Do You Hug Your Customers? [Start Your Week]

Do You Hug Your Customers?

I know what you’re thinking right now.  Just hearing the title of this podcast caused you to think that Rod has really lost it this time. I thought he was crazy when he said he wears a sport on sales calls, but the idea of hugging customers goes way too far. 

Well, before you stop listening, hear me out. I’m not going to tell you to hug customers. I would be the LAST person to suggest you do that without good reason. But just so you know, if a customer is a good friend you haven’t seen for a long time, a hug may be warranted. Or if a customer suffers a great personal loss, that may also call for a hug. Hugging is one of the most effective ways you can comfort someone, make them feel loved and make them feel better. It’s also one of the fastest ways to increase a very important relationship building hormone in the body, oxytocin. In fact, any kind of physical touch will have a positive effect on oxytocin. If you go to certain countries, kissing on the cheek is the custom. I learned that every time I went to Brazil and Argentina. But the United States is one of the few countries where kissing on the cheek or hugging is an uncomfortable thing to do with anyone you meet, even relatives. However,  there are ways to make people feel good without hugging them...