CRM

Introduction.

To attain higher levels of productivity, every business unceasingly seeks to perfect the performance of its operations, using Intelligence technologies, especially when it involves alterations in practice management. Intelligence systems and technologies are major empowering instruments for the organisations to develop new services and products as well as engineering advanced business models.

Many businesses have acknowledged the importance of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and its opportunity to obtain new customers,hold to the existing clients as well as become a standout organisations among competitors. But in order to run such technique and maintain a close relationship with clients a solid-based interaction between marketing and IT departments is required.

Customer Relationship Management is the creation, elaboration, maintenance and improvement of long-lasting valuable cooperation between businesses and its clients. The main purpose of such technique is to research the pool of clients for the potential ones, attract former customers back and minimise costs of marketing and customer service.

CRM technique is “the computer software designed to help companies keep a track of an easily-accessed information about the customers the business is dealing with”(Managementstudyguide.com, 2014). CRM was created with a purpose of providing fast and effective customer service by developing a relationship with each customer while putting organisation strategy and IT together. Such combination is vital because of linking together technologies and intelligence with business operations throughout the entire organization.

The main aim of this report is to identify the utilisation of CRM systems and hence establish the challenges and benefits which could emerge using CRM systems within the organisation.

Challenges and benefits of adopting CRM

The CRM application traces the preferences of customers and their shopping habits;handles with complaints as well as different types of requests.Accumulated customer information helps to provide services much faster and acquire new clients. The CRM software opens an opportunity for every member of sales team to access information on each customers, their contacts and sales transactions in no time. It also "underlines the primary tasks to be done following up the sale's transactions" (Kokemuller, 2014).

Advantages:

It is important to meet the deadlines in a today's world of business. Every day businesses waste valuable time using different types of software and spreadsheets in order to trace all transactions and complaints. The largest advantage of utilising CRM technique is the combination of all these software packages, used to track down the clients' activities, therefore there is no need for searching same information multiple amount of times across contact systems or various databases. Consequently CRM enables a completion of all daily tasks in a short time with the same saving thousands of hours each year, the time which could be used to accomplish other business goals (Biobm.com, 2014).

Confronting a huge amount of customers is most likely to lead to disorganisation and overwhelming of business operations. However CRM system makes it easy to store client information in an organised way, by storing all customer details in the same place, which could then be obtained by anyone with a correct permission within the business. Another benefit of having a CRM system in place is that even if one of the employees falls out of the organisation, an access to up-to-date customer information is still at hand, regardless of employee turnover or lost data.Some platforms also introduced synchronisation of this data with a calendar that informs managers about upcoming deadlines and tasks. For example when a manager has a scheduled sales call or a valuable transaction in his calendar, CRM system sends an email beforehand as a reminder. Whenever a customer has an upcoming birthday, CRM notifies about it, so the birthday wishes could be sent over. Consequently, this makes customers feel more valued and allows building deeper relationships between a client and organisation with the same giving an opportunity for the managers to make sure"that each customer gets the attention and nothing is forgotten" (Schaeffer, 2014).

For many businesses one of the reasons of a revenue downfall is in a failure of replying with the instant quote request and leaving invoices unattended. And with the CRM at hand quoting and invoicing is rationalized. As a rule the invoices and quotes are created in a short period of time which leads to the quotes being looked after and all the invoices mailed in time (Small Business - Chron.com, 2014).

Usually as information on customers piles up, more potentials emerge. For instance, tracing particular buying habits of customers would build up a list of their preferences. Therefore, when launching a similar product,based on a sales history, CRM will help to prioritise a list of customers, who would be particularly interested in it. As a result, the use of CRM system enables a sales growth with no need to advertise the product to new customers(Preact.co.uk, 2014).

It is also possible for the head managers of the companies to trace their employees, once CRM software is implemented. For instance when one of the staff is away on holidays or sick leave, CRM will easily provide a live roster with the potential employees who would be available to cover the missing worker. Also CRM system allows tracking of a progress of all staff and their schedules, including which transactions they’re involved into, how many sales they are closing and as a result enables the owner to make changes based on performance immediately.

