[ELECTRONIC MUSIC]
Welcome to this video-lecture of Live Text Access:
Training for real-time intralingual subtitlers.
This is unit 4. Entrepreneurship and service competence.
Element 1: Management and interpersonal skills.
This lecture is about basics of customer communication.
The materials are created by SUBTI-Access and ZDF Digital.
This is the learning outcome:
The trainee can timely and effectively
respond to customer’s requests to ensure accessibility.
In this video-lecture I will talk about basics of communication,
by means of a few communication models.
After that, about what to consider at communicate with clients
and how to respond to customers requests.
What can we learn from communication models?
The main models of communication can be split into three categories
and all following models can be assigned to one of these categories.
Linear, interactional and transactional.
The linear model holds that a message travels in a straight line
from its source through a channel and to its receiver.
Linear models explain one directional communication processes.
The interactional model holds that communication travels in a circle
as a sender transmits a message and then the receiver
responds with feedback.
So thus both parties become sender and receivers.
Interactive models are best for explaining
impersonal two-way communication processes.
The transactional models holds that sending and receiving
occur simultaneously.
They explain direct personal communication processes
where two-way feedback is immediate.
Like mentioned before,
models of communication are conceptual models
used to explain the human communication processes.
To understand how communication between people works,
which factors are relevant and why difficulties appear,
we will have a short look at different communication models.
There are eight main communication models,
which make the complex topic more understandable.
Over the years, these various communication models
have been developed and some build upon each other.
The aim of these models is to present the interrelationships,
levels and processes of communication as simply as possible
and on a smaller scale.
However, despite numerous research results,
it is hardly possible to come to a final conclusion
and define a comprehensive and perfect description of communication.
In the models communication is broken down to basic pillars,
that show how we communicate with others and the issues
we must overcome for successful communication.
It would be beyond the scope of this lecture to go into all these models,
so following only the main aspects of the most important models
and a short summary.
The communication model of Friedemann Schulz von Thun
distinguishes four different levels in each message:
The Factual level, the self-revealing,
the relationship indicator and the appeal.
The so-called factual level is about numbers,
facts and other data or rational information.
In the self-revealing level
the speaker reveals something about himself,
what happens almost every time communication takes place.
It often happens unconsciously, but it allows an insight
into the emotional world and personality of the message-sender.
Information about the relationship between the sender and receiver
of a message is also conveyed by the message in the relationship level.
In the appeal level,
a sender of a message always wants to achieve something
with his statement and to evoke a reaction from the recipient.
Thus, it can be directly requested to do something
or less obviously an action or its omission is suggested.
Now a few words about the Shannon- Weaver model of communication,
which also has been called the "mother of all models".
A communication model that clarifies the interaction between people
in a relatively simple way and shows where problems can arise.
The idea here: Every communication consists of two sites.
A sender who wants to pass on a message or information
and a receiver who receives it.
In order to transmit the message, the sender encodes it,
which sounds complicated, but actually just means
that it is expressed in speech or body language.
The receiver for his part, must understand and decode this code.
For example speak the same language
or be able to correctly interpret and understand the body's signals.
The communication becomes complete when the receiver sends back feedback
that he has understood or misunderstood the message.
According to this communication model,
misunderstandings occur,
when a mistake is made on one side.
The last two examples of communication models make clear,
that communication models can provide clarity in communication.
Therefore, communication models explicitly answer following question:
Who says what to whom and why?
And this can help to prevent conflicts
and to have a more constructive communication.
In private situations as well as in the working environment
and in the communication with clients.
So let's have a look at the communication with clients.
Various types of communication represent a main aspect
of daily work with clients.
For this reason, everybody should regularly familiarize themselves
with the most important communication models.
On the one hand, in order to learn
how to interpret customers statements or request correctly,
and on the other hand in order to convey their own statements
in the way that is suitable for the customer.
Communication with clients should always be transparent
and information transmitted benefit-oriented.
The customer should have knowledge about the company
or the service provider like: products, other services,
other offers, social commitments, core values and other stuff.
This is the cornerstone of mutual understanding.
Communication with clients must be personal
and every customer must be addressed individually.
