KCSpeaks

  Imagine this: customer walks into the door, sits at your desk, and tells you his story. As you listen, you realize you are not sure what the next step is or even if the person is in the right place, telling this story to the right person.   Instead of staring at the person like a deer about to be hit by an 18 -wheeler or making up something that makes you sound stupid, here are some strategies to get over the hump and to make you feel more confident.   Listen/Take Notes/Ask Questions   First, you need the entire story, so you can properly advise the person. This may seem stupid to say, but you need to listen to the customer. Taking notes in one strategy you can use to keep track of important details. Ask questions to make sure you understand the story correctly, “Did x come before or after b?” The devil is in the details. At this point listen to make sure you understand everything and worry about what to say when the story is done. Listening shou...

Newbies in workforce development sometimes ask me how to work with a customer or how do you know why someone cannot get a job.   The answer is really simple. Ask the right questions, and then listen for the answer.    It’s not a secret. You can’t just look at person or their job seeking documents and just know. You need the person to open his mouth and speak.   You need the narrative.   Why narrative? First, you will get the information to help you help the customer.   That is if you ask the right question.   Secondly, it helps you establish rapport and trust with your customer. Someone is not going to open up if he does not trust you. This is very important.   Remember digging a hole to China as a child.   Quickly you found out that you could not find China with one shovel full of dirt.   The digger must unearth many layers to get to China! A child will quickly find out that he can’t shovel his way to China, but may find neat ...