Mistakes happen. If you are working with a customer and they get upset over something, take the high road and simply apologize. In sales, and in business, wires get crossed from time to time. A customer may become confused over your quote. They might have been thinking of one thing, and you were thinking of another. A misinterpretation occurs. These things happen all the time. As a result, your customer gets upset or frustrated. They may take this frustration out on you. How you handle what happens next is critical.
If you want to make things right, simply give your customer a genuine, heartfelt apology. Whether you are right or wrong is irrelevant. From the customer’s standpoint, they are upset. They are now looking for you to make things right again. Before you begin to take any corrective action, or try and clarify the matter, apologize first. Tell your customer that you are sincerely sorry for the confusion and that you honestly didn’t mean for it to happen. Go on to tell them that the last thing that you wanted to cause was frustration, and or stress.
When you say these words, say them with all of your heart and sincerity. As if you were apologizing for a major catastrophe (something far worse than what actually happened). This is important because although you may think that the customer is blowing things out of proportion, in the customer’s mind, they might see the matter as incredibly important to them. This is why handling things delicately with a genuine and over-the-top apology will help right the ship.
Here’s the shocking truth though: when these kinds of misinterpretations or mistakes happen, very few salespeople actually say the words, “I am sorry.” Instead, they listen to the customer and then either 1. disagree (horrible path to take), or 2., they recommend some other solution without even acknowledging or addressing the customer’s frustration by first saying sorry. In my opinion, this is not only rude, but it tells me (the customer) that what I just said to you doesn’t justify an apology in your mind. This only helps separate you from the customer’s mindset. This is never a good thing. Instead of moving closer to doing business, you are moving further away.
Remember this: customers are incredibly emotional when they are about to make a purchase. A simple, small miscommunication that could have been solved with a genuine apology, could entirely blow up your sale if you don’t handle the matter properly. If you don’t handle it right, this might just trigger a gut-reaction with your customer that tells them to hold off on buying anything. A simple sorry can save your sale!
In addition to the above, apologizing also shows good character and professionalism. When customers are getting ready to buy, they absolutely want to know that they are buying from a professional salesperson with morals and values. Have the common sense and etiquette to apologize to your customer when needed. Let your competition make the mistake of not saying sorry when it is warranted. You will get the business that they could have had.
Lastly, the reason that salespeople, and people in business often don’t apologize, is because 1. they are simply ignorant, 2. they diminish the customer’s concern and frustration because they see the matter in their mind as rather petty or, 3. their ego gets in their way causing them to feel as though they were right and the customer was wrong. In this case, they think that they shouldn’t have to apologize. Wrong!
The next time you talk with a customer and they show signs of frustration or are upset over something, before you say anything else, remember this article and what you read here. Apologize to them with all of your heart. Your customer will appreciate the fact that you listened and understood their concern. That you took it to heart and said those three magical words- “I am sorry.” Your customer will want to move onward now that their concern has been adequately addressed with sincerity and professionalism. Say sorry!
-Happy Selling!