Jim Connolly Marketing

How to avoid arguments with clients or customers

By |

how to avoid arguments clients, customer arguments

Photo: Shutterstock.

I was prompted to share this tip with you, after recalling an argument between a business owner and one of his customers. It was noisy, public and lost the business owner at least one customer. As you’ll see, the whole situation could have been avoided. Here’s what happened, along with a valuable business lesson.

First, here’s a quote from the 1936 classic, How to win friends and influence people.

The book’s author, Dale Carnegie, said; “Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, you’re wrong! to them.”

You are right. They are right too. Maybe!

When someone disagrees with us, it’s easy to think that they are wrong. This is especially the case when we truly believe that our opinion is right.

Here’s the thing: It’s entirely possible that their opinion and our opinion are both correct, even when we see things very differently.

For example:

  • I really dislike the taste of anchovies. In my opinion and in my experience, anchovies taste disgusting.
  • You may love the taste of anchovies. In your opinion, they taste absolutely delicious.
  • If we went through a lie detector test, we would both be proven to be telling the truth — even though our answers were 100% different.

That’s the thing about opinions. When an opinion is given as an answer, it’s usually one of dozens, maybe hundreds, of possible correct answers.

How one retailer got it VERY wrong

I was prompted to write this post, after listening to a business owner arguing with one of his customers. The argument took place in a cycling shop.

Here’s what happened.

The customer asked if the retailer stocked a particular brand of tyre. The retailer asked why the customer wanted that brand. The customer explained that in his experience, it was the best on the market. The retailer then insisted the customer was wrong. He even went so far as to get his iPad out and show some negative Amazon.com reviews of the tyre, which the customer asked for.

Incidentally, I would have picked a different brand of tyre than either of those picked by the customer or the shop owner. That’s because depending on our experience with different brands of tyre, we will have formed different opinions.

Anyhow, the customer walked out of the shop, shaking his head in frustration. After the confrontational stance the retailer took, and his raised voice, I doubt the customer will ever return — especially as he now knows he can get the tyre he wants, for less, on Amazon!

The retailer had a smug grin on his face, assuming he’d won the argument. What he’d actually done, was lose a customer by showing zero respect for the customer’s opinion and turning a sales enquiry into a heated argument. I’m not sure any business owner can sustain too many victories like that.

How to avoid arguments with clients, arguments customers,

Turning a difference of opinion into a valuable opportunity

We don’t have to agree with everyone. What we should do, however, is learn to respect their right to their opinion.

Indeed, we can use our difference of opinion as a way to create a useful dialogue. We can even use it to deepen our relationship with customers, clients or contacts.

For example, here’s an effective way to handle a business situation, when your opinion is different from the other person.

  • Explain that all you’re interested in, is finding the best solution for them. This places both of you on the same side. The difference this makes to the tone of the conversation is huge.
  • Give the other person the opportunity to say what they want to say, without butting in. By allowing them to get their point across, they will feel less tense and feel more positively toward you, for showing them respect and recognition.
  • If you believe they’re incorrect or about to make a mistake, you should offer them another perspective. Note: You’re not arguing with them. You’re offering them your perspective based on your experience and expertise.
  • Then, offer an example of how your suggested approach has worked in the past, for people with similar challenges. This is massively more effective than looking for holes in their position and bombarding them with reasons why they’re wrong.
  • Ask them what they think… and listen again without butting in.
  • Because there’s no confrontation, no argument to be won or lost, the other person is free to consider your opinion. They can now agree with you, without losing face.

Does this approach magically win around everyone, whose opinion is different from yours? No.

However, I’ve used this approach since starting my business with huge success. It has gained me many clients and many good friends too. Equally, it has never lost me a client, unlike the kind of confrontational approach, used by the store owner in my example.

Interestingly, I’ve always found this approach to be massively more effective at helping others see things my way, than attacking their opinion.

Respect never gets old

The technologies we use today are very different from those, which were used when Carnegie wrote that best-selling book. However, business is still all about people. Showing respect for others and their opinions, is just as important today as it was in 1936.

Exposed: The productivity pattern

By |

productivity, business people success

Whether you’re a business owner, or running any commercial project, there’s a direct link between your productivity and what you can achieve.

So, what’s the secret behind the most productive and successful people in business?

There isn’t one.

There really isn’t.

Thankfully, there is a very common pattern, though. A pattern, which when followed leads to massively more productivity. And it’s one of the common factors behind the world’s most successful businesspeople.

The productivity pattern

The pattern behind the most productive people looks a lot like this.

  • They decide exactly what they want to achieve.
  • Then, they figure out what needs to be done in order to achieve it.
  • Next, they focus on the most effective way to do it.
  • Finally, they do it.
  • They do it even if it isn’t the perfect time, even if their personal life is in a mess, even if they’re tired, even if they’re feeling demotivated, even if they’re scared… they still do it.

That last part is where the vast majority of us stumble. However, some people will absolutely do the last part, but fail to take those first few steps. They discover the hard way, that advance planning is an essential part of any successful business target or goal.

It’s proven to work

The above pattern works in every industry. It works in every kind of economy. It works regardless of our age. And it works whatever our academic record is.

‘It’ works.

But it only works, if we do all the work required, regardless of the hurdles before us. Like they say; when you’re just 1% away from switching a light on… you’re still in the dark.