Means all communication must be focused on the individual.
For example: There's a difference between talking to a private client
who needs your service for a trustworthy doctors talk
and a meeting with someone from a big company,
which wants to book you for a conference.
Through communication which is customized
and adapted to the customer needs you reach the clients emotions.
Communication with clients must be proactive.
Inform your customers, even about problems of failures,
at an early stage.
Open communication and active involvement
in relevant business processes are good for the customer relationship.
Communication with clients must be simple.
Information is often formulated too complicated.
Express yourself as simple as possible
in your customers communication.
Communication with clients must be a dialogue.
Customer communication is changing from monolog to dialogue.
Especially through modern media
it is possible and also expected to communicate not only one sided.
And the last one:
Communication with clients must be fast and directly.
Now let's have a look how this works in practice
when you receive a customer's request.
At first a few aspects, which you have always to consider.
Customers expect a response to their concerns within a few hours
or maybe one day.
So check your inbox every day and respond in a timely manner.
After all, in addition to speech, competence and kindness also count.
You should respond to enquiries not only in a reasonable time,
but also pay attention to the quality and style of your response.
This way you can convey a professional
and authentic image of yourself.
Surprise your prospects with detailed information,
they might not have expected.
When you receive for example an email request,
why not give the sender a quick call?
This way you avoid unnecessary waiting time for the response
and can quickly bring the request to a conclusion.
From the customers inquiry to the completion of the order,
the personal impression the customer has of you,
plays the most important role.
So always face customers in a competent,
helpful and friendly manner.
When a customer's request receives you,
always communicate with focus on information and dialogue.
Maybe the client isn't sure yet to hire you.
Pay attention not to communicate linear.
Think about the interactional model instead.
Means: Communication travels in a circle
as a sender transmits a message
and then the receiver responds with feedback.
Thus both parties become sender and receiver.
Important here: Convince instead of persuade.
The customer and his needs should be in the focus of your actions.
The primary goal is to get an order and the customer’s loyalty.
To see the customer as a partner, makes the communication easier.
Now an example of a deaf or Hard of Hearing individual,
who wants to book you as a speech to text interpreter
or maybe only wants to know a bit more about your service.
In this case she or he is interested in being supported
with the communication during a meeting at work.
It's important to communicate openly what the customer can expect
and what not.
In this case it's the best to give a revealing insight
of how everything will work exactly.
So for this example, you can tell the costumer:
as a speech to text interpreter you will not interface the conversation.
You only participate passively
and support the client in following the meeting.
Furthermore tell him or her, that you have a vow of silence
and so everything that is said is confidential.
You can offer the transcript of the meeting afterwards.
But you are not required to.
So here you need to arrange this beforehand.
Anyway it's very important to agree upon everything
with the customer in detail.
For example: if the client doesn't come to a meeting,
the interpreter will not just stay to make the transcript.
Talk about all details.
For example where you want to sit in the room
and how the text will appear.
Maybe on a screen or for example using Text on Top.
Make sure to clarify all customer‘s questions
and to inform her or him about all details.
When this conversation is via email,
consider that it maybe takes a lot of emails to clarify everything.
And of course speak openly about the payment.
The main models of communication can be split into three categories:
Linear, interactional and transactional.
Communication with clients should always be transparent
and information transmitted benefit-oriented.
Make sure to be available for customer’s requests
and react in a timely manner.
Convey a professional and authentic image of yourself.
Always face customers with: competence, helpfulness and kindness.
Information and dialogue are essential components.
Exercises.
The exercises for this video-lecture
are in the trainer's guide and at the PowerPoint file.
Thank you for your attention.
[ELECTRONIC MUSIC]
LTA - LiveTextAccess.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
SDI - Internationale Hochschule.
Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici.
ZDF Digital.
The European Federation of Hard of Hearing People - EFHOH.
VELOTYPE. SUB-TI ACCESS.
European Certification and Qualification Association - ECQA.
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
Erasmus+ Project: 2018-1-DE01-KA203-004218.
The information and views set on this presentation
are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the official opinion of the European Union.
Neither the European Union institutions and bodies
nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use
which may be made of the information contained here.