Sweat the Small Stuff

What's the secret to success? Sweat the small stuff. That means paying attention to the details.


In order to provide excellent customer service, our employees must be able to communicate effectively, politely and they should genuinely care for the customers. This doesn't happen by itself. How we interact with friends and family is not necessarily a model for how we should interact with customers and prospective customers. This will require training and a development of skills necessary to carry out activities. Just because we care, that doesn't mean we are showing it in a manner that others would recognize. Do you know how your voice sounds? What does your face look like when you show empathy? How does your body language connect with the message your voice is giving?


It requires sweating the small stuff to ensure that an encounter with a customer or prospective customer ends on a positive note.


We need to ensure that our employees can actually solve problems for our customers. Have we given them the tools to do so? Clear cut guidelines help your staff know the boundaries as well as what's expected of them. Give people the ability to solve problems. Put procedures into place so people clearly know where they stand. Reward people for going above and beyond.


Then take it a step further. What needs to be done to avoid the service issues in the first place? Is it product based? Is it the result of unclear policies and procedures? Keep a log of service issues and incidents. Actively work to cut down on the factors creating them in the first place.


We need to create companies that create cultures where providing the best products and the best service is not just words on a poster. "Good enough" should never be tolerated...and, yes, you must sweat the small stuff. I hate that phrase by the way, "Don't sweat the small stuff - and it's all small stuff". It gives permission not to care. Just because it's small to you, doesn't mean it's not big to your customers.


Respect your customers. Do you value them as the reasons for your continued success or are they simply dollar bills to be pocketed? Your attitude is also felt by your employees. They'll take their cues from you.


Great success requires great effort. Sweating the small stuff - how you act, how you react, your attention to details - all combine to lift your efforts above others. Commit to it and reap the rewards.

Networking vs. Using the Phone

Anyone who knows me in a professional capacity knows that I am a big proponent of networking. It's important to make connections - they lead to opportunities.

However, it would be a mistake to think that all businesses can grow solely by networking.

Depending on your industry, you may find that the decision makers from the companies that you consider your "best customer" profile, do not attend networking events. (Seriously, I once went to an event for companies that fit my "best customer' profile and the only people there were others who wanted to make connections with these people. NONE of the people in attendance were in the "best customer" profile.)


If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that's true.

If you've ever held a position that was not in sales, you'll know that most people do not attend networking events as part of their job. They come into work at 8 and leave by 6. Oh, on occasion they might attend a professional event, but that's pretty rare. They don't see or don't feel they have a need for the value of networking.

So what to do to reach them?

In the end, you've got to pick up the phone and call. And yes, that's frustrating.... and yes, it's not nearly as pleasant as talking to people with a canape in one hand and a glass of wine in the other... BUT it's probably more effective.

If you want to increase your business, use your phone for results.

Go ahead, go to the networking events for some human contact - particularly if you work solo - or to build alliances. Increasing your sales revenues? Pick up the phone.

(psst.... Need to know how to do that effectively and efficiently? Check out www.krgcommunications.com or send me a message at info@krgcommunications.com)

I Can't Buy if I Can't Understand You

MAJOR PET PEEVE AHEAD!

As many of you know, I specialize in consulting for and training inside sales and customer service personnel . Can anyone tell me why we keep hiring people who do not have clear speaking voices or whose voices are so heavily accented they cannot be understood? That's a rhetorical question, BTW - I do know the answer. Sometimes we are tasked with "filling seats" or our employment offer is so weak, we can't find qualified help.

Phone work requires a clear speaking voice. An accent is fine - it can actually set you apart and make you more memorable - but the average person you are calling must be able to understand you. A clear voice is a requirement for phone work. I'm not just talking accents, either. A soft voice or one that mumbles or even talks too fast is also inappropriate. 

Please, make sure you hear a person's phone voice before you hire them. Sometimes it can be different on the phone than face to face. That's often because the communication dynamics change when you are on the phone and don't have body language or facial expressions to accompany your voice. 

