| Blurt it out--Lose the Sale |
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So, Kathie Lee Gifford has made her master come back on the TODAY Show. Fittingly, she received a "welcome basket" from her colleagues at NBC last week. In the basket was a bottle of Purell hand sanitizer. She pulled it out and exclaimed, "Purell! Thank goodness," glancing at the near-freezing fans in Times Square who were eager to meet her, "who knows what kind of germs you people have!" A big "oops", here, Kathy Lee. You know the ropes, or should by now. NEVER, EVER, say the first thing that pops into your mind when around customers! And her fans ARE her customers. Who else would stand out on cold cement in Times Square before the crack of dawn to get a good space near the metal fence? Most of us aren't on the TODAY Show, but have experienced not thinking before speaking. Have you ever had this issue of blurting out exactly what you were thinking, but shouldn't have said it--right in front of a customer? Did it get you into trouble? If the customer didn't openly yell "foul", I would bet you that the sale was lost or in dire jeopardy. I used to work with a VP who would correct customer's grammar. Blurt out anything that came to mind, and unapologetically not care if the customer bought or not (of course they were MY customers, so saving face was immaterial to him). In short, this technique isn't effective. If you are occasionally guilty of speaking before you think, read on to my top 5 tips of how to avoid jeopardizing an account with your rapid verbal skills: 1. After the thought (or smart-Aleck comment) comes into your head, pause. Your pause should give you just the time you need to say "STOP! You idiot, don't say that!" 2. Re-frame either your question or what the customer said. Often times, if we simply repeat what the customer just said, they'll keep talking and we can be quiet (restraining ourselves). 3. Soften your voice so you sound gentler. Often it's our emotions that take hold and we either sound sarcastic, irritated, whiny, or shrill--depending on your voice and what baggage has been carried over from childhood. (So even if you say what you shouldn't have...the reality is, it won't sound as irritating or offensive to the customer.) 4. Write something down. This will re-engage your left brain and allow your right-brain-out-of-control blurting a chance to slow down. (Yes, language comes from the left side of our brain, but emotion is housed on the right-side, which is often what gets us into trouble.) 5. And if all else fails, remember what your parents drilled into you? "Think BEFORE you speak." That will solve all of your problems regardless of the situation! Oh, and if you know Kathy Lee, remind her that keeping her customer fan-base is critical to her success. Happy Selling! (c)Renee Walkup, All Rights Reserved, www.salespeak.com 678 587-9911 |
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