One of the huge advantages of CRM practice is that it can assist in marketing by creating profitable marketing campaigns once analysing the purchase history of customers.The benefit of evaluating such buying history is in identifying relationship between factual sales performance and campaigns. This supplementary information lets to comprehend customers thoughts regarding their purchases and helps to identify which types of campaigns results in success. Some platforms also introduced such feature as integration with social media networks like Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedInand Facebook. Such technique enables tracking all subtleties of a social media campaign. For instance, it allows to recognise which networking services account for the most traffic, what is the customers' opinion about one or another brand and the overall experience(Itinfo.am, 2014).

The privilege of the today's business world is that portable devices such as netbooks,tablets and smartphones became a norm of every company, enabling a task completion and staying up-to-date on projects regardless of location. CRM programs, which can be easily installed on these devices,allows an access to the same information that could be viewed from an office.With an access to internet, staff can instantly update customer information, arrange orders any minute, search database for any complaints and plan meetings. Thus a boost of productivity is done on the move within a few clicks. Mobile version of CRM software is perfect to schedule and reschedule service calls and provide employees with a fast update regarding the recent changes. CRM also allows the employees to trace inventory while running the business outside the office, look into the contact history between every customer and a company. Most mobile CRM platforms give an opportunity to manage calendar and events,invoices and task schedules(Worketc.com, 2014).

A cloud CRM is a version of CRM software that is commonly accessed via internet, which means there is no need to host CRM on a personal computer. The key distinctive elements of cloud CRM involve an advanced customer service regarding troubleshooting issues,high standard security and an easily accessible information from any device. Since all the data and the software itself are stored in a cloud purchasing hardware and its constant updates are not required. The businesses that use the web-based CRM usually have to obtain only licences, which in this case creates an advantage for customers as they have to pay only for particular features they are using. Those who have limited IT departments could experience a lot of troubleshooting while installing the programs and managing the server problems as an aftermath. Hence cloud solution makes the task easier as it saves time as well as resources and makes work of employees more productive. Another beneficial feature of Cloud CRM solutions is that the providers take responsibility for storing and backing-up of information with the same relieving their customers from an additional trouble (Benefitsofcrm.com, 2014).

Challenges:

Despite a huge amount of advantages, utilising of CRM also brings some problems.  The initial problem begins with the expensive costs that occur when implementing the system and maintaining a customer database. Additionally, the finances are required for the computer hardware, software, and personnel to keep CRM running.  Thusexcessive costs can become burdensome and might result in a CRM collapse(Sites.google.com, 2014).

Taking into an account the amount of tasks performed by CRM, it becomes obvious that the system itself is far from simple. Sufficient employee training is required in order for them to comprehend and deal with the difficulties at the later stages.

 Companies need to keep in mind that the business needs are the most vital.  An issue stands out when an organisation on installing this technology applies it to company problems to discover whether it solves the main problems. In this case analyses of the company problems must be performed beforehand and only then a search for an appropriate CRM solution(Rishabhsoft.com, 2014).

Ideally, CRM system is customer-based;however on implementing CRM system the company may lose its prior focus. The problem arises when the employees forget of this fact and utilise the system in a wrong way. It is highly essential for every organisation to encourage their employees maintain focus on its primal target, which can be expensive(Sssworld.com, 2014).

Also, CRM system,unfortunately, pays off at a slow pace. In other words it takes time to return the budget investment and can take years. As a result a company gives up on further improvement of the system, which in its turn makes CRM a useless tool.

CRM system holds huge amount of private and valuable information about existing or potential clients. Thus an issue of a security arises, especially when it comes to CRM system being hosted in the Cloud. A chance of a virus attacking a system or a "black-hat" braking into it is not excluded.

Utilisation of CRM by the levels of Management

The levels of each organization's hierarchy tightly depend on each other. Therefore it is vital to maintain focus on relationship between all three of them.