When we haven't hired the correct help, it doesn't save us any money. We lose money through lost sales. Plus it costs us with a poor or even negative brand image.

Hiring managers need to make sure that they've hired appropriate voices. They will have more sales in less time. After all, if I can't easily understand you, how can I make a purchasing decision?

5 Key Selling Tips Every Small Business Owner Should Know

Does this sound like you?

Many small business owners thrive on the challenge of selling their services, products and ideas. Many of them come from sales backgrounds themselves. However, it is not unusual for a business owner to be a technical or subject matter expert and not a sales person. This creates interesting situations when trying to get a company off the ground.

Just because we're convinced that our products and services are great doesn't mean that others will feel the same way, too. We need to be able to sell not only our product line but ourselves as well.

Stand up straight! Think about your selling posture. A selling posture is not physical. It is, however, the stance you take in order to be closing from the beginning of your sales call. Are you ready to sell? Are you "standing" tall and alert - ready to begin the closing process from the beginning of the process? 

Have you done your research? You know you whether you are speaking with prospects and not suspects. A prospect is a potential customer whom you've identified as having a need or want for your product. A suspect.... well, that's just a warm body. Although we'll always have our share of suspects, the more you do to qualify and sell directly to people who want and/need your product or service, the more sales you'll make (and with less hassle and in less time).

Distance yourself from your products. It is true that part of selling is the ability to sell yourself. For example, being able to make people trust you, rely on you; knowing that your solutions are best suited for their needs all require that you sell yourself. However, you must be able to distance your personal self from your professional persona. Often people will seem to reject you when it's really your product... and sometimes it's not even about a rejection, it may be a bad fit or the timing is wrong. When selling you need to think as though you are selling someone else's products. Give yourself the necessary distance so that you can see clearly.

Fake it 'til you make it. Not sure you know what you're doing? That's OK, most other people don't either. If you're uncomfortable in your role as a salesperson, learn everything you can. Practice often. It gets easier.

Learn, learn, learn. Any work/job/career activity requires ongoing learning. Being able to sell your products and services is no different. Seek out opportunities to learn new selling skills and effective interpersonal behaviors.

You are the person with the most vested in your company. Being able to sell your products and services helps convince others that you believe in what you are doing. Acquire the correct skill sets and you will find that increasing your business becomes easier every day.

Have Your Created Your Best PES?

Today I'm thinking about PES. Not PEZ (Sorry no candy dispensers, here! Dispensing thoughts only.)

PES sums up the buying experience.

P- Price Is your price competitive for your market? For your product? For your customers? Does it send out the right message regarding how you want your product or service perceived?

E- Experience What do your customers experience during the buying process? Is it easy to make a purchase? Is this the experience they are looking for?

S - Service Do you provide the customer service levels that your customers expect?


By themselves, each of these areas are important but won't necessarily force a potential customer to do business with you. It's the right combination of all three that makes a business succeed. 

Think of the downtown areas of towns that are dying. Store fronts abandoned, businesses barely holding on - while on the outskirts of town, the big box stores are flourishing. Then there are the downtowns that are flourishing. Sure, the big boxes came and created a place for themselves in the community but the savvy businesses downtown adapted. They created a new place for themselves in the community. They created a PES that made people want to continue to do business with them.

This holds true for any product or service. Sure, there are the low-ballers. They give bare bones service but the price is right and the product is OK. That will always attract some portion of buyers. Then there is the higher priced, high quality product with the great service that creates a fabulous buying experience for their customers. A portion of buyers will pay a premium to feel catered to.

Finding the right combination of PES helps you survive in an ever changing market place. Will you be able to sell to everyone? Of course not. There will always be those for whom your product or service is not the best fit. However, by using PES as a strategy to attract customers, you are sure to find your best position to succeed.

