How’s YOUR Bedside Manner?!
I had a doctor appointment yesterday with my primary doc, who I like a great deal and have since I started seeing him probably 9 or 10 years ago.
His reviews are all very positive (yes, I looked), and I agree with them. In particular I feel like many of his patients do…he has a great bedside manner.
For me, that means someone I feel I can talk to, and trust, and someone who clearly is focused on me and my concerns and questions when I am sitting there in front of him versus feeling he is rushing along to get to the next patient. He's someone who has an interest in what I have to say - I can tell by what he says and how. He takes the time to listen, and then responds. And when I have questions I get answers.
My doctor’s time is valuable…I understand that, but insurance and demands from the medical practice tend to encourage seeing as many patients as possible and minimal time spent with each as opposed to taking all the time needed with each patient…but my time, and my concerns, are valuable too.
When I go to see my doctor it’s about me!! Or at least I feel it should be. WIIFM, right?!
So how is YOUR bedside manner with your buyers and sellers?
- Do you take the time to listen to what they have to say?
- Do you carefully listen to their questions first, and then respond appropriately?
- Do you take as much time as needed to address any issues, explain concepts, talk about possible issues that might arise, or are you rushing to get off the phone or to end the email and move on to the next issue?
- Are you reassuring in what you say AND how you say it (e.g., texts, emails, voice mails, live phone calls), and willing to take the necessary time to hear them out, or does your tone of voice suggest otherwise? An abrupt text or email is not reassuring. And are there times when it’s better to pick up the phone and call rather than responding via text or email?!
- Do you respond promptly when your buyer or seller has a concern or a question and reaches out, or is the response…it can wait, it’s not that important! But keep in mind it is to them, just like you sitting on that chair in your doctor’s office.
You get the idea.
No doubt our style of communication is a big part of our bedside manner, whether in person, on the phone, via text or in an email.
Conveying a positive and reassuring bedside manner might be even more difficult since we are not always in front of our clients, or prospects.
What clients and prospects interpret about our bedside manner is many times without the benefit of the tone of our voice and non-verbal cues and based only on the words read on a phone or computer screen.
It’s still possible to have a positive bedside manner buyers and sellers will appreciate and value, even when we are literally not at their bedside!
How might this be accomplished?
- Respond promptly to questions and concerns – it shows you care, even if you don’t have the answer immediately and need to follow-up. If it’s a call or text get back in touch as soon as possible.
- Take the necessary time to listen – that phone call might mean far more to the buyer or seller that you realize. The issue might seem trivial to you, but it’s important to them.
- When you do respond to an email or text, be sure to address the issues that were raised by your client…not doing so implies you weren’t paying attention, and did not take time to read what they said, which could in turn suggest you don’t care about what they are feeling and thinking. It might seem trivial, but it’s important to them or they probably wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.
- Be mindful of your tone of voice when you are talking on the phone or leaving a voice mail. Plus watch what you say and how you say it in your text or email. Is it possible you sound abrupt or impatient? Could what you are saying be misinterpreted in some way? Are you responding emotionally when that’s clearly the wrong thing to do?
Is YOUR bedside manner something that your clients appreciate and value?
Or might it put them off?
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