Do the planning.

Do the work.

And win big.

It’s not easy. However, it’s a pattern for success that has proven to be exceptionally effective. And most of us want our businesses to be commercially successful, rather than just ‘easy’.

Word of mouth referrals: It’s never been easier

By |

word of mouth marketing, Word of mouth referrals, recommendations

Word of mouth recommendations open up an amazing opportunity, for you and your business. If you choose to embrace it, you can have an army of enthusiastic people successfully selling your services.

  • Without paying them.
  • Without even asking them.

There’s a little work required on your part. But once it’s done, you’re good to go! You can then watch extremely high quality sales leads / client enquiries roll in. Over and over and over again.

The work?

Get recommendations by word of mouth

It’s actually pretty simple.

I do it daily with clients.

It works like this.

Think of a product or service you’ve used, which impressed you so much, you told your friends. That’s all you need your offering to do. It’s not about reinventing the wheel. It’s just making some adjustments, which stand out in a meaningful way.

This is what gets people telling their friends, associates and social media contacts about you.

People in your industry have already done this very successfully. In fact, there are countless examples from every industry.

It’s how we all prefer to find new restaurants, phone brands, bars, accountants, motorcycles, authors, marketing consultants, lawyers, professional photographers, financial advisers, software products, artists, fashion brands, doctors, … everything.

Seriously, you need to be a part of that list. You need word of mouth recommendations or referrals working for you and your business.

Word of mouth marketing has never worked better

How come?

The power of a recommendation comes from it being third party and independent. In other words, not from someone who works for the provider they’re recommending, or who is being paid to recommend the product or service. Until relatively recently, someone’s ability to reach people about how delighted they are with you, was restricted. Now, social networks allow anyone to instantly tell 50, 500, 5000 or 50,000 people how delighted they are with you.

Let that sink in for a moment and imagine what that would do for you and your business.

Plus, in many cases, these recommendations and wonderful comments about you, are findable by people using search engines. This gives your recommendations an even wider audience and an even longer life cycle!

Get daily word of mouth recommendations

I work with business owners every day, who are enjoying the massive benefits of free, word of mouth recommendations.

You deserve the same.

So take the time to recreate your products or services, so that people want to tell their friends and contacts about you. If you want to do this right, first time, get some expert help.

Either way, do not miss out on this amazing marketing opportunity to grow your business, from wave after wave of word of mouth recommendations and referrals.

Hard to resist or hard to remember?

By |

decision making entrepreneur

Your prospective customers need to believe that you, your services or your products are exactly what they want. And from the very first moment, they’re looking for hints to help them decide.

That’s why your branding is so important. It’s a pivotal part of what forms their first impression. And first impressions are exceptionally powerful. So powerful that once a first impression has been made, even facts won’t change them.

Whether we like it or not, prospects are already forming their impressions of our products and services.

The brands that have been intentionally designed to create the right impression are hard to resist. The brands that have not, are hard to remember.

It’s completed. On time, as promised!

By |

excuses, reasons, jim connolly 2

Here’s what our clients want to hear from us.

It’s completed, on time, as promised!

That’s exactly what they hired us to do. It’s also what we agreed to. And by delivering on our promise, we’ve just proven ourself to be a professional.

Here’s what no client wants to hear from us.

A convincing excuse, for why we failed to deliver on our promise.

That’s because no matter how clever, how creative or how sincere our excuse is, they don’t want to hear it. It’s not what they hired us for.

Investing our energy

Some service providers would do well, to put as much energy; thought, creativity and effort, into delivering, as they do when crafting their excuses.

Those who put their energy into delivering as promised enjoy amazing results. Not only do we get paid, we earn the trust of our clients, too. We also get repeat business, client referrals and build a world-class reputation in the marketplace we serve.

Just think. We get all those rewards, simply for focusing our energy correctly. What an opportunity!

What to do when the economy is terrible

By |

business lesson, mistake

There’s a really good chance that wherever you are as you read this, the economic forecast is something between terrible and absolutely terrible.

Although a growing number of businesses are really struggling, others in the exact same industry are thriving. I know, because these thriving businesses are owned by the kind of people who hire me.

Whichever of those groups you are in, my advice to you is the same. You need to do 2 things.

  1. Reflect.
  2. Take action.

Let me explain.

Reflection and action

If we reflect on our current situation, our progress and the direction our business is heading, and discover we’re on course to hit or smash our targets, we need to take action.

  • We need to retain control of our focus.
  • We need to fight against complacency.
  • And we need to carry on doing the right things, correctly.

If we reflect on our current situation, our progress and the direction our business is heading, and discover we’re not on course, we also need to take action.

  • We need to wake up and accept the urgency of our situation.
  • We need to decide that more of the same is not an option.
  • We need to get strategic.
  • We need to make better decisions.
  • We need to take better actions.

There are business owners who are already switching between those 2 groups.

Switching groups

Some of those who were doing great got cocky, took their eye off the ball and slipped into the struggling group.

Some of those who were struggling woke up, stopped pretending this would ‘fix itself’, started planning and saw their results catapult them into the thriving group.

In short, regardless of where you and your business fit into this picture, it’s time to reflect and take action. Because when the economy is this screwed, a casual approach causes casualties.