Overcoming False Objections (part 2)

psst....... If you want this to make sense, read "Overcoming False Objections (part 1) first.,



In order to effectively handle these "false"objections, break down your response into parts. First, treat the objection as if it were real. This means that you will listen, paraphrase and clarify the objection. For example, the woman who needs her husband's approval can be casually asked why he doesn't want you to do this. "I respect that. Tell me, Sarah why would James prefer you not get involved with/ purchase this product/service?" This gives you the opportunity to learn more. Follow up as necessary.


Your gentle questioning should yield you enough information to make your case more effective if this isn't a "real" objection. Never be flip or cast aspersions on the decision making process: "Oh come on, you mean you can't make up your own mind about these things? Sometimes you just have to override him." In the case of the boss not wanting to upset his assistant, you wouldn't want to say: "You're the boss. Who's in charge here?" (and yes, I've heard these responses). You would say "I understand. It can be uncomfortable changing our routines. What could make her more comfortable about this process?"


When someone needs to talk to the boss about it, find out if you can present to the boss. Don't be surprised if the answer is no. This can be a sign of a false objection. Regardless, treat the objection at face value. Find out what is important to the "boss". Make your contact as comfortable as possible: "Knowing your boss as well as you do, where do you think his concerns will be?"


Generally speaking a false objection falls under its own weight. Do not call them on it. Always let a person save face. If you back them into a corner, if you make them feel uncomfortable - if they feel you have disparaged their situation in any way, your buyer will simply stonewall you. That's simply human nature. All the same, don't let that happen. People's responses should always be treated with respect and dignity. Clarify concerns and explore their situations.


Regardless of the objection, make your buyer feel at ease with you. Overcoming objections can be challenging at times but it's always instructional and it always an opportunity to learn more about an individual's needs and motivations. In the end, it's simply understanding human behavior.

A #1 Rule for Salespeople

Here it is: your number one rule. It doesn't involve objections, closing techniques or even reaching the decision maker. It's not about overcoming a fear of rejection. It does, however involve your attitude and approach to sales.

Understand that you will not sell everybody. However you must sell as though you will because you never know who will say "yes".

We can't read people's minds. When we sell, we do our best to uncover needs and concerns. Learn what the customer's hot buttons are - find solutions. But we never really know - we can never really know what another person is thinking. They may have hidden agendas so outside of what we usually encounter that we haven't been able to strategize for them. 

So, keeping that in mind, we need to accept that we will never have a 100% close rate. And that's OK. But here's where many people who sell fail. They don't go far enough in their thought processes. You see, if you can't read people's minds to accurately determine that a "no" may come despite your efforts, it stands to reason that you may not always be able to tell that a "yes" is coming either.

Too many people who sell stop at "Well, you can't sell everybody." The problem becomes when that statement becomes an excuse for not using your best selling skills in all selling situations. 

Recognizing that you won't sell everyone, you still need to approach each sales situation using all your available skills. This has two advantages for you. One, sometimes you never can tell who will say "yes". Two, by using your best skills all the time, you will naturally increase your sales results. When you use all your skills frequently, you become more adept at using them (really you do have to use them or you will lose them).  More Adept = More Sales.

Pay attention to rule #1. Use it to not beat yourself up over a lost opportunity but more importantly use it to ensure that you are always selling at your peak readiness.

Planning for the Unexpected

These back-to-back snow storms we've been getting here in the New York metro area over the last few weeks are reminding me of what I came to call "Jo Ann's Excellent Adventure". 

Several years ago, I was working with a client in the Chicago area. A quick "there and back again" overnight business trip wound up lasting 2 days longer than expected due to the weather. I watched the last flight out of O'Hare take off for Phoenix before everything shut down. Unfortunately, that's not where I needed to go. 

Yet oddly enough, I managed to get back to NJ a full 26 hours before the flight I was re-booked on was due to land. Remember this tip: Trains go when planes don't. 20 hours on the train can be preferable to waiting around for the next flight.

Here's my point: it's always wise to have back up plans. This is true whether it's for winning an account or just getting home. As soon as I was told the earliest flight I could get home on would be 3 days later, I immediately knew to call Amtrak - where they not only booked me on the train but transferred me to hotels.com so I could get a room for the night.

