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Your clients didn't attend client school
Exercising patience and considering your responses
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 Gas under $4.00/gallon?
I was fueling up in Virginia recently (before the recent price drop) - a special treat for us Marylanders, because regular gas was listed at only $4.10 per gallon. I swiped my card and began to fill 'er up. To my surprise, the pump's display read $4.15 (not $4.10).
I walked in to see the attendant and shared my observation. When he saw me, he took a break from the conversation he'd been having with a co-worker, listened to my concern, smiled, then turned and pointed to the sign above the price sign. He politely shared that $4.10 was displayed as a "CASH ONLY" price. I felt silly for not having seen the bright yellow "CASH ONLY" sign and as I exited his store (laughing at myself) I thought, "He sure was polite about that." Surely I wasn't the first one to ever make this mistake, yet many attendants would have given a gruff and annoyed response.
 Stupid is as stupid does.
All to often, salespeople are annoyed by "stupid" questions ... and it shows. We've all worked with a salesperson whom - no matter how hard they tried to hide it - was obviously annoyed by a question or concern we had. In reality, it's just like our elementary teachers used to say: There are no stupid questions. If you make a client feel inferior for voicing a concern, you may make the immediate sale, but you will likely lose that person's repeat and referral business.
You forgot your referral?!?
Have you ever been spoken down to, at a doctor's office? Instead of getting upset with the patient who forgot to bring along their referral form, why don't they just remind us to bring it when we make the appointment? It sounds so simple, but I don't ever remember a receptionist telling me what to bring when I set up the appointment.
How does this apply to sales? Well, when I was selling cars, years ago, I realized most people didn't know what was needed to complete a trade-in transaction. I took just a few minutes to put together a checklist for my clients and used it for the next 11 years. On that list were such items as: title, lien release, extra keys/remotes, owner's manual, etc. I would then e-mail my clients this checklist, also reminding them not to leave behind personal items such as garage door openers, toll passes, CDs and sunglasses).
Not only did this wow the dealership's inventory manager and impress the future owner of that vehicle with a complete set of keys, remotes and an owner's manual, it also made my clients feel totally prepared for their visit. "You've thought of everything," they'd often say.
How could clients regularly forget we'd need their car's title to complete a sale? Well, clients don't go to client school. But there are plenty of salespeople out there going out of their way to make their clients feel bad in situations like this -- as if the client has somehow forgotten to "do their part." Talk about winning the battle only to lose the war! It's only their part when we've educated them ... generously and politely.
I rushed to be here on time and you're late!
 Life is full of choices. We regularly get to choose how we respond to others. I was meeting a friend for an 11:30 a.m. lunch recently. After searching the restaurant and realizing she hadn't arrived, I grabbed a menu and waited outside. When she arrived several minutes later, she asked, "Have you been here long?"
Here was my moment of truth. I got to choose how I'd respond. I could say, "Well, we agreed to meet at 11:30, and that's what time I got here." But think of the implications of a statement like that - even when done politely, it immediately puts the other person on the defensive by reminding them they've done something "wrong."
Instead I said, "Nope, just a couple of minutes. You look great!" This felt so much better than starting off our lunch with a right vs. wrong tone.
You have the unique opportunity of distinguishing yourself from your competition every time you address your client. How will you choose to react - thoughtfully and politely, or rude and dismissively? Better yet, how will you choose to pro-act? Because what you say surely sets the tone for your next interaction with that person - and it may determine whether or not one even takes place.
When I walked away from that gas station attendant, I immediately realized, based on his polite reply to my question, that he was different from most people. Consider the subtle, yet important, impact your words and demeanor have on your clients. Your next moment of truth may be right around the corner.
All the best!
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 Useful Tip: How to Measure Things Without a Ruler
When you don't have a ruler handy, use one of the following to estimate sizes:
- a credit card (3-3/8" x 1-1/8")
- a standard business card (3-1/2" x 2")
- a dollar bill (6-1/8" x 2-5/8")
- a quarter (approximately 1" in diameter) or a penny (approximately 3/4")
- a standard sheet of paper (8-1/2" x 11")
(Source: The New York Public Library Desk Reference) |
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