That's what a former boss of mine used to exclaim periodically throughout the work day (actually, his language was often more colorful than that). Whenever he'd receive a phone call from a salesperson (whether it was a cold call or an expected call), he'd slam the phone down after the call and shout out "Oh, how I hate *$#%+#@ salespeople."
And he's not the only person I've run into that exclaims hatred for people in our profession.
So those of us in the sales profession probably have something in common with IRS agents and traffic cops: some people just don't like us. Even if we have something that might help them, even if we are friendly and nice and well-meaning, even if we work our behinds off to be professional and effective, some people do not care for us because we're salespeople.
Here are four ways to handle customers who dislike salespeople:
1. Don't get angry!
If someone who dislikes salespeople pushes your buttons, don't fall prey to their manipulative strategies! These folks love to see you turn red-faced thanks to their actions.
2. Kill them with kindness!
No matter how vile these people treat you, kill them with pleasantries, a smile, and a helpful attitude. They hate that.
3. Put them in their place!
Many of these scum-like customers will quickly change their tune if you put them in their place. It works like magic in certain situations.
4. Fire the customer!
You've got to draw the line sometimes. Fire your customer and spend your time with others who are less evil. Your spouse, children, and dog will thank you.
* * * *
Here's a nice little video featuring some of my time management tips that the peeps over at Your Business Channel put together:
If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training.
He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in
B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance
markets.
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