THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO TO A CUSTOMER

Never Beep (Flash): It is so pathetic how so many people haven’t still realized how cheap and childish it is to “flash’ someone’s phone. Most especially a supposed prospects who you are expecting to give you some business contacts.

What so many people refuse to understand is that ‘flashing” as it is being called in this part of the world makes you look poor and unserious

• Always Be On-Time: How sad it is to know people never keep to time in this part of the world. But the good news is that “successful people” sure keep to time. Part of the traits of a successful man / woman is their ability to always be on time whenever they schedule for a meeting. Failure to meet to their timing automatically makes you appear very disorganized and unserious.
I also advice anyone who has a meeting to attend with a prospect and client alike to make it a point of duty to arrive at least 30minutes ahead of time. This makes you look extremely organized and serious minded.

• Never Lie About Your Location: How unfortunate is it that most people think they can still use the ‘traffic jam’ as an excuse when they are late for a meeting.
This particular lie is as old as the ancient days. People no longer fall for such lies, even if they decide not to argue with you, within them they consider you as a liar and deceit.

• Never Insult One Client For Another: This is very common amongst people who are desperate to get a contract or job from a new prospect. On and on they go about how they just accepted to do a low paying job for a previous client because he kept on begging, or how the previous lady who only paid 20% upfront defaulted on making the remaining balance. Unknown to them, their current prospect or client is only imagining how they will go and run them short to the next client and on. Such people even if they eventually patronize you, they will deal with you with so much caution and will totally avoid sharing a single detail of their personal life with you so that you don’t go and make it a subject of public discussion.

• Listen Rather Than Talk: The reason why majority of sales people never get to close their sales deal and increase their income is because they have the wrong impression that ‘a sales person should keep talking rather than keep quiet”.

Every successful person know that’s you can only make a sale and achieve great success after you have listened to the client or prospect and know their exact need instead of just assuming and making conclusions for them. When you introduce yourself, products, and service to someone, wait and listen to them to know what they have to say or think about your product and service before you go on trying to close a sales deal. Most times it is from what a prospect thinks and says about your product or service that will give you the bigger idea on how to convince him to buy. Rather than acting an already prepared sales speech.

• Never Act Too Familiar: This area is where so many people get wrong. Just because a prospect invited you to his house for dinner or to join him at the club with his friends doesn’t translate that he has already taken you as a buddy. No! he did it because he felt relax and wanted an environment to hear you better so that a can make a decision on whether to buy your product/service or not. People who say familiarity always causes contempt are so on point. I was had a sales person who was trying to sell a very great rear technological gadget to me at an extremely reasonable price, That product was the first of its kind in Nigeria as at then (and till now as it isn’t common). Due to my tight schedule that period I couldn’t meet with this sales person for more than 10minutes on each occasion. So on the day I was traveling out on a business trip, this guy called me when I was on my way to the airport, I instantly told him to join me at the Muritala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos at the departure wing. I was waiting patiently at the lounge at the airport (For those who know that restaurant/lounge on the 1st floor (near the different airline offices). I was polite to ask this young man to make a order thinking he will be reasonable enough. Lo and behold! This young man ordered for a bottle of start ( A place where table water is N400), I wasn’t feeling too bad as I was the one who offered him to make his order. This man drank the 1st bottle finish and ordered for the 2nd. At this time I was already furious inside me but yet kept calm. While still drinking, this young man without taking permission, started going through the magazine I kept on the table and was even sitting so close to me and taking snap shots with his mobile phone.
Right then and there, I knew that that wasn’t only the last time I will see that guy but I will never patronize him or his company even if they were they only companies that had to sell oxygen for me to survive.

• Never Be Disrespectful: We live in a society where respect is in extremely high demand by everyone. You don’t have to use inductive words or phrases to show disrespect to people. I find it funny when people send text to their prospects and clients alike with the words Hi, Hello, What’s Up? And the rest ‘slang’ words most especially when the prospect is way older than they are. Believe it or not, your prospect and clients are your bosses as they directly and indirectly pay your bills and as such deserve 100% respect from them. Treat and talk to them the way you address your boss 9present or former).
Even if they are your peer or younger ones, as far as it concerns business relationship, treat them with utmost respect.

• Don’t Act Like A Puppet: In as much as you are never meant to argue with a prospect or client, you should also avoid acting like a puppet. A situation where you always nod your head in affirmation to whatever a client or prospect is saying even though deep inside you, you don’t agree with what they are saying only portrays you as a pretender and hypocrite.
Thereare very polite and matured ways of letting a prospect aware that even though you really appreciate and respect his opinion, he should try and see reason why he needs to observe the situation from your own point of view. This will make you gain trust and respect from the prospect.

• Don’t Fail To Acknowledge Their Presence: Another very annoying and childish act so many people do is chatting, receiving calls, and sending text messages while in front of a client or prospect. Every one deserves utmost respect and attention most especially when they are spending their money. No matter how long you have known a client, never give divided attention while you are attending to them. This single act has made millions of sales people and entrepreneurs loose out on what would have been a successful business deal,
If you ever have to receive or make a call, take permission from them and leave their presence, rather than have them in front of you and you receive your calls at will and even have other business discussions in their presence.

• Never Act Desperate: This single act is the MAJOR reason why so many people never get to close a business deal. By the time you act desperate or overzealous to get a business deal, you put the customer on the guard who in turn begin to be over protective as he assumes you have ulterior motives and as such you are so desperate to sell fast before he discovers.
Don’t get me wrong, also make follow up and send reminders. But the period you start going closer as if you are begging to get the sales, you start to put the customer off.

• Respect Their Moments: Once you call a client or prospect twice and they don’t pick, follow it with ONE text message and wait till they respond back. The problem with so many people is that they keep calling and calling until they run down the client’s battery. Respect their moments. They might be in a meeting, having time with their family, meditating about their life, or not just even in the mood to pick your calls to please don’t push it. Don’t become an irritant and consistent calls and text messages with them replying only proves they aren’t ready to talk to you.

Credits Top Flights CEO