  do  they  need  to  know  or  do  to  move  forward?  Think  about  delivering  a  few  key  points  with  relevant  examples  that  tell  them  why  they  need  to  listen  to  you.    10.  Direct  Delivery:  Instead  of  backing  into  conversaFons  or  delivering  details  first,  think  big  picture  and  state  your  main  point  up  front  so  you  deliver  a  quick,  concise  message  and  are  more  definite  in  your  responses.  By  geXng  to  the  point  quickly,  you  are  in  a  beYer  posiFon  to  address  concerns  and  persuade  others  to  see  your  point  of  view.    11.  Stand  Tall:  PosiFve  body  language  draws  posiFve  aYenFon.  It's  important  to  stand  tall  and  straight,  make  direct  eye  contact,  offer  a  firm  strong  handshake  and  speak  in  a  strong  voice.  When  speaking  to  a  group,  think  about  projecFng  to  the  back  of  the  room  to  give  more  oomph,  energy  and  passion  so  you  are  animated  and  interesFng.  

Executive Presence [Part 3]

WELCOME  to  the  

Centric  Hub!  

Not knowing were to draw the line at work is an issue that plagues most organisations, check out the piece on Work Etiquette it’ll make for an interesting read. We have also come to the conclusion of the very

educative piece on Executive Presence, we definitely look forward to more from Mr. Duru of HL&A.

Many hearty cheers to our client Diamond Bank for winning the most customer friendly bank of the year award! Needless to say, this news was received with

lots of excitement! Happy reading!

Positive body language draws positive attention. It's important to stand tall and straight, make direct eye contact, offer a firm strong handshake and speak in a

strong voice. When speaking to a group, think about projecting to the back of the room to give more oomph, energy and passion so you are animated and interesting.

2  

Chinedu Duru MD/CEO,

Hamilton Lloyd & Associates - A Boutique Recruitment Firm

12.  AuthenKcally  Firm:  Being  firm  and  definite  doesn't  mean  you  have  to  be  rude  or  nasty.  Being  polite  and  using  tact  when  quesFoning  or  challenging  the  opinions  of  others  will  foster  conversaFon  and  put  others  at  ease  so  you  can  create  an  atmosphere  of  trust  and  open  dialogue.  In  conclusion,  what  can  you  do  to  immediately  impact  your  ExecuFve  Presence?      My  first  recommendaKon  is  that  you  sign-­‐up  for  an  ExecuFve  Presence  Workshop  or  ExecuFve  Presence  Coaching.  If  you  cannot  do  that  in  the  short  run,  you  can  take  the  following  steps    First,  Capture  yourself  (video)  in  conversaFon,  meeFng  or  giving  a  presentaFon.  You  need  to  see  how  you  are  perceived  by  others.  Review  the  video  and  begin  to  itemize  the  areas  of  improvement.  It  will  be  a  good  idea  to  bench-­‐mark  against  a  recording  of  someone  generally  agreed  to  have  superior  ExecuFve  Presence.      Secondly,  talk  to  some  friends/colleagues  whose  judgment  you  trust  and  involve  them  in  your  project.  Ask  for  an  honest  feedback  on  your  performance.  Your  colleagues  at  work  will  be  parFcularly  useful,  since  you  interact  with  them  in  various  seXngs  in  the  workplace.    PracKce!    AcFvely  begin  to  make  the  changes  recommended  in  the  12  steps  above.  Get  in  front  of  a  mirror  and  pracFce.  PracFce  in  front  of  others,  as  well.  You'll  also  want  to  video  yourself  periodically  to  see  how  you've  changed  and  what  sFll  needs  further  work  and  tuning.    References  1.  Suzanne  Bates:  ExecuFve  Presence:  The  “Wow”  Factor  that  Makes  Leaders  Stand  Out  www.myarFclearchive.com  2.  Paul  Aldo:  What  is  execuFve  presence?...and  how  do  i  get  it  again?  paul.aldo@ipsresults.com    3.  Karen  Friedman:    ExecuFve  Presence:  12  Steps  to  Get  It  and  Keep  It.  www.karenfriedman.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

FOR  LAUGHS!  A  WALKING  ECONOMY  

This  guy  is  walking  with  his  friend,  who  happens  to  be  a  psychologist.  He  says  to  this  friend,  "I'm  a  walking  economy.”  The  friend  asks,  "How  so?”  

"My  hair  line  is  in  recession,  my  stomach  is  a  vicFm  of  inflaFon,  and  both  of  these  together  are  puXng  me  into  a  deep  depression!"

BANK  CUSTOMER  SERVICE  "I'm  not  saying  that  the  customer  service  in  my  bank  is  bad,  but  when  I  went  in  the  other  day  and  asked  the  clerk  to  

check  my  balance  ...      