I had a strategy for alternative ways to achieve my goal. Do you have alternative strategies in place in achieve yours?  If not, take the time to do so. You'll be happier with your sales efforts (and home faster!) 

Are You Showing Up?

"Ya gotta show up" That's what a former voice teacher of mine was fond of saying. You want to get work, you've got to show up - and if you show up often enough you'll get the jobs/results you want. 

It's an apt analogy for people who sell for a living. You have to show up - be there not just physically but your brain as well. Are you fully engaged every time you're with a customer or prospect? Being fully focused on your customer and your objectives requires giving the proverbial 150% of yourself. That's how you succeed.

You also "show up" by exhibiting great personal habits. Do you make enough calls each day? Do you follow up? Do you respect and value the responses you get from customers and prospects? Do you respect their opinions while helping them see the value of your products/services or the solution you are proposing for them?

Show up. REALLY show up. Good will always come of it.

In Defense of Sales

During holidays or family get-togethers, many people dread spending time with various family members. Uncomfortable questions are asked, usually about relationship status (He hasn't proposed yet? Dump him!) or family/fertility status (“You can’t wait forever.” “Really, it’s no good to only have one.” or “You’ll completely change your mind once you have one.”). Me? I’m not grilled. I’m constantly regaled by tales of the worst of my industry or people’s thoughts about my industry – none of which are positive.

No, I’m not a politician or a lawyer. I’m in sales.

Everyone has their favorite, horrifying story of a salesperson run amok. They tend to cluster in fields such as car sales, real estate and home improvements. Now, I made a decision long ago to stay B2B. The hours are generally better and I've found the work environments to be more professional. Because most of the general public only see sales from the fields I've just mentioned, they tend to think that all sales people are like that.

Except, we’re not.

The best, the most successful sales people treat their customers and prospective customers with respect. They ask questions to learn about needs and concerns. They won't shove you into a square peg of a product/service when you need one with a round hole. They want you to be long term pleased with your decision to do business with them. They want you to refer others to them.


So why do people sell that other, terrible way? Simply put, it works. It’s not great for long term relationships and it certainly won’t gain any referrals but for a salesperson that needs to make quota, he might not care. Notice I've used “he”. In my experience, you’ll generally find harder sell techniques from men than women. To an extent, it’s about natural and environmentally reinforced styles. On the other hand, many times poor techniques simply arise out of misconceptions or lack of training or poor training in general. Poor communication from supervisors/managers also fall into that territory. If you've never been taught how to do it right and you spend your time in a situation where everyone does it wrong, well…. Those poor techniques will seem right to you.


So, let’s all make a pledge: To use our selling skills to enhance the customer experience. To be an ambassador for the sales profession by using effective yet appropriate selling techniques. To help guide our prospects and customer towards making the best decision for them. 

When you do this, notice how your sales will go up, not down. Notice how you’ll experience less stress on the job (because when we use communication techniques that encourage consensus and not conflict, it’s just easier). Notice how people will regard you in a more favorable light – as a partner not an adversary. Notice how your relatives will have fewer stories to regale you with at your niece’s graduation party.

Selling for the Small Businessperson: 4 points

Many small business owners thrive on the challenge of selling their services, products and ideas. Many of them come from sales backgrounds themselves. However, it is not unusual for a business owner to be a technical or subject matter expert and not a sales person. This creates interesting situations when trying to get a company off the ground.

Just because we're convinced that our products and services are great doesn't mean that others will feel the same way, too. We need to be able to sell not only our product line but ourselves as well.

What is a selling posture? A selling posture is not physical. It is, however, the stance you take in order to be closing from the beginning of your sales call. Are you ready to sell? Are you "standing" tall and alert - ready to begin the closing process from the beginning of the process?