In order to guide its decision the top management follows a strategic plan which is usually a long-term forward looking campaign that concentrates on a future growth of the company as a whole. Relying on the very aggregated information received from the CRM allows the top managers to make their decision with regard to such areas as service or product development, markets and products, strategic alliances, etc. In other words whether the company should remain in business, which products to produce, where to locate its facilities, what production equipment to use.  CRM is designed to provide the executive level of management with detailed and rich information on up-to-date basis, accessed 24/7, which means it is more effective and quick than a static weekly report. Having such opportunity the top management can make just-in-time decisions to improve the performance of the organisation and get more revenue.

Once the executive level of the management chooses the general direction of the organisation, it is up to middle management resolve smaller tactical objectives, which would accomplish the strategic goals of the company. Tactical plans that are more detailed comparing to strategic ones, are usually a medium range plans, meaning it can take from 6 months to two years into the future. As a rule, the medium management utilises CRM in order to concentrate its attention on department functionality and productivity, for instance whether one or another objective requires some quality improvement or measureable efficiency. Also, though basic production capacity is usually resolved by a long-range consideration, it can also be managed within limits in the medium term. Just like the executive level, the medium level of management has an instant access to the database of CRM, throughout a year, every day, seven days a week(Plus, 2013).

Day-to-day business involves operational planning, which are short-term activities targeting the needs of the customers on daily basis. Operational planning requires very detailed information in order to accomplish the objectives set by a middle management. When decisions are to be made, the operational management, known also as a first line management, relies onto CRM to identify the most immediate requirements of organisation, for instance what to produce, when or what machinery to utilise, in what quantity or in what order, etc. In general the first line management tends to concentrate its attention on such areas as departments and sections hence with an access to CRM, a weekly or daily scheduling will help to analyse the productivity, change a system and adapt to one or another alteration.  As a rule a short range operating takes the orders directly from the customers(Managementstudyguide.com, 2014). 

Conclusion

Attraction, satisfaction, and retention of the most valuable customers are the main features of CRM system, which make every company successful. Byorganising and controlling all the company's processes looking after customers in sales, marketing, and service CRM allowsincrease revenue, improve customer satisfaction, and optimise customer retention.

Customer Relationship Managementsoftware brings together a significant amount of  information about customers the business is dealing with:

- market,

- responsiveness

- marketing effectiveness,

- trends

-sales,.

This program is utilizedfor storing information on customers thatcould be reached by employees across the board. For large and small organisationsweb-founded software becomes a best approach in a scenario when the staff is working outside the office premises or has poor IT resources.

Ideally CRM categorises and stores information in a user-friendly format and is aimed to offer the best services to customers, based on the history transactions. This improves the company's effectivenessand efficiency which results in theincreased revenue margins.

Accumulated information within the system helps every organisation improve its profitability by interacting with each and every customer in a friendlier way through individualisation. Its keygoal is to enhance and retain satisfaction of every customer by integrating technologiesinto business processes.

Definition of entrepreneurship and discussion of its relevance in the context of start-ups and established firms.

Introduction.

            Throughout human history, an entrepreneur has been a most active player in areas of technological, economic, and social development. After Richard Cantillon’s work, Essay on the Nature of Commerce in General (Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en general) was published in 1755, the words, “entrepreneur” and “entrepreneurship” have been increasingly used in the business and economics literature (Eisenmann and Eisenmann, 2013). Today, entrepreneurship research involves many disciplines such as economics, management, cognitive science and sociology.  Acknowledging that there are different approaches to defining the entrepreneurship and many opinions of its importance in modern business environment, this assay research mainly addresses the relevance of entrepreneurship in the context of start-ups and established firms from the perspective of economics and management.

            What is entrepreneurship?

            According to Professor Howard Stevenson, the godfather of entrepreneurship studies at Harvard Business School, entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity beyond resources controlled(Bgi.edu, 2014). However, the most common definition of entrepreneurship is the next: "entrepreneurship is the willingness to take risks and develop, organize and manage a business venture in a competitive global marketplace that is constantly evolving" (BusinessDictionary.com, 2014). Entrepreneurs are inventors, innovators, pioneers and leaders. They are at the front line of social and technological movements – in their fields, in their forward thinking, in their desire to push the frontiers. They are dreamers and most importantly – doers. The most obvious example of entrepreneurship is the starting of new businesses.

Body.

