Dear Archive Visitor, On one of the walls in my kitchen, I have a plaque that says, "I married Mr. Right, Mr. Always Right." Probably the funniest thing about that however, is that I got my husband to buy it for me. When we were in a store up in Prescott one day, I saw the plaque and said, "Oh honey, you just have to get that for me." When we were at the checkout stand the clerk let us know that she had sold plenty of those plaques but never to "Mr. Always Right." What she didn't know was that for years we've said how funny it is that I get so irritated because my husband always thinks he's right, and how I get even more irritated when I discover that he is. Today's article deals with another type of Mr. Always Right, only in your business it's usually a Mrs. Always Right, which of course is the customer. Now we all know that the customer is NOT always right (unlike my husband). The real challenge is knowing what to do and/or say in order to make your customer feel right, even if she's wrong. In today's article I'll show you why that's important and how to do it!

What to Do When the Customer Isn't Right By Tammy Stanley Have you ever heard the saying, "The customer is always right?" I'm sure I could bet a large sum of money safely that you have. Now we all know that our customers are NOT always right, but there's a reason why that phrase is a good one to live by in the sales world. A while back I was a hostess for someone in a direct sales business. The night of my show I earned a good amount of free product. The consultant told me that I could take a few days to mull it over and decide what I wanted. That sounded fine to me. A couple days later she called to get my order and finalize the party. No problem. I had all the item names and their corresponding item numbers picked out. Then I started giving her the order numbers and the product name. Not once but twice when she repeated the number back to me, I had to correct her and say, "No, the item number I want is..." Her response both times was the same, "Oh, you didn't say that the first time." The training piece I have for you this week comes not only from a sales trainer's perspective but from a customer's perspective as well. As I listened to this consultant tell me that I hadn't said the item numbers correctly, plenty of things went through my mind as a customer: * Maybe I said the number correctly but you weren't listening to me! * Excuse me, are you implying that I was wrong?!!! * Why am I having to read item numbers in the first place? * It's not my job to know your company's item numbers. That's your job. * Why can't I just tell you the name of what I want? * Why are you making this difficult for me? * I shouldn't be spending money with someone who insists on insulting my ability to read a number! * I'm the customer, dog-gone-it! I get to be right. The bottom line is that I didn't feel good as a customer after that interaction. And hey, let's face it, do you feel good when you find out that you are wrong about something? Of course not. In fact, it's very difficult for humans to admit when they're wrong because of how icky they might feel afterwards. It's probably obvious now why it's so important to make your customer feel like she's always right. She's likely to feel icky, if you don't. You don't want your customers to feel uncomfortable buying from you. You want to make that a wonderful experience so they won't have any trouble whipping out their wallet in the future! Let's suppose that I did say the item numbers incorrectly. As a salesperson, how do make your customer feel like she's right even when you know she is wrong? The answer is very simple. But before I tell you the answer, I want you to take a deep breath. So why did I ask for you to take that deep breath? While the answer is incredibly simple, it's not necessarily easy. You have to take a deep breath and be strong. You have to do what so many humans just won't do. When your customer is wrong, you must find some way to take the blame. If a customer tells you an item number and when you repeat the number she gave, she proceeds to tell you a different number, you have to be willing to say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong." If it happens a second time, you have to be willing to say, "Oh my gosh, my listening skills are on sabbatical tonight!" When you willingly take the blame, you'll discover that your customer not only excuses you, she'll often owns up to the fact that she probably made the mistake. You'll also discover that admitting to a mistake isn't as difficult as it seems because the result is frequently extremely positive. Let's look at a few more examples to get the hang of this: A customer calls to find out why she doesn't have her order yet. You know the hostess has received the order but obviously has yet to call this guest and inform her. Now remember, this guest is your hostess' friend not yours. If you make your hostess wrong, it's highly likely that this customer will tell the hostess what you said. What do you do? Remember, take the blame yourself... "Ms. Customer, I'm so sorry. I know Ms. Hostess has received the products, but I obviously didn't inform her that she needed to call her guests and arrange for them to pick up their things. I'm sure she must be thinking that I was going to call everyone. I really needed to make that more clear. The good news is that I know she has your things waiting for you, if you give Ms. Hostess a call." More often than not, Ms. Customer is going to say, "I'm sure it's not your fault. My friend probably got so busy she forgot to call me." You see, most of us do understand how difficult it is to admit we're wrong. Therefore, when someone is big enough to do that, we want to make them feel better. That's why your customers will frequently come up with a reason why it's not your fault, once you admit it is. Let's look at one last example: A customer calls to tell you that you ordered her the wrong item. It's natural for you to want to defend yourself. But remember, the key is to take the blame yourself. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that Ms. Customer. Would you do me a favor and tell me what item you wanted and what item you ended up getting? The reason I ask is that I want to check the paper work and determine if I ordered the wrong item, or if by chance I ordered it correctly but the company sent a different item. I probably wrote the item number incorrectly, and unfortunately I can't say it's the first time, but I just need to be sure what happened." Any time that happened, my customers always responded with, "Well if you made a mistake, that's only human. I can't even tell you how many mistakes I would make if I had your job." The only way you'll discover just how right I am (the good news is that if you start your own ezine, you get to be Mrs. Always Right!) is to implement what I've just told you. And when you do, you'll actually feel how much your customers love and appreciate you for making them feel right even if they're wrong. WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Author, Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker Tammy Stanley publishes the propelling 'Sales Refinery Insights' weekly ezine for direct sales professionals. If you're ready to jump-start your direct sales business, make more money, and create more value, get your FREE tips now at www.tammystanley.com/ezine/ezine_offer_ds.htm

Perhaps the best gift to give your business --My Gold Refinery Coaching Circle! I've designed this program to give you marketing ideas, sales expertise, inspiration, and accountability throughout the month. Whereas most coaches offer only personal coaching, my program includes personal and business coaching. There's not a doubt in my mind that most consultants in direct sales need both. If you want to get a real meal, you've got to go where the cook understands complete nutrition from the level of true experience. You've got to grasp for the knowledge and wisdom contained in the mind of someone who has been there and done it in business and in relationships; someone who has succeeded physically as well as financially; someone who knows defeat as well as victory - and can show you how to reach for the stratosphere while avoiding the blackholes. We'll Focus on the Keys to Transform Your Business Into One That Gives You More Money, Time, and Freedom: 1. Enhancing your current way of marketing to start attracting prospects and recruits like crazy. 2. Harnessing success strategies from working with other top notch producers. 3. Developing a balance that allows both your personal and your business life to thrive. 4. The necessary accountability all sales producers need to get to the top and stay there! This elite group will consist only of women who want to put themselves on the fast track to creating the business and life they've only dreamed about until now. You can learn more about my Gold Refinery Circle by clicking here.

Tammy Stanley, founded and directs The Sales Refinery, a sales training company that assists sales professionals to generate more business and build long-lasting sales teams through powerful marketing, selling and leadership strategies.

Tammy has been coaching and training since 1994 and has a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of the independent sales consultant. While raising four children, Tammy built a multi-million dollar direct sales organization, reaching her company's Circle of Excellence 7 consecutive years in a row. She earned numerous sales and leadership awards, world travel, and promoted 11 offspring managers.

The Tammy Stanley Sales Refinery
Tempe, AZ 85283
Call Today: 480-775-4866
tammy@TammyStanley.com