When you make a big purchase, such as buying a car, campervan, or even a house, you always want to be kept in the loop of what is happening leading up to the collection or move in day.
However, there are many people who can’t stand being bombarded with calls or emails on every detail happening in the background to make everything run smoothly.
Personally, I like to be kept up to date on what’s happening with every purchase I’ve put pennies aside for. It builds the excitement of what I’ve saved up for, and seeing these little pieces of information gives you something to look forward to, especially after a busy day at work.
But, endless communication like this can become irritating for those who simply find it a nuisance.
Here are a few of the positives and negatives when it comes to overcommunication like this.
Keeping your clients happy and making your team more efficient
Overcommunication is what some people always want when making big purchases. It can lead to a customer or client feeling at ease, safe in the knowledge that everything is running smoothly because it’s been broken down into all relevant detail.
It can help build excitement for them too, especially if they are a new customer of yours. Knowing you’re that one step closer to buying a dream home, for example, can make it all feel far more real.
Aside from the sales or buying process, it can be good to internally communicate in your team too.
Giving as much information as possible keeps everyone informed and up to date on tasks or jobs that need to be carried out. This should make your team far more effective in serving your customers and clients.
How to adapt to clients who don’t want to know the finer details
On the other hand, not all customers or clients want every single scrap of information passed on to them – they just want the date that everything is going to be ready.
The biggest negative effect of overcommunication is that it can lead to potential loss of that customer returning in the future.
A great example is breaking down every point of a new car handover. When I was a product genius for Kia, I only ever went into the detail on each stage of a purchase if I could gauge on first interaction that a customer would want and appreciate that much information given to them.
For those customers, I’d call or email them to tell them key facts such as that their car had just arrived, been for its safety check, had its clean, or was ready for them to come and collect.
Meanwhile, for the ones that weren’t as keen on knowing all the information, I would simply give them a date where everything would be in place.
Of course, you don’t want to make any assumptions, so I would still offer my availability to answer questions if they wanted to know any updates along the way.
That’s why the initial consultation where you learn all about your customer or client is very important.
Balancing the effects
To help weigh up the pros and cons of how you pass on key information and how much you give, it’s important to always read the body language and learn a bit more about your customer, client, or even colleague when you speak to them.
That way, you can make sure whether you’re working with someone who wants as much information as possible, or someone who just doesn’t need to know every tiny little detail.
You always want to build rapport with people you’re working with, whether they’re walking through the showroom door to buy their brand-new car, or into your offices in need of financial advice.
That’s why it’s always important to give them the best first impression, learn more about them, and if the sale goes in your favour, communicate with them how they want to be spoken to and how much they want to know.
Get in touch
If you want to learn and understand more about us and how we can help you promote your business, email us at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.