            In the body of the essay the researcher is going to discuss positive and negative aspects why start-ups and established firms might choose the way of entrepreneurship and  the well-established notion that large and mature organizations stifle an employee’s ability and motivation to become an entrepreneur (Kacperczyk and J, 2012, pp. 484--521). The essay will consist of four paragraphs minimum.

            First paragraph will cover why many start-ups choose to be entrepreneurships. One of the reasons is that "“Pursuit” implies a singular, relentless focus"(Bgi.edu, 2014). In other words entrepreneurs often perceive a short window of opportunity. They need to show tangible progress to attract resources and "the mere passage of time consumes limited cash balances" (Morris and Paul, 1987, pp. 247--259). Consequently, entrepreneurs have a sense of urgency that is seldomly seen in established companies, where any opportunity is part of a portfolio and resources are more readily available. Opportunity  implies an offering that is novel in one or more of four ways and may entail:  pioneering a truly innovative product; devising a new business model; creating a better or cheaper version of an existing product; or  targeting an existing product to new sets of customers (Boonchoo and Wadeson et al., 2013, pp. 61--78). These opportunity types are not mutually exclusive. For example, a new venture might employ a new business model for an innovative product. Likewise, the list above is not the collectively exhaustive set of opportunities available to organizations. Many profit improvement opportunities are not novel, hence not entrepreneurial, for example, raising a product’s price or once a firm has a scalable sales strategy, hiring more reps.

            Second paragraph will discuss why many new firms prefer to copy already existed businesses in terms of market, product and service. Many entrepreneurs keep expenditures to a bare minimum while investing only their own time and, as necessary, their personal funds. In some cases, this is adequate to bring a new venture to the point where it becomes self-sustaining from internally generated cash flow (Tanan and Isti et al., ). With most high-potential ventures, however, founders must mobilize more resources than they control personally: the venture eventually will require production facilities, distribution channels, working capital, and so forth. Another point is risk. It is well-known that most of entrepreneurs are risky. However, a lot of people are not risk takers, as such they are far from entering entrepreneurship as a business way.

            Third paragraph will talk about  the factors that push established organizations fully or partially to transform into an entrepreneurship. As entrepreneurship is "a distinctive approach to managing" rather than a specific stage in an organization’s life cycle such as a start-up or a specific role for an individual (i.e., founder), or a constellation of personality attributes (e.g., predisposition to risk taking; preference of independence), so in this view, entrepreneurs can be found in many different types of organizations, including large corporations(Writework.com, 2005). Especially ones that have intention and spare funds to expand their businesses.

            The last paragraph will explain decisions that were made by established organisations to leave current type of employment in order to operate and assume risks for well-organised businesses. Large and mature firms "generate bureaucratic processes that hinder development of the kinds of employee skills", motivations, and aspirations favourable for new venture formation (Abeuk.com, 2014). This view implies that, as firms grow and mature, they become increasingly able to absorb the entrepreneurial drive of their employees.

Another way is that many firms, by exposing employees to highly specialized and closely monitored tasks, inhibit the ability to "challenge the existing order and to engage in creative problem solving"(Mospace.umsystem.edu, 2014).

Conclusion.

            An entrepreneur is some­one who searches for change, responds to it, and exploits change as an opportunity. For these people starting up their own business offers a greater possibility of  achieving significant financial rewards than work­ing for someone else.

It provides the ability to be involved in the whole  operation of the business, from concept to design and creation, from sales to business operations and customer response. Because entrepreneurs are pursuing a novel opportunity while lacking access to required resources, they always face considerable risk. Another question is funds needed, which are much easier to forecast when calculating for already existing business. That is why, many new businesses continue to follow well-approved business paths. Nevertheless, not only start-ups are famous as source of entrepreneurship, but many well-established companies go by this way in order to improve their positions in market or expand its influence even further. On the other hand, such issues as bureaucracy and close monitoring of employees become obstacles on the way of entrepreneurship.              

Business Communications skills are essential for success in the modern business environment.

Introduction.

“When a relationship is working, the act of communicating seems to flow relatively effortlessly. When a relationship is deteriorating, the act of communicating can be as frustrating as climbing a hill of sand."

