Do people care about how much you know?
The 1st module had stated that people don't care about how much you know - but rather about how much you care.
Do you believe this to be true?
Have you expierenced this yourself as a consumer?
What prompted you to buy? Trust, caring, knowlege?
Please provide detailed examples
Isaiah,
Well said. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. Jean Norris
In the sense that it is simply investing a large portion of money, yes. However, I do think that investing in education is much more of a commitment which is why I feel the person "selling" education must be even more so knowledgeable.
Isaiah,
You bring up a great point. I'm curious, is investing in an education the same as investing in a drum set?
Dr. Jean Norris
I'd say that statement is false. People care very much about how much you know when they are investing time and money into a particular product. Higher education is an expensive investment and people only make that investment if they feel that their first contact is a knowledgeable representation of the school.
In buying my first drum set I was sold on what the Sales Representative told me because he was very knowledgeable about every product I questioned him about.
I do think people want to know you care, but when that buyer is making big investments, they also want to know that they're getting the best; that's only conveyed through knowledge.
Thanks for your post Samantha, you bring up many good points. I'm so glad you mentioned the need to follow up and always get the answer when you promise to do so because failing to do so can undo all the rapport building and credibility you create. Stay motivated!
Definitely true - as a new admission representative I have experienced the "not knowing the answer to a question asked phase" which happened alot in the beginning. Perspective students were ok with that as long as I let them know their question was important and that I would get the answer.....and I would always get the answer.
This hold true in all aspects of being a consumer. If I feel the sales rep is being honest and genuine I'll buy even if they are inexperienced. Knowledge is important, but the motivation and desire to attain and find the knowledge is vital.
That's a great example of the impact that caring has on the consumer. How can you use your greater understanding of the impact of caring to your life and job?
I did not really realize it until we broke it down in this class, but as a consumer I DO care about how much they care. I believe that I enjoy being treated with empathy and understanding. For example, when my fiancé, back when she was my girlfriend, and I would go shopping/browsing for wedding rings- we often faced discrimination because we are both women. Discrimination is a rather extreme form of a lack of empathy or caring. When, however, we were presented with a sales person that was caring, understanding, empathetic and excited for us, we were much more interested in the sale- regardless of better deals elsewhere.
Milagros,
Very true. Can you tell me how your definition of empathetic listening?
Dr. Jean Norris
As more human been your are as better results, is very important to listening , care and be enpatetic with the caller
Yes, I definitely believe people want to know you personally care about them and their needs.
I recently purchased a new vehicle with my husband. The salesman showed concern to my husband about a personal issue he was facing - had nothing to do with the car purchase but took time to bond with my husband.
For us, caring about our personal situation carried a lot of weight. Through that, we trusted him to guide us through the buying process, even though we had other options for purchasing cars.
What ultimately happened? We purchased the car through him, passing over other dealerships in the area.
There is a parallel between that situation and for those of our students. They want to know we care ... that they can trust us ... and then feel confident in their decision to step forward in coming to our campus.
I think that it is very true that people want to know how much you care. People can sense whether you are empathetic or just going through the motions. I experienced this when I was trying to get my dog an appointment for an ear infection. The receptionist was very blunt and said there weren't any appointments available for 4 days. I called another veterinarian office and they were very concerned and squeezed me in on the same day. I now take both of my dogs to this veterinarian's office because they are always friendly and concerned when I call or come in.
Julie,
Connecting on a different level is something many peopel are looking for today. Taking the time to get to know your students and their stories allows you the opportunity to connect with them on their terms. This goes a long way in helping your students feel more comfortable and at ease with you and the process.
Shannon Gormley
I believe this to be true. We all have a great deal of knowledge about our programs and simply spitting out information can make a nervous prospect terrified. I have learned that prospects are very nervous about calling and coming in. If they see you are relaxed and try to help them find solutions to the issues they present, then they are more likely to enroll. This also helps you to connect with them on a differant level. If the prospect feels like they can bring any question to you, then you have done your job well :)
Excellent insights, Darlene! Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with us. It's important to remember the person in front of you and what they might be experienceing. Showing kindness and compassion can really help to form a lasting connection with another person.
Shannon Gormley
I believe people care first about how much you care and then how much you know.
As a consumer, I want the person to show they care, that they can listen and then identify with me - have a connect...but if they show no care - it won't matter how much knowledge they have about their service or product. I will have turned them off and not listen to what they have to say.
I buy because I trust the person I am buying from. They have showed me they care, they listen and that they can connect to my situation at hand.
I recently bought new tires for my car. I went with the company whose saleperson was the most caring. One tire company did not want to listen to anything I had to say - all they wanted to do was tell me all about the tires and what they knew. But all I wanted was to have them care enough to listen to my situation first, connect with me and then tell me about my tire options.
Nanette,
I get the sense that you feel it's important that the admissions rep feels comfortable delivering information about the institution in a way that allows them to continue to build rapport and develop trust with the student. That's wonderful and I'm sure students appreciate that level of knowledge and confidence.
I believe that both weigh in and are important in the ultimate close process. Most people understand that there is a continual "learning curve" in most work settings, as long as the representative has the important and necessary information and communicates it clearly and effectively. It is also important that the representative express the confidence and ensure that they will get back to the prospect in regards to any matters that they are not as knowledgeable about. In regards to building rapport and trust, it is essential, individuals today are suspect of "sales people" and if the representative has not effectively built a level of trust and sincerity, they will most likely not close the deal.
Yes, people care about how much you care but you also must be able to build trust and that involves how much you know. So both are components in the buyer process.
I have experienced this when buying appliances. Specifically when I bought a washer & a dryer. The gentleman skipped the caring step, even though I was greeted with a warm welcome and a smile. Perhps he did not see me as a buyer, but I fooled him! He also was rushed in his time with me, as the floor was short staffed. I ultimately bought from the seller who respected my information gathering process.