Distance yourself from your products. It is true that part of selling is the ability to sell yourself. For example, being able to make people trust you, rely on you; knowing that your solutions are best suited for their needs all require that you sell yourself. However, you must be able to distance your personal self from your professional persona. Often people will seem to reject you when it's really your product... and sometimes it's not even about a rejection, it may be a bad fit or the timing is wrong. When selling you need to think as though you are selling someone else's products. Give yourself the necessary distance so that you can see clearly.

Fake it 'til you make it. Not sure if you know what you're doing? That's OK, most other people don't either. If you're uncomfortable in your role as a salesperson, learn everything you can. Practice often. It gets easier.

Learn, learn, learn. Any work/job/career activity requires ongoing learning. Being able to sell your products and services is no different. Seek out opportunities to learn new selling skills and effective interpersonal behaviors. Keep in mind that even if your background is sales, selling a service can be different from selling a product. Selling a product or service that will be considered merely a transactional relationship by your customers requires different skills than a product/service that requires an ongoing relationship. You'll want to make sure that you are using the correct skill set for success.

Benefit or Expectation?

Do you find yourself doing this? Often when discussing the benefits of doing business with their company,  a salesperson  brings up "great customer service" as a particular benefit... and although a concern, it's not the be-all to close the sale. There's no real strong reaction from their prospect. The salesperson will scratch their head and wonder why. Isn't service important?

Here's the problem: to your customer, great customer service is not seen as a benefit. It's an expectation. People EXPECT to receive great service. It's what you're supposed to be doing. Anything less is seen as not getting what they paid for when they purchased your product.

You may be using less than effective benefit statements when you use "great service" as your main benefit. I always like to use what I call the "so what" factor when developing advantages and benefit statements. If a customer could say "so what" about my benefit, than it isn't one. Customer service as a benefit falls into this category. As a benefit, it's a weak one.

I've heard numerous sales people selling a common product or service harp on what great customer service or support they have and come away with less than their desired results. You must develop other reasons for people to do business with you. Find out what's really important to the customer and sell that.

There are some products that do require a lot of support, and in those cases service may indeed of the utmost importance. However, this is still an expectation, but one that may require reassurance on your part. Use it as a benefit but align your it with your customer's concerns.

Now, that's not to say you shouldn't bring up customer service. Let people know it's important to you and your organization but it should be matter of fact because it is expected. "We've got great service... what we can also give you is...."

You ARE the Expert: The 5" Know's"

Don't we all want to be considered "expert" at something? Being thought of as an expert by our customers helps them to feel more comfortable with us, our products and our solutions. The key to becoming an expert at anything is knowledge and ability to know how to use that knowledge.

The 5 "Knows" to becoming the expert:

Know your company
Learn everything you can about your organization. Stay on top of new goals, new product developments (even if you can't share them with your customers yet).

Know your product
Be familiar with all its uses.
Understand its pros and cons.
Be aware if there are any product-related problems.

Know your industry
join industry related organizations.
Read trade publications.
Network with others in the industry.

Know your customers
What are their goals? Will your product help them achieve these?
What use will your product have in a particular organization?
What is important to decision makers and influencers?

Know your competition
What are they doing?
What are they developing?
Do they have their sights on your customer?
What can they offer that you don't have?
What can you offer that they don't have?


...and now let's build...

Build Credibility
Don't be afraid to say "I don't know"
Say it confidently and with conviction. Then proceed to get the information without fuss and without delay

Build your resources
If your customer has a related need, be in a position to make a referral to a trusted source. It makes your customers more appreciative and cements your position as the expert.

Thoughts on Reaching the Unreachable

Some people just can't be reached by phone. So, do we just close up shop and go home? Absolutely not. However, there are things we do need to take into consideration.

First, is this person truly unreachable?
Some people may seem to be but we may just have to be a little more patient. Try making calls at different times and days. If you're bounced to voice mail, try just using your name and number without a message.

Second, make sure that this person is truly the decision maker.Sometimes there are other people in the decision making process that you can reach. Don't forget about the screener, either. Often these people have the information you need. Making a friend of them can help you get through.

