A sales professional tactic: Small Talk

A heartfelt conversation about shoes and Turkish desserts turned a frustrating situation into a positive experience. Small talk tactic is truly makes a difference!

11/29/20222 min read

A sales professional tactic: Small Talk, let's discover the unexpected lessons learned from a recent shopping experience with Farfetch. From navigating customs fees to the surprising power of personalized customer service, this blog explores how small talk can transform routine interactions into meaningful connections. Join me as we delve into the nuances of communication, customer experience, and personal growth in the business world.

Since the shoes I recently bought with my boyfriend from Farfetch were over €150, they were transferred to the customs consultancy and requested to pay a customs payment of approximately 3 times the price of the shoes.

After learning from the cargo company's customer services that, in accordance with the law that came into force as of May, international purchases over €150 are transferred to the customs consultancy and an extra fee is requested, I called Farfetch customer services, thinking that maybe they would make a privilege.

With this information I learned, I contacted customer service in a very sad and astonished manner. Since my area of ​​expertise is inside sales, it has always been difficult for me to have a telephone conversation with any representative of a company from which I receive service. Until I made this call.

First of all, my purpose in making this call was to separate the shipments under 150€ and request that the seller send the shoes again. The representative who answered the phone checked my order and informed me that the return process had started and that the process would be completed without any problems. Then, when she saw that I had bought two of the same shoes in different colors, she said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I love this shoe model too, and it's not nice that you lost the chance to wear it harmoniously with your boyfriend." "How about I find the same shoes?" she said and made a detailed search. Moreover, after seeing in my customer information that I live in Turkey, talking about how delicious our desserts were, and stating that she definitely wanted to visit this place. After this small talk she explained to me with examples why she could not grant me the privilege I requested.

So what happened?

The customer representative did not solve any of my problems, but I was happy when I hung up the phone, and I purchased the product from Farfetch again the next day.

Why small talk is important?

Customers who call you and want to buy services/products are also human. The fact that you share maybe 5 or 15 minutes of your day on the phone means that you share an energy. Adding personalized small conversations, starting from asking these people how they are, starts the process of making the customer feel special.

What is this small talk?

Small talk is just one of the hundreds of tactics under the heading of communication, and as its name suggests, it means small conversations. When you provide service to people, your conversations should be more personal in order to make the other party feel that you are truly honest and accurate, or that you truly trust your product when selling. You must transfer positive energy. You must be a professional friend of the client. In this way, while the service/sales are sustainable, you can also feel the pleasure of touching people's lives.

In line with my guesses, the person I talked to on the phone either receives quality training through the company she works for at least once a month, or has the urge to actively read and improve herself in her job.

As our world changes every day, communication and expectations from communication also change. We should not stop our education at the point where we can do any job in order to keep up with the present day and improve ourselves. If education continues, success continues.