The importance of business owners developing excellent customer relation skills, to enhance sales and take their businesses to the next level, has been pointed out by the Human Resource Committee of St. Monica Catholic Church, Igbogbo, Lagos. This crucial business strategy, formed the kernel of the discussion and submission recently, at the maiden business seminar, held by the Human Resources Committee, titled, ‘Winning more customers and increasing sales.’ The event, which was facilitated by Otunba Yinka Daodu, Chairman, Human Resource Committee, and Mr. Jacob Ushie, Chairman, Catholic Men Organization, St. Monica Catholic Church, equally saw participants exposed to the dynamics of winning more customers, emotional intelligence, brand building, and how to handle rejection in business. According to Daodu, business owners must cultivate the skills of active listening to identify customers’ needs and satisfy them. He equally stressed the importance of business owners being respectful and courteous, and being able to know and communicate effectively with their customers, with the view of gaining their (customer) loyalty. He said: “As a business owner, you must take the pains to know some important things about your customer; their birthdays, anniversaries, their preferences and dislikes. These will enable you to serve them better.
You also need to understand their behavioral trends for quality control and good pricing.” While taking the participants through the operational modules of some major multinational business brands, the facilitators admonished the participants to move away from their comfort zones and begin to explore novel ways of making their businesses more competitive and attractive to their customers. “To grow rapidly, you must never compromise the quality of your products. You must also be mindful of your location and the purchasing power of your prospective customers to be price sensitive. Be honest and truthful, and train your staff regularly to meet the yearnings of their customers. Enhance your sales channels, add retail outlets, use resellers, and try to implement an e-business strategy in line with modern trends”, they advised. In his address to participants, Rev. Fr. Gasper Olanrewaju, Parish Priest, St. Monica, Igbogbo, commended the Human Resources Committee for a job well done, as he added that the seminar had become necessary, given the depreciating economy and the view to empower business owners on ways of growing their business. He pledged that such seminars will be held regularly to impact positively on parishioners.