Third, if you are speaking with a screener, use it as an opportunity to qualify. Why spend weeks trying to reach someone if your products or services are not good fits?

Fourth, have a large enough list of prospective customers that you don't feel you have to put an usually large emphasis on one or two potential accounts. It's great to win the big ones, the difficult ones but make sure your market is large enough that you aren't desperate for a particular account. Sometimes being more relaxed helps you think up your strategies more easily.

Fifth, if this really is a account you need to close and you really need to speak to someone - network. This is what those networking events help you with - yes I know "Unreachable" probably won't be there either, but you want to make contacts who can tell you how to reach them. In many ways, this is why many people use for LinkedIn.

Sixth, email won't necessarily get a response unless you have a referral name or your product is just what they need at that moment in time.

It's frustrating when you can't people an individual you'd like to. This is among the many challenges of sales. Remember, strong techniques will help you succeed in the end.

3 Reasons to Network

Labor Day is past and the fall Social Whirl  is nearly upon us. For many business people, it signals a last opportunity for networking (and creating business opportunities for themselves) before the end of the year. So, we network. Lots of meetings - if you want  to you could attend a different event for each meal every day of the week. Not necessarily the best strategy for gaining new business, but you could do it - and that's the subject for a different blog post!

I was recently asked about my reasons for attending business networking events. I realized that it comes down to three reasons:

• To meet people who I can directly do business with (buyer/seller relationship)
• To meet people I can partner with (services I don't provide but could recommend to my clients)
• To get my name and business out there (word of mouth advertising)

Let's look at each one:

To meet people who I can directly do business with (buyer/seller relationship)

This is the primary reason people attend networking events. It's the brass ring, the gold medal - add your cliché here. Unfortunately, many people feel that unless they walk into a room full of obvious potential prospects, they've wasted their time and money. Also, don't be concerned if you see the same people on a constant basis. That's good. You want to be able to build relationships over time. Many people will not spend money on specific products or services unless they feel comfortable with you - the more money involved, the higher the comfort level must be. Talking over lunch or dinner is a great way to get to know people.


To meet people I can partner with (services I don't provide but could recommend to my clients)

I can't do it all - and I won't do it all if I can't do it well. I owe my clients and prospective clients that. As a result, there are related aspects to my work that people will ask me if I can make a referral. When I can't do the work myself, I like to feel comfortable knowing I can suggest alternatives. This makes me a resource. It also enhances a person's comfort level when they realize that I only do work that's a good fit for me, assuring them that any work I do will be in my area of expertise and therefore a great experience with the outcomes they are looking for. I love meeting people who have businesses that are complimentary to mine.


To get my name and business out there (word of mouth advertising)

I find that I get as much business from 3rd party referrals as from directly making contact with qualified prospects. Just because the person you're talking with doesn't need your services doesn't mean he won't be speaking with an associate or colleague in the future and mention your name. I've met people and had opportunities come my way that I might never have heard of through my direct efforts.


So, networking offers much on many levels. At the very least, it's great for solo- preneurs to get out and continue to hone their skills. At it's ultimate it's a great way to expend your own personal network - and grow your business.

Open the Call

Have you taken the time to think about your telephone presentations lately? Many people tell me that possibly the hardest thing to do these days is reach the decision maker. But what happens when you do reach them? Have you created an opening that makes people want to listen to you and become active participants in the conversation? All too often when I look at prepared scripts, I notice sentences that might look well in a direct mail piece but will either get you shot down quickly or simply won't engage your prospective customer.

Here's two examples: openings that tout money savings or a saving of time and effort. It may very well be the case, but everyone says their product either 1) saves you money, 2) saves you time or 3) makes your efforts more efficient thereby also giving you savings from 1 and 2 as well. Seriously, everyone says it. Doing this actually makes it easier for a decision maker to tune you out - because you're not different from anyone else who calls - and they'll try to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

Let's think about a better way. Why not simply introduce yourself and your company name, make a quick one sentence statement about what your product is, and then ask some questions. Take the opportunity to learn more about your potential customers. In fact, one of the things you might find is that this decision maker is not a potential customer. Isn't better to find that out up front? Isn't it better to learn who you should be talking to or know that currently your products/services are not a good match for a particular organization?

