We all get calls during business hours wanting to sell us something. 99.9% of the time they’re an unwanted intrusion. Some are annoying because they’re pestering.
But they’re all made for the very reason we’re all in business. To make a sale and get a new customer.
But be very careful how you say no. The person on the other end of the telephone is always a potential customer. If not directly, they may know someone who wants to do business with you. And general talk about bad experiences travels faster than positive experiences.
Think about which one you do more frequently. Rave about a good experience or complain about a bad one?
As a business, I give to charity. And I’m rung many times during business hours to GIVE.
On this particular call, I felt that I was being pestered. I’d been rung by this charity 3 times in 3 months. And I was a little annoyed. To be truthful, really irritated.
But I’m always mindful that everyone is a potential customer.
I put on my best manners and explained that although I’d love to be able to give some more, I just couldn’t. And that it broke my heart to say no.
Which is the truth. I really hate saying no. I wish I could give to everyone as much as I’d like. But this time, I just didn’t want to.
The woman on the other end floored me with her response.
She said her daughter had recently given her a Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover as a gift. And she loved using it. And my gracious rejection to her appeal for help made her feel all the more committed to her cover.
Listen to me, because this is the truth. You just never know who’s on the other end of the telephone or the email.
I’ll tell you why I’ve chosen to always be gracious in saying no. And it is always a choice.
In Chapter 1, I told you I’ve had more doors closed in my face than opened.
Many years ago, in my first foray into joint ventures with appropriate companies, I contacted iron manufacturers. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Why shouldn’t we do a promotion together?
The Marketing Manager at one company informed me that he doesn’t do business with anyone who has to contact him. He knows every business out there that’s important and mine isn’t on his list. If he wanted to do business with me, I’d know about it.
I have many conversations with my customers about which irons they use. And I’m often asked which irons, in my opinion, are good to own.
Guess which one I never mention? And which one I’ll NEVER buy.
It’s a proven fact that emotion lies behind almost every decision you make. How you’re treated directly affects how you respond. You may justify your actions in a logical manner, but your reaction is triggered by your unconscious emotional response to a situation.
So choose your words carefully when rejecting someone, for any reason. 6 degrees of separation is a reality, not a myth.
There’s no justifiable reason to not be the most well mannered Guerrilla From The Bush. One of the most common complaints today is the lack of manners in business transactions.
How do you say no to unwanted phone calls? They’re an intrusion in our business day and I’d love to have your take on how you handle them.
I’d love you to post your comments and let’s see if we can help each other. Better yet, let’s have as many people as possible pitch in and share their experiences.
Take care,
CAROL
To see what we’ve achieved, click on our website at www.interfaceaustralia.com. We’ve developed markets for 6 products without national or international retail distribution.
Read the story of how our business began on The Ironing Board Cover Lady. No sales hype. Just a down home story about how we started our business on the dining room table of our rural property, driving on ‘L’ Plates, without an instructor.
A comment about LinkedIn. If you’re not a member of LinkedIn, when you click View Full Profile, you’ll be asked to join. It’s free and the option is yours. There are benefits to joining. Once you’re a member, you can key in the name of any person you do business with. If they’ve taken the trouble to complete a Profile, you’ll be able to assess their background, their capabilities and the calibre of person they are. You might be, as I am, often pleasantly surprised. So go have a look.
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