Make dialogue with diverse customers simple and straightforward with these helpful tips.
Having open discourse with diverse customers is crucial to promoting inclusivity and making everyone feel welcome. If you struggle to know where to start, we’ve got some pragmatic pointers to help you along your way.
Before having conversations with clients about diversity, it’s important to take the first step and establish your feelings. What reading have you undertaken to come to those conclusions? Have you considered a number of alternative opinions? One of the main reasons we become fearful of having these types of conversations is that we don’t feel prepared, so make sure you know your stuff and keep informed on all the diversity and inclusion issues that matter.
You may be familiar with the concept that, as humans, we have a variety of learning styles. For example, many of us are visual learners, meaning that picturing things in front of us is the most effective way to absorb information. If this sounds like you, and you’re having trouble building the confidence to have diversity conversations in person, try writing things down first. Start by jotting down a topic and free-writing your thoughts — often you’ll find that they will easily flow from there. This can help you to organize your feelings and feel more equipped when it comes to real-life scenarios.
Each and every culture and group has its own specific etiquette rules and guidelines for what’s expected in things, such as greetings and communication in general. It pays to do your research on the proper etiquette, identifiers, and greetings so that you can show your respect to your customers from the get-go. This will get your chats off to a positive start and make your clients feel seen.
All too often, when a conversation appears to be going awry, or just not quite the way you’d planned, it may be that your emotions have stirred! Of course, empathizing is human and often crucial to the picture of understanding diversity-based topics. However, when you’re chatting to customers, you want to try and focus on the facts where possible, so that you can maintain clear communication throughout.
Believe it or not, a common response to a lack of confidence around diversity conversations is… not listening enough. Your thoughts matter, and your research will be appreciated, but one of the most important things you can do is simply hear what others have to say. Let them speak about their first-hand, real-life experiences. Ask plenty of questions. You can also try what is known as “active listening.” This is where you summarize or restate information given to you in order to confirm that you’ve correctly understood. Not only does it show that the conversation is important to you, but it also builds a great rapport and helps with the natural flow of dialogue.
Show your diverse customers the respect they deserve, and have rewarding, positive conversations with these hints and tips. Get talking about all things inclusivity on social media too, and don’t forget to tag @mobilestylesapp on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
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