Sit down and review your opening. Make it natural sounding. Avoid tired and hackneyed phrases. Take the time, instead, to become genuinely interested in your prospect. You'll be far happier with the results.

Rules for Being a Good Customer

OK, here's a topic I'm sure you weren't expecting. Everywhere we go we're bombarded with articles about how to be a great customer service rep, how to deal with difficult people... But, you know how many times we have been guilty of being that difficult person. Let's see if we can make things a little more pleasant for that other customer service rep... the one who has to deal with us.

Here are a few rules we should keep in mind.


Be respectful. Especially if we want something...people are more willing to help if you're nice to them.


If you have to disagree, use a polite tone of voice. It's OK to be assertive, but we can still be polite. Do not create a scene, no matter how upset you are. You'll come out looking badly not the company. Impress them with your dignity.


Have some empathy for their position. We know from our own experiences how we feel, so share the love.


Be nice. Remember that you are dealing with a human being who in all likelihood had absolutely nothing to do with the company's policies.


When someone does something well or gives goes out of their way for you, be sure to compliment them and thank them. Better yet, if you see a manager, tell them what a great job their employee did.


Don't make extra work for someone if you can avoid it.


Don't be crude. True Story... someone spit on the floor of a home improvement store I was in recently. Just walking along and spit...You know your mother taught you better than that.

Overcoming the False Objection

Overcoming objections is a way of life for a sales person. Many companies will provide their people with scripted responses to common objections... and that can be a good thing. When starting at a new firm, it's neither in yours or the company's best interests for you to re-invent the wheel. If someone else has already come up with a great way to handle objections, you should use it.

For many sales people, the abilty to discern between a real and a false objection will make the difference between making your sales quota easily or working much harder than you have to in order to make your numbers. The best way to do this is to recognize that you must take all objections seriously but remember that not all of them have any real value. Here are some examples:

My assistant is set in her ways. It would be just too much of a fight to get her to ______ (fill in your product/solution).

My husband won't let me do it.

I need to talk to my boss about it.

In all of these we need to make sure that these are 1) real objections and 2) we don't belittle a decision making process.   Often people come up what with handy all-purpose responses designed to get the sales person to back off.  The response may have nothing to do with why they are really objecting.

 In order to effectively handle these objections, break down your response into parts. First, treat the objection as if it were real. This means that you will listen, paraphrase and clarify the objection. For example, the woman who needs her husband's approval can be casually asked why he doesn't want you to do this.  "I respect that. Tell me, Sarah why would James prefer you not get involved with/ purchase this product/service?" This gives you the opportunity to learn more. Follow up as necessary.

Your gentle questioning should yield you enough information to make your case more effective if this isn't a "real" objection. Never be flip or cast aspersions on the decision making process. "Oh come on, you mean you can't make up your own mind about these things? Sometimes you just have to override him." In the case of the boss not wanting to upset his assistant, you wouldn't want to say "You're the boss. Who's in charge here?" (and yes, I've heard these responses). You would say "I understand. It can be uncomfortable changing our routines. What could make her more comfortable about this process?" 

When someone needs to talk to the boss about it, find out if you can present to the boss. Don't be surprised if the answer is no. This can be a sign of a false objection. Regardless, treat the objection at face value. Find out what is important to the "boss". Make your contact as comfortable as possible. "Knowing your boss as well as you do, where do you think his concerns will be?"

Generally speaking a false objection falls under its own weight. Do not call them on it.  Always let a person save face. If you back them into a corner, if you make them feel uncomfortable - if they feel you have disparaged their situation in any way, your buyer will simply stonewall you. Don't let that happen.  People's responses should always be treated with respect and dignity.  Clarify concerns and explore their situations.  Regardless of the objection, make your buyer feel at ease with you. Overcoming objections can be challenging at times but it's always instructional and it always an opportunity to learn more about an individual's needs and motivations.  In the end, it's simply understanding human behavior.