She  leaned  over  and  pushed  me."      

DAUGHTER  IN  COLLEGE  Did  you  hear  about  the  banker  who  was  recently  arrested  for  

embezzling  $100,000  to  pay  for  his  daughter's  college  educaFon?  

As  the  policeman,  who  also  had  a  daughter  in  college,  was  leading  him  away  in  handcuffs,  he  said  to  the  banker,  "I  have  just  one  quesFon  for  you.  Where  were  you  going  to  get  the  

rest  of  the  money?"    3  

Work Etiquette The  work  place  is  arguably  where  we  spend  majority  of  our  Kme,  for  most  of  us  Mondays  to  Fridays  and  some  weekends  too.  From  9am-­‐  5pm  or  even  later  and  

considering  the  Kme  spent  commuKng  because  of  the  traffic,  it  is  safe  to  say  we  spend  the  large  part  of  our  Kme  in  the  office,  away  from  home.  

  Onyinye Eronini

Considering  the  amount  of  Fme  we  spend  at  the  office,  it  is  imperaFve  that  we  work  in  a  place  that  is  conducive  for  us,  a  place  where  we  get  along  with  our  colleagues.  Of  course  there  will  be  moments  of  disagreement  but  the  trick  is  to  make  sure  that  this  is  not  a  constant  thing  brought  on  by  our  bad  aXtude.    In  the  place  of  work,  there  are  certain  pracFces  that  should  be  maintained,  lines  to  be  drawn  and  never  crossed.  Have  you  ever  experienced  that  annoying  colleague  who  just  walks  to  the  fridge  and  takes  your  lunch?  Or  that  irritaFng  colleague  who  picks  up  your  phone  and  starts  to  go  through  it  without  permission?  Or  my  personal  favourite,  the  nosy  parker  who  stands  behind  you  trying  to  spy  out  whatever  it  is  you’re  doing  on  your  system?!  Rest  assured,  you  were  not  crazy  to  find  these  different  scenarios  upseXng  because  the  colleague  in  quesFon  crossed  the  line!    I’ll  share  a  few  things  that  are  definitely  poor  work  eFqueYes  so  we  do  not  ever  get  caught  being  the  annoying  colleague.    Share  the  credit  –  A  fast  way  to  ruin  the  relaFonship  between  you  and  your  colleagues  is  not  acknowledging  their  work  and  taking  all  the  credit.  Be  a  team  player!    Mind  that  ringtone-­‐  We  all  like  Limpopo  (Well,  some  of  us)  but  we  do  not  want  our  clients  hearing  it  when  you  forget  to  put  your  phone  on  silent  during  that  very  important  meeFng!  It  gives  off  the  vibe  of  being  un-­‐serious.    Keep  the  office  clean-­‐  Clean  up  aler  yourself  always!  Kitchen,  Restroom,  Your  Workspace,  clean  up  aler  yourself.  Always!      Keep  your  personal  business  to  yourself-­‐  Asides  from  the  fact  that  you  make  yourself  vulnerable,  no  one  wants  to  know  those  really  inFmate  details  of  your  life.  Although,  it  does  make  for  interesFng  gist  when  they  decide  to  talk  about  you...    Respect  other  people’s  property-­‐  If  you  did  not  buy  it  and  you  need  it,  ask  whoever  owns  it  first!  It’s  that  simple.    Focus  on  the  face  not  the  screen-­‐  If  you  are  having  a  conversaKon  with  your  colleague  or  a  client,  please  forget  that  you  own  a  Blackberry  or  that  important  email  you  just  have  to  read  at  that  moment.  Stop  and  focus!    It  may  all  seem  really  simple,  but  it’s  amazing  the  amount  of  people  who  take  these  things  for  granted.  So,  let’s  ensure  that  we  do  not  get  caught  in  the  negaFve  filter.  

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Photo Gallery

DIAMOND  BANK  TELLR  TRAINING  

Diamond  Bank  

TELLER  TRAINING   5  

 It is with pleasure that we announce that Diamond Bank Plc. emerged as the MOST CUSTOMER FRIENDLY bank in a Business Day "Banking Customer Satisfaction Survey" conducted among retail bank customers in Nigeria! We are very proud to be associated with the bank and this proves that our efforts are not in vain and that the staff practise what we teach them. Customer CentriCity Limited has been training Diamond Bank staff for some over 6 years on Customer Service and it has been a wonderful experience. Over time we have learnt a lot from the staff and we incorporate what we learn from them into our training modules so we say a big thank you to Diamond Bank for the wonderful opportunity and thank you to the staff for making us very proud.    Congratulations Diamond Bank! May we continue to bask in the glory of your wonderful service delivery.

MOST  CUSTOMER  FRIENDLY  BANK!  