- Chip Rose, attorney and mediator.

“Good communication skills are imperative for outstanding performance and career management”(Abacusbusinesscoaching.com, 2014). Effective communications skills are the key to a modern business executive’s success. Many of these skills are timeless such as leadership, strategic thinking, driving results, relationship building, clearly communicating direction and motivating others. Business executives have to possess these skills; however, they also need to update the required skills and competencies of the future. Executives,who improve and expand their existing skills to include global experience, will be “better suited to conquer new business challenges”(Talentmgt.com, 2014).

Companies which invest in the development of their executives are in a much better position to turn drivers and challenges of change into business opportunities for innovation and growth. By adopting opportunities to develop world experiences and “emphasize a balance between people and business skills”, organizations can significantly improve their own competitive positions.

According to Katz R. (2009), the modern business executives have to possess the next skills and capabilities:

ü  presentation skills;

ü  negotiation skills;

ü  influencing skills;

ü  compromise;

ü  cooperation;

ü  writing skills and report writing;

ü  listening skills.

However, Bennett J. (1971) in his article “The Communication Needs of Business Executives” discussed several others skills: 

ü  strategic thinking;

ü  business skills;

ü  people skills such as stress control,conflict and problem solving.

In his work Bennett also insisted that executives who are “best-equipped to handle the new business imperatives do not only possess the skills and competencies that traditionally have been required” but also have ample strategic thinking skills, global experiences, exceptional communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to manage remote teams(Bennett, 1971).

Business executives’ communications skills.

Strategic thinking has acquired a broader definition. To understand clients, business executives are expected to lead, think and operate from a global perspective.

Mark Karel, president of Philips Medical Systems, said leaders of the future have to be able to integrate different functional areas of their companies into solutions that add more value for their customers (Skills, 2014). Thus, executives have to spend more time with customers in an effort to understand their social, demographic elements, cultures and to build an “awareness of both the competitive and political landscapes” (Skills, 2014). Executives who are able to improve their strategic thinking skills will get a competitive advantage for their businesses. The Institute of Executive Development and RHR Internationalconfirmed from its survey thatstrategic thinking “will continue to be at the top of the list of required skills” for future executives (Warren, 2014).

Many companies are establishing global competency models to adapt to this changing business environment, which require executives to obtain international experience in addition to their traditional business skills. Moreover, they want their executives to have a mix of skills, competencies and experiences. For example, Philips Medical Systems managers in order to be promoted to senior managers must have experience in two different countries and work in two different product divisions (Warren, 2014).

Another great advantage for executives is to balance between business skills and people skills. Before, executives mainly paid attention to the “business” skill set. Taking into account significant growth in numbers of teams operating remotely, the challenge to managethese teams effectively across borders has emphasised excellent communication and interpersonal skills at the executive level. For example, Ernst & Young has a “people-first environment,” which starts at the executive level and infiltrates the whole organization. The attitude has become “an expectation in the company’s culture” (Helpguide.org, 2014). This attitude made people feel more valued, hence an increase in retention.

Innovation is yet another “timeless skill that will continue to be a top priority” (Leadership-development-tips.com, 2014). To stay for business competitive, it is important for executives to focus on product development, speeding up research and getting products to market in short terms. They have to be innovative and entrepreneurial, despite a size of their organization.

Presenting information effectively and clearly is a key skill to get one’s message or idea across. And today successful presentation skills are required in almost every field and business executive have to feel persuasive and confident while presenting; utilise a systematic approach to preparing presentations; develop and improve techniques to overcome obstacles in delivering successful presentations.

Successful negotiation skills include everything from pre-negotiation planning to the use of seemingly unimportant details like seating, meeting and arrangements site selection one can influence the results of negotiations. These skills help to communicate more effectively with partners, rivals, stakeholders and employees at all levels of the organisation. However that requires a complex mix of skills and abilities to adapt to different personality types. In order to consistently achieve successful results, it is vital to have “an in-depth understanding of the processes of communication and negotiation” (Bennett and Olney, 1986).