Assumptions

When you assume something, you make an *** out of you and me.

It’s quite the popular saying. I think it’s safe to say that many of our miscues and miscommunication with both customers and colleagues come about due to assumptions we’ve made. 

Customer service personnel often make assumptions based on what they’ve heard before not what you need. Sales people make assumptions based on who they think you are and how you fit into their profile. When I was in my early 20’s, I took my father along when I went to purchase a new car. After doing my research, I had narrowed my options down to two.  The salesman, seeing a young girl with her Dad, assumed I’d be interested in the more sporty features of the car. Well, he assumed wrong and didn’t make the sale.

It can be too easy to assume that we know what the customer wants. We use responses based on what has worked for us before. However, have you ever found that some responses work sometimes and not others? It's usually because we assumed the customer's thought process or even situation. We've provided answers based on faulty information.

We can save ourselves much time and anxiety by not falling into the trap of making assumptions. Although many people will react certain ways and certain situations, it’s always best to verify.

Learning more about the motivations of the people we deal with help us to become more in tune with them. Our suggestions are on target, our solutions meet their needs. Why? Because we didn’t assume.

Don’t be afraid to learn more. People are often flattered that you are interested. Using open ended questions you can generate additional information. Use a phrase such as "Tell me more..." to gently prod people into giving you more details and insights. Asking questions to clarify never puts you at a disadvantage.

(…. Well, OK, if you’ve asked the same question over and over, people will start avoiding you. J)

Knowing the motivations of others allows us to formulate plans and responses based on what is as opposed to what we want them to be. It makes a big difference.

Stop communication miscues. Ask questions to verify and to learn more. Ask questions to show you are actually interested in their needs. This works well in sales or service situations but is also quite handy in dealing with co-workers, bosses, friends and family.

Avoid making assumptions. Don’t let them make, well you know….

The (incorrect) Rationalization for Poor Service

Why do we keep hearing about customer service employees whose behaviors border on the hostile? For example, the fast food worker who doesn't like how a customer treats him/her and privately spits on the food (or worse). The retail employee who feels justified in poor customer service because he/she doesn't like the working conditions, the boss and/or the pay.

How have we become a nation who feels it's OK to mistreat customers?
Back in the early 1990's, a friend of my husband's pointed out that if the US was going to become a service based economy, we were big trouble.

People taking jobs in the service sector must be aware going into a job just what "service" means: to serve. Period. If you don't like the idea of serving others, you need to seriously consider another line of work. If changing fields isn't possible, you need to be able to suck it up and deal with it.

Now, there are those who will feel quite put upon at that idea. They'll tell you that customers should always be nice to the help... and so they should. However, when people come into an establishment to spend money, they have certain expectations. Expectations that need to be fulfilled if they are going to return. Polite, courteous, helpful. That's what people expect.

Can we put out the idea that customers should treat employees with respect and courtesy? Of course, they should. However, they are the ones spending money so they get to call the shots. Unless a customer is completely abusive, it is not up to the employee to retaliate. In those cases, call for a supervisor to deal with them. Pass the customer off politely to management.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, we've forgotten to set expectations on how we expect people to behave when interacting with others. This just isn't a customer service issue, but an issue about what constitutes appropriate behavior. Have we failed as parents, teachers, mentors, managers because we haven't been clear on our expectations? Have we failed as a society because we haven't always set appropriate limits?

People who are disrespectful of others will wonder why they continue to make low wages or have difficulty holding jobs. They will rail against the idea of having to subjugate their needs and wishes temporarily in order to get a job done well. They can rationalize their behavior all they want. They will continue to be unhappy.

There is never an excuse for treating people poorly, no matter what line of work you are in. So, put a smile on your face and courtesy in your voice. You'll be surpised at the difference it makes in your life.