6  

 After  every  facilitation  session  I  am  drained  and  tired  and  usually  say  something  like,  "I  must  retire  soon!  Can't  keep  on  doing  this!"  But  no  sooner  do  I  have  another  training  gig  coming  and  I  get  all  excited  planning  the  look,  the  sound  and  the  impact.  My  major  excitement  comes  from  considering  "the  conquest"!  What  is  that?  It  is  the  usual  war  that  occurs  with  each  new  training  where  the  participants  sit  early  in  the  day  waiting  for  the  facilitator  to  either  impress  them  or  get  really  serious  "attitude"!  It  is  a  major  discussion  point  for  me  when  I  am  training  my  trainers.  I  tell  them  things  like,  "Take  it  up,  then  draw  them  up".  I  have  found  that  this  approach  works.      The  makeup  of  the  class  is  an  important  factor  in  training.  Critical  actually  when  you  engage  as  closely  with  them  as  we  tend  to  in  our  highly  interactive  classes.  For  this  reason  we  are  thorough  with  our  pre-­‐training  work.  We  use  ofQicial  news,  questionnaires,  observation,  obvious  competitive  activities  and  even  the  rumor  mill  to  gather  as  much  insight  as  possible.  We  incorporate  this  into  our  training  content  in  a  manner  that  articulately  conQirms  two  major  truths.  1)  That  we  understand  their  current  challenges  and  that  2)  We  know  what  we  are  talking  about.      An  example  that  showcases  this  in  the  class  is  this.  (One  of  my  favorites)  This  is  me  speaking  in  class  and  introducing  all  the  mannerisms  and  tone  inQlections  that  bring  Qlavor  and  color  to  the  tale,  "I  know  that  the  female  staff  usually  have  issues  with  female  customers,  especially  when  they  are  both  young.  The  staff  begin  to  "eye"  the  customer  as  she  approaches,  saying  to  herself,  “Why  is  she  forming  big  girl?  Just  because  she  is  carrying  a  Gucci  bag?  E  Qit  be  fake  sef!"  And  before  the  customer  Qinally  makes  it  to  her  front  she  is  now  glaring  and  certainly  not  being  welcoming!"  The  guys  in  the  class  begin  to  guffaw  and  the  ladies  shift  uncomfortably.  Some  are  thinking,  "This  woman  is  a  witch,  was  she  watching  me  last  week?"    The  real  "shut-­‐upper"  is  our  graphs  and  charts.  By  pictorially  depicting  poor  performance  or  comparative  snapshots  in  our  training  slides,  we  prove  that  there  is  a  cogent  reason  why  they  should  1)  be  in  class,  2)  be  attentive  3)  ensure  that  they  learn  and  4)  commit  to  practicing  what  they  learn.  It  is  akin  to  showing  a  mirror  to  the  class.  They  usually  sit  up  after  that  and  Qidget  a  little  wondering  what  new  truths  will  be  presented  before  the  end  of  the  class.      Suddenly  I  am  up  there  and  they  are  down  low.  I  become  superior  and  own  the  class.  I  am  master  and  they  are  not.  I  am  teacher  and  they  are  students.  I  am  subject  matter  expert  and  they  are  near,  well  soon-­‐to-­‐be  converts.  I  draw  out  a  series  of  more  such  embellished  facts  and  totally  assume  the  positioning  that  i  have  very  carefully  established  for  myself,  then  I  begin  to  let  them  up  and  in.        The  absorption  of  the  content,  or  the  spirit  of  the  message  of  the  content  really  is  usually  evident  at  end.  First  indication  is  that  they  begin  to  sound  like  me.  I  am  with  mini  clones  of  myself  all  starry-­‐eyed  and  freshly  motivated  to  do  things  differently  at  work  and  in  their  personal  life!  Does  it  last?  And  do  they  actually  do  what  they  promise  me  they  will  at  work?  Oh  yes!  A  resounding  yes!  Why  else  would  Diamond  Bank  win  the  Business  Day  Most  Customer  Friendly  Bank  award?  Customer  Centricity  Limited  deQinitely  has  its  Qinger  on  the  pulse  of  Customer  Experience  training  and  management  in  Nigeria.  Get  on  board  now  if  you  haven't  already!        Many  Congratulations  to  Diamond  Bank!!!      

A  PublicaKon  of  Customer  Centricity  Limited  Contact  Address:  15  Biaduo  Road,  Off  Keffi  Street,  South-­‐  West,  Ikoyi,  Lagos.  Nigeria  

Twiher:  @c_centricity            Facebook:  hhps://www.facebook.com/pages/Customer-­‐CentriCity-­‐Limited/  Email:  www.customercentricityltd.com                    Telephone:  +234  0  7065559525  

Uloma

THE  The  Pulse  of  Customer  Service