Are your customers really bad, or do their expectations just not line up with yours? Bad customers are a result of failing to establish expectations with the customer that align with what you deliver.
Watch this 35-second video: “Do You Have Lousy Customers?”:
At the end of a month, a quarter, or a year, it is crazy how quickly salespeople make far claims that go way too far all because they are chasing a number. This happens when the customer starts thinking the expectations are “x,” when in reality, they are “y.” I call this stupid selling on the salesperson’s part. The salesperson may make their number, but all they’ve done is set themselves up for a major problem in the weeks to come. Many times, the issue doesn’t come back to haunt the salesperson immediately. Instead, the problem hits customer service or others in the company first.
A customer makes a major purchase based on their belief that it will do something, because that’s what the salesperson told them. Several weeks later, the customer figures out that their expectations are not going to be met, so they complain to customer service. Too often, customer service just offers a kind gesture to appease the customer, and life goes on. The real problem is that nothing is done to call out the salesperson and ensure their behavior is corrected. Over a period of time, the salesperson becomes skilled at making claims that cannot be delivered on, but it doesn’t matter because they are still making their number. All the while, the company thinks that they have bad customers. Don’t laugh or say, “This could never happen in my company!” Trust me, I’ve seen it in play out in far too many companies and those that you’d least expect. The only reason I know this is because it’s these kinds of companies that reach out and ask me to come in and help fix the issue.
So, what’s the answer to bad customers? It’s simple- do not attract bad customers by doing these two things. First, only go after those customers that fit a profile that you can deliver exceptional value to. Second, prospect and sell with integrity. We attract customers that are like us. It’s no different than friends; you choose to befriend people that are like you. People do business with those they can relate to. Selling with integrity also means making claims that are 100% deliverable, that you will follow through on. When you sell with integrity, you will attract customers who have integrity. Truth sells!
Copyright 2019, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Result