The next important skill is assertiveness. It is a way of behaving and thinking that helps an individual to advocate persons rights while respecting the rights of others. Assertiveness means expressing opinions, while it can “lead to confrontation and takes courage” (Stotesbury, 2009). Some people find it hard to be assertive because of their natural easy-going temper and hence require some practice. Executives have to know how their behaviour style influences their overall performance as a manager.

The final skill concerns stress control. Everyone experiences conflicts at some points of lives. Although, conflicts could result in loss of time, resources, and efficiency in any business team, when managed well, conflict can lead to new ideas, more efficient decision-making and better performance. This skill helps executive to handle modern issues such as team dysfunction, mediation between difficult employees, coping and working through difficult situations. Several key surveys have motivated organisations to search for ways to “give their members a greater sense of control, reduce stress, and improve productivity and morale” (Leadership-development-tips.com, 2014).

Conclusion.

Communication is very important in an organization as it connects members within a specific department as well as links them to members from other departments, from other offices and from all over the world. Moreover, successful executive’s communication can make the difference between success and failure for a company.

Successful communication helps to provide the efficient operation at all levels of a business, from lowest to highest, while a poor communication often leads to inefficiency. And it is well known that “inefficiency equals a loss of productivity” and as a result loss of profits (Katz, 2009).

Increased efficiency is not the only result of successful communication, but it also establishes a sense of unity among members, leading to their feeling of self-appreciation, working together toward a common goal as the success of the organization.

The main conclusion that may be drawn from this research of communication skills necessary for business executives is that they are more vital than ever before for business success and that they will continue to be a crucial component of the business communication.

Report on customer behaviour.The Platinum rule.4 types.Characteristics.

INTRODUCTION:

One of the main tactics to a success of a business is - understanding of customer behaviour. It helps companies: (i) to satisfy customers, (ii) adopt the marketing idea and, (iii) gain legitimacy in society (Sheth, Mittal, 2004).

Modern researchers reveal more than a dozen various models of our behavioural differences. But many share one common thread: the grouping of behaviour into four main categories. The Platinum Rule of Dr. Tony Alessandra focuses on patterns of external and observable behaviours using scales of directness and openness that each style exhibits. Because we can see and hear these external behaviours, it becomes much easier to “read and understand” people. This model is practical, simple, and easy to use and remember.

TYPES OF CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR

Because it is known that the benefits the company achieves are due to a successful delivery of customer service it is very important that the sales person recognises the types of customer he deals with and identifies the method to cope with one or another type. 

Overall there are recognised four main types of customers' behaviour, these are as follows:

Relater tends to be indirect and open;

Director usually is direct and guarded;

Socialiser tends to be direct and open;

Thinker is indirect and guarded

CHARACTERISTICS OF BEHAVIOUR TYPES

Relaters:

The relaters put the priority on the relationship. Their pace is slow and relaxed. Their appearance is casual and they tend to conform and dress like those around them. The workplace of this type of customers is personal, relaxed and friendly. The relaters usually get their security from friendship and cooperation. They rely on other people. One of the things they fear is sudden, abrupt change. Relaters also measure their personal worth by their compatibility with others and the depth of their relationships. They're internally motivated by involvement, in other words such type of people have a need to be needed by others.

Strengths

·         listening,

·         teamwork,

·         follow along.

Weaknesses

·         are little overly sensitive,

·         sometimes slow to start,

·         tend not to set very big goals,

·         irritated by insensitivity and impatience,

·         when under stress become submissive or indecisive.

Upon making decisions relaters usually tend to do so with others and what they're seeking from people is a sense of acceptance and a sense that people and relaters will be working together.

Thinkers:

The thinkers are slow and systematic with their priority on the task. Their focus is on the process and their appearance is a little more formal or a little more reserved. The source of security for thinkers is preparation and thoroughness. Their workplace is often structured and functional. In reality thinkers fear criticism of their work as well as get embarrassed. They measure their personal worth by precision and accuracy. And their internal motivation is the process. Commonly the thinkers love following a detailed process and believe in personal competence.

Strengths:

·         planning,

·         organization.

Weaknesses

·         tend to be perfectionism,

·         are hypercritical,

·         slow decision makers,

·         Under stress tend to withdraw or become very headstrong about the facts and figures that they're working on.

