DISCLAIMER: The suggested language improvement covered here may (at first) seem way too simple to have a major, positive impact on your business. Trust me, it will…

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If we agree that building quality Sales and Customer Service relationships at every touch point is our #1 priority, then our language choices should always be consistent with this goal.

The crucial 3 seconds where we introduce ourselves at the beginning of every business phone call actually has the power to make or break these relationships. What may seem like a throwaway, introductory phrase we’ve said thousands of times, now becomes a useful tool that relieves frustration and/or enhances already positive opportunities.

Let’s start by taking a quick look at how you currently introduce yourself. Think about it for a moment… you dial the phone, someone answers, and you say something like:

“Hi, my name is Mark with ABC Company…”

Or maybe you use a version that’s a bit more personal, especially when you already know the person:

“Hi, this is Mark from ABC Company…”

Both sound pretty good, right? Standard introductions that millions of professionals like us use every day. Neither are rude, indifferent, or too casual. On the surface, it doesn’t appear there’s anything bad going on here.

But when we take a closer look,  seemingly professional phrases using combinations of “my name is” and “with” or “from” supplement the perception that it’s the company on one side and the customer on the other. If we’re always trying to use language to put ourselves on the side of the customer working towards a solution, why would we use separative language that essentially says, “I’m over here and you’re over there”?

So how do we avoid inadvertently creating minor or major separation depending on the situation? Simple:

“Hi, this is Mark over at ABC Company…”

When we change “my name is” to “this is,” and “from” or “with” to “over at, we’re sending a message that we have a relationship. This small language tweak helps set the ball rolling for all kinds of great things to happen. Here are a few examples from different business segments:

Customer Service
It’s no secret that in modern-day business, the mere mention of “Customer Service” brings eye rolls, sighs, and horror stories. So when calling someone who is likely experiencing combinations of fear, frustration, and anger manifesting itself as an expectation of an impending bad experience, using this collaborative language – with a helpful tone – helps us avoid inadvertently adding to or creating an “us vs. them” communication environment from the very start.

Sales
There are few things I find more annoying than getting a call from a salesperson pretending like they already know me (NOTE: I’m amazed that sales people still use this ridiculous bait-and-switch tactic). Using “over at” softens a sales introduction for both new and existing relationships. I particularly like “over at” for prospecting geographical proximity (B2B & B2C) and vertical markets (typically B2B) where there’s a good chance the person we’re calling is already aware of our company/organization.

Field Service
When I train field technicians there’s a module where we create customized Call on the Way scripting, which includes “over at.” I often get feedback from these field professionals about how they can now hear relief on calls they previously thought were just “I’m on the way” notifications. By using “over at,”they’re now sending a message that we’re already on the side of the customer and that their needs are a priority. I also hear how when they arrive at the house, the customer’s demeanor is more calm. Just like in Sales and Customer Service, if we’re already bringing relief to frustration, how is the customer’s later reaction to suggested solutions? And from a larger perspective, what does this do to the customer’s perception of our brand and ultimately the company’s overall profitability?

Inter-Company/Organization
We all know that building inter-personal and inter-departmental relationships is as important as building customer relationships. I’ve found simple language improvements have helped eliminate long standing inter-departmental feuds. Even without existing walls between personnel and/or departments, tiny improvements in communication have a wide-reaching, positive impact on an organization. For example, I was recently discussing “over at” in a meeting with an HR Manager at a Fortune 500 company I’m working with. We talked about the pang of fear when someone picks up the phone and hears, “Hi, Jim, this is Mark from HR” even when they’ve done nothing wrong. While none of us wants a call from HR, there are certainly less alarm bells when we hear:

“Hi, Jim, this is Mark over in HR…”

As you think about the above examples, and how this simple change may apply to your day-to-day interactions, it’s staggering to realize how even subtle tweaks in communication can have a profound impact on your organization’s culture, brand, and related profitability.

Maybe take some time to repeat the old way and new way out loud to hear (and feel) the difference. If you’re like many of the people I’ve trained over the years, the real epiphany happens after experiencing positive results with customers and co-workers. Then, you won’t be able to imagine introducing yourself the old way.

After you and/or your team implement this simple change, I’d love to hear your feedback!