When I worked in sales there were days when I dreaded going to work. These feelings usually came about after dealing with difficult customers the day before. You know them – the needy, Kiss-My-Feet, Hurry-I’m-In-a-Rush kind of customers.
1) Have compassion for people. Some people are just having a bad day. Look at it as an opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face and help make their day brighter.
2) Don’t take it personal. Oftentimes customers get angry and take it out on the salesperson closest to them. I recall helping a lady who was so upset about not receiving an order in the mail. I was not the person who helped her originally, but she lashed out on me anyways. After saying, “I apologize” and “I understand how you feel” many times, the lady finally calmed down. She then apologized for yelling at me.
3) The friendlier and more helpful you are, the more money you make. As a salesperson, I worked on commission, so it was very important to establish a bond with customers so that they would return and buy from me again. This is a fundamental rule in sales and customer service.
If there’s only thing you should learn, I would say it would be lesson #3 above. When you’re friendly and helpful, everything else seems to fall into place.
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