Thinkers make thorough decisions (well thought out). And they're seeking from people accuracy and information, something they can rely on. Usually thinkers want to know that they can not only rely on someone, but also rely on people's research, data, claims, warranty that come with whatever people are offering them.

Directors:

This type of customers is fast and decisive. The directors focus on the task and want to get results. They're businesslike and powerful. Their workplace is busy, efficient and structured. They tend to exert control and leadership in order to gain security. Directors often feel most secure when they're in charge. What they fear is being taken advantage of or wasting time. They measure their personal worth by the results they get, the track record they've built and the progress they're making. Their internal motivation is winning, being in charge.

Strengths:

·         delegating,

·         leadership,

·         inspiring others.

Weaknesses:

·         impatient,

·         insensitive,

·         disliking details,

·         irritated by inefficiency and indecision.

·         Under stress, highly critical and become dictatorial.

Their decisions are decisive and quick and most often they seek the bottom-line results. The directors want to see some productivity and that there is an outcome.

Socialisers:

The socialisers are fast, spontaneous and put the focus on the interaction and the relationship with other people. Their appearance is reckless and more stylish. The workplace for socialisers is personal, a little cluttered, sometimes stimulating. As for their source of security, it is flexibility, playfulness and gaining the approval of other people. What they fear is loss of prestige or boredom. Such customers measure their personal worth by recognition they've achieved, the number of friends, status, the kind of attention they're drawing to themselves. Their internal motivator is being part of the team. In other wards they want to be involved.

Strengths:

·         persuasive,

·         enthusiastic,

·         entertaining.

Weaknesses:

·         not very punctual,

·         ignore details and sometimes appear restless,

·         irritated by routines and perfectionism,

·         sarcastic under stress,

·         sometimes superficial.

Socialisers make their decisions quickly and spontaneously. What they seek is quick outcomes. They want recognition, to have fun. In addition to see the things happening, socialisers also want to be involved in what's happening.

TACTICS IN DEALING WITH FOUR TYPES OF CUSTOMERS

the relaters need to know how a suggested offer will affect their personal situation. The best way is to deal gently and avoid conflict. In order to facilitate their decision-making it is better to give them personal service, assurances, guarantees. Communicating with others, relaters want their companions to be pleasant and supportive of their feelings and concerns. One of the priorities in dealing with socialiser will be to create a personal environment for the dialogue; go at a slow and relaxed pace; be casual and cooperative with them; Use a time to develop the relationship. The written communication should be warmly and friendly.

The thinkers need to know how they can justify what a person is talking about logically. They want to be able to explain it and know how it works. To deal with them a person must be accurate and avoid a slightest possibility of making the thinkers to get embarrassed. The best way to help them to make a decision is to explain all information and data. As a habit, thinkers want the people the y communicate to, to be precise and to support their process. On dealing with this type it is best to create a serious, thoughtful environment; maintain a slow and systematic pace and put the priority on the task and following the process; be structured and play by the rules; use a time to ensure accuracy. Upon written communication a person should be detailed and precise. And on the telephone, communication should be a business-like, precise and efficient.

The directors desire to know what a product or service does, by when and what it costs. In other words they search a bottom line. Conviction is a great tool to deal with this type of customers. While communicating with directors a person should Stand up for himself, stand for what he does as well as his product with the same save the directors time and effort. In order to help them make decisions it is better to give them options with supporting documentation or analysis. Usually they want their interlocutor to get to the point, support the goals they're trying to achieve and create a business-like atmosphere for the dialogue. As a matter of fact the director tend to be competitive and aggressive, hence a person dealing with them must be prepared to respond to it. It would be wise to use time with a director to act efficiently. The writing to the director should be short and to the point. A same strategy should be on the phone.

