Half-day 1: the foundations
You delve into customer-oriented communication and discover how to make a positive first impression.
This page was translated from Dutch with AI.
Commercial communication
Customers expect personal communication, and every question, complaint or email is an opportunity to make a lasting impression. In this in-company training you learn to understand customers better and handle complaints with empathetic communication. The training consists of two half-days for 6 to 12 participants, in Dutch or English.
Do you recognise this?
A customer emails that the quote is not what she expected. You reply quickly and correctly, but two hours later she calls and still sounds dissatisfied. One channel says something different from the other.
You feel like you are doing everything right and yet you are not getting through. You want customers to feel understood, but every question, complaint or email requires a different tone and you have to search for it every time.
Customer contact requires more than being friendly:
- you do not always know what a customer really needs;
- you switch between telephone, email and social media without it feeling consistent;
- complaints feel like an attack instead of an opportunity;
- your first impression determines more than you would like.
Every interaction counts. With the right skills you strengthen your customer relationships instead of putting them at risk.
Why is my message not getting through to the customer?
Those who focus mainly on their own message miss what the customer is actually asking. Then you answer the question politely, but not the concern behind it.
That costs time, because conversations and emails go back and forth until someone finally says what is going on. It also costs energy: a complaint feels like an attack, and you take that feeling with you to the next contact.
It does not have to stay that way. Listening and showing empathy are habits you can learn, even if you do not apply them automatically today.
How do you communicate so that customers feel understood?
Commercial communication is not a gift for a few people. It is a skill you learn with listening techniques, empathy and practice in real customer situations.
Our coaches know the moment when a customer conversation goes wrong, and they know how to correct it. In two half-days you first lay the foundations and a good first impression, and then you practise listening, empathy and customer scenarios with feedback on what you do.
This way you enter the next customer contact with more peace of mind, and with an approach that works, whether it is by telephone, email or social media.
What you can do after the training
After the training you can:
- make a positive first impression;
- use empathetic communication skills to understand the needs of customers;
- deal with different communication channels, including telephone, email and social media;
- use effective listening techniques and show empathy in customer interactions;
- handle complaints quickly and effectively with your problem-solving skills;
- tackle different customer scenarios.
This is how we approach it
The training consists of two half-days.
Half-day 2: listening, empathy and scenarios
You learn effective listening techniques and how to show empathy in customer interactions. You handle different customer scenarios and get feedback to improve your skills.
Afterwards you keep practising
Every training is extended in the THOC Learning Space. Your material remains available and you get an AI Coach who knows the lesson.
We work in an experience-oriented way: practical exercises and realistic scenarios, so you apply what you have learned immediately.
Who gives this training
Our coaches can give this training. Are you a customer service employee, sales professional or entrepreneur and do you want to strengthen your customer communication? Tell us which customer conversations are difficult for you, and we will tailor the scenarios to them.
Frequently asked questions
For customer service employees, sales professionals and entrepreneurs who want to strengthen their customer communication. It is an in-company training, so we practise with customer scenarios from your work.
Two half-days. The first is about the foundations of customer-oriented communication and the first impression. The second is about listening techniques, empathy and customer scenarios, with feedback on what you do.
With six to twelve participants per group, so everyone can practise and get feedback. The training is available in Dutch and in English. Let us know which language your team prefers.
Every training is tailored, so we work with a quote after we have heard your question. If you want to combine this with other skills, request a tailored training.
Your material remains available in the THOC Learning Space, together with an AI Coach who knows the lesson. This way you can continue practising at your own pace.
Practical details
- Formula: In-company training
- Languages: English, Dutch
- Participants: 6 to 12