We’ve all heard the saying that “people buy from people” and I’ve seen it in action over and over.  In fact, I have left stores when I didn’t “feel” comfortable with the sales person. And on the flip side, I know I have bought more than I really came for, when the sales person was really nice and I “liked” them.

For a business, this is a great way to stand out and differentiate yourselves from your competition, not to mention the increased revenue and bottom line! But the key to remember is that there is more to customer service than being nice and friendly… your employees have to think like psychiatrists, and just listen.

My wife and her BFF have this down to a science… when one of them is upset, they call the other and just talk. I found this intriguing so I started to pay attention and realized that usually, only one of them is talking and the other is listening. Then after their marathon, one feels great and the other is exhausted.

After all, its exhausting when you listen… that’s why so many people don’t do it. Or they’re really anxious to sell what they’ve got, that they don’t listen to what the customer is “telling” them. Listening is a real skill that must be practied… it requires focus, attention and lots of thinking as you need to understand what is being said, beyond the words.

Because so few companies have employees that listen, the ones that do are able to create a connection with their customers… and this connection translates to increased revenue, referrals and a better working environment. Also, customers that feel connected to your company are much less likely to leave. Its almost as though there’s an emotional attachment or bond that has been created.

In today’s world of high customer expectations and increased competition, companies need to look at the next evolution of customer service and take their employees beyond just being nice to their customers, but also to become good listeners.