Words of wisdom from Vlad Mazek
I was inspired by Vlad Mazek today on his view of clients (he says customers, I don’t like that word). Vlad stated in his blog posting on March 30, 2008, just got to it on my iGoogle that “The Customer is ALWAYS right. Not every customer is right for us”. You can read Vlad’s blog at http://www.vladville.com/2008/03/the-customer-is-always-right.html.
Why is this so true?
Why should IT Professional pay attention to Vlad’s words of wisdom? It is simple, there are a bunch of small business owners that do not value technology and the benefits that the right technology solution can bring to their business. In my 11 years working with small business in Calgary I have seen all kinds of IT horror stories that I would never want to repeat or live through again.
I would like to say that I am better a qualifying opportunities in the market today. I have seen IT Professionals do work for clients that do not respect them, almost to the point of abuse and many IT Professionals just seem to stand there and take it. Why? Are they hungry that they would take on every abusive client? Are they struggling to the point that they would work for someone that doesn’t value what they do? I would suggest that you pay a visit to Will and my website on “The Wealthy Professional” and pick our book bundle so you know what do to to make it in our high stressed and fast paced industry. The website is http://www.thewealthyprofessional.ca.
Here is something for you guys that like to work for every piece of low hanging fruit, do the customers you serve stress you out? Do they demand you drop everything when they screw something up? Do they argue every invoice that you send them? Do they shop your quotes to the competition? Your business should be a pleasure not a chore.
When you go out and search out great clients that value what you do, your stress levels go down, deals close easier and you now have a client base that appreciates what great techology can do for your business.
Remember Vlad’s words - “The Client is ALWAYS right, not every client is right for you”
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Prior to becoming a financial advisor, I worked in IT sales and service for many years, my first couple of years out of school being in retail, and during those early years the expression “the customer is ALWAYS right” was often cited, but I have never agreed with this statement. However I do agree with the gist of what Vlad is saying.
The reality is, that customers are often WRONG, but about a year into my career I gained a better understanding of what managers and colleagues were trying to say when they would quote that old retail cliche - “the customer is ALWAYS right”. What they really mean (if they know what they are talking about) is that you will NEVER win an argument with a client, so you NEVER want to intentionally put yourself in a position where this is the client’s perception (unless you have made an earlier conscious and well thought out decision to “fire” this particular client - a rare but occasionally necessary step - more on this later - there is a professional and friendly way to do this and then there are other less desirable ways to do it).
Most of us delight in being “right”. We pride ourselves on our levels of knowledge in certain areas, or just are generally impressed by our own sense of competence in certain areas. Believe me, so are most of our customers. In fact there are people out there who are so confident in their own knowledge levels (even when they are ‘wrong’) that they will just assume you to be an idiot until you prove otherwise. Don’t take it personally. Just think about your last commute to work if you need this point driven home. Most of us, if asked, would say we are a good driver, an excellent driver, or, perhaps those with low self-esteem might say they are “above average”. But only a small percentage of people will actually admit to being a “bad driver”. So why is it then that when I drive to work every morning over half of the people in the metal cages around me drive like idiots? I’ll tell you why. Because they are WRONG. At least half of them are BAD DRIVERS. But they don’t know it, or even for those that do, few will admit it to themselves or to others. THEY ARE WRONG - or mistaken - whichever you prefer - just like many of your customers (or clients, if you have moved beyond having simply a transactional relationship) are occasionally (or often) WRONG or mistaken. But what happens when you point it out to them? Just like bad drivers - they get mad, or embarrassed, or have some other negative reaction to your position of being “RIGHT”. And, odds are, you may have just lost a client. THAT is why you NEVER “win” the argument.
A much more successful approach is to position yourself on the same “team” or “side” as your client. You are looking, together, for the “right” answers, or the “best” solutions to address the client’s business needs. You can’t even begin to have this type of relationship of trust with a potential client by getting yourself in a situation where it becomes obvious to them that you think they are “wrong” and you are “right” - even if you have been very professional, and very open and matter-of-fact in your dealings with them. At the same time, you want to project yourself as being competent in your core area(s) of expertise but without being confrontational. A quiet confidence. THIS is the art of the consultative sales approach. Remember that perception is reality in the world of business.
What many people think about sales is that it is all about influencing others to make decisions they might not otherwise make. While this is occasionally true, there is a tendency among many sales people to “oversell” to the wrong prospects. They spend way too much time trying to convince the wrong people to buy their product or choose their service.
As a very successful friend of mine pointed out to me several years ago, the successful salesperson (or businessperson) spends much more time “sorting” than “selling”. S/he is looking for those prospects in her contact “funnel” that are most likely to be receptive to her message, at this particularly point in time (during this business cycle - whether it is a year, a quarter, a month, or for the more transactionally focused, a day-in-the-life). She is looking for a good fit between what her organization has to offer and what the potential client needs. If there is not a good fit, she quickly and professionally moves on to the next prospect who may be a better fit. Remember that you cannot be everything to everybody - this is not a recipe for success. To sum up what I believe Vlad to be getting at - focus on finding the “right” clients!