For the socialiser, what they want to know is how's this going to work for them? How's it going to make them look? How's it going to help them get the results they want to get? How's it going to save them time, and how's it going to make life more fun? The best way to communicate with them is to be creative and in order to facilitate their decision it would be wise to give them testimonials from people they admire and respect and incentives that they will personally enjoy or benefit from. They want a communicator to be supportive of their ideas. It is best to create an enthusiastic atmosphere; be fast and spontaneous. The priority for socialisers is the relationship and the interaction, on dealing with this type of customers a person should put the focus on a dialogue and get them involved. Usually if they're not talking, they're not listening either. While communicating socialisers tend to be spontaneous and playful, which a person they come in a contact should be the same. On writing to them, a tone should be informal and a little dramatic and on the phone - conversational, flexible and playful.

BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATION

According to the described above behavioural characteristics I may consider myself as thinker. Understanding my own behavioural style and natural tendencies are just the first step to enhancing relationships. The main point is people should be treated according to their behavioural style, not ours.

Knowing weaknesses and strengths of each type as well as considering my own capabilities I would adapt to each of the behavioural style differently. The below is a potential strategy as to dealing with customer behaviours of each type.

Adaptation to the director style

·         not waste their time, because they are sensitive

·         Be organized and get to the point.

·         Give them relevant information and options, with probabilities of success.

·         Give them written details to read at their leisure – all on a single page.

·         appeal to their sense of accomplishment because they are goal-oriented,

·         support their ideas and acknowledge their power and prestige.

·         Let them talk

·         be efficient and competent.

·         Plan to be prepared, organized, fast-paced, and always to the point

·         Learn and study their goals and objectives – what they want to accomplish, how they currently are motivated to do things, and what they would like to change

·         Suggest solutions with clearly defined and agreed upon consequences as well as rewards that relate specifically to their goals

·         Get to the point

·         Provide options and let them make the decision, when possible

·         Listen to their suggestions

Adaptation to socialiser style:

·         Support their ideas, goals, opinions, and dreams.

·         not argue with their visions;

·         get excited about them.

·         flutter around with them if that is required

·         Bring up an entertaining conversation (e.g. jokes)

·         Avoid rushing into tasks

·         write things down and work from a list

·         Show that I am interested in them, let them talk, and allow my animation and enthusiasm to emerge

·         Clearly summarize details and direct these towards mutually agreeable objectives and action steps

·         Provide incentives to encourage quicker decisions

Adaptation to the relater style

·         take things slow,

·         earn their trust, support their feelings, and show sincere interest

·         Never back a Relater Style into a corner

·         Be sincere, pleasant, and friendly

·         Develop trust, friendship, and credibility at a relatively slow pace

·         Ask them to identify their own emotional expectations

·         Avoid rushing them and give them personal, concrete assurances

Adaptation to the thinker style

·         be sensitive

·         support the Thinker Styles in their organized, thoughtful approach to problem solving.

·          Be systematic, logical and exact

·         Give them time to make decisions.

·         Allow them to talk in detail.

·         be thorough, well prepared, detail-oriented, business-like, and patient.

·         prepare, so that I can answer as many of their questions accurately

·         Greet them cordially, but proceed quickly to the task; don’t start with personal or social talk

·         Ask questions that reveal a clear direction and that fit into the overall scheme of things

·         Give them time to think; avoid pushing them into hasty decisions

·         Tell them both the pros and cons

·         Follow through and deliver what you promise.

CONCLUSION:

As Dyche (2002) outlined no customer can be thinker, relater, director and socialiser for 100% (Figure 1). Every individual displays these qualities and features, however at the different degree. Thus the sales person must learn as much as possible about his or her customer in order to identify a perfect and successful approach to do business with the client. One of the main tactics that will bring a sales man to a great performance during a sales process is to ask questions, always be patient as well as be ready to accept verbal abuse, in instance: harsh language, name calling or offensive remarks. Dealing with different types of customers the person should also consider aggressive responses, such as shouting or threatening gestures, as it can happen while communicating with director-type customers.

The sales persons must also learn how to be dominant during a sales process and be able to control it, with a same making his/her customer to buy form them. However the people doing business should also remember that in addition to challenging and difficult customers there are those that are very easy to be dealt with for example such as socialiser-customers. 

In order to respond well to all types of customers, sales person needs to be skilled in such areas as: assessing and recognising their own emotional responses; monitoring their behaviour during an interaction with the customer; be active listeners; always ask question to clarify the customer’s problem and be ready to negotiate.