Do you know how to deal with demanding customers? Running any kind of business means dealing with the public, either in the form of other businesses or as end users. Whichever they are, there will be some customers who are pleasant to work with, and some who are extremely demanding.
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These types of customers can be difficult to deal with, but the point is you need to work with them in order to grow your business, so here are some useful tips on working with the more demanding type of customer.
Listen
If the customer is demanding, the last thing that you or your sales team needs to do is to try to talk over them. If this happens, no one will hear anything, and the problem will escalate. Negotiations will be blocked, and no one will get anywhere.
When the customer is talking through what they want, the key is to listen carefully to ensure that you understand what is required, and you should ensure you do this even if the customer is wrong.
Just let them speak before starting any discussion. If the customer needs something, they will have to listen to you when it’s your turn to speak in order to get it. It just takes patience, and you need to build trust and a good rapport where possible.
Empathy
If a salesperson can show that they are empathetic to a situation and want to help, this will calm a demanding customer down and let negotiations begin.
There are many companies who will be able to come up with bespoke solutions to issues, Kor-Pak is one of them, and it is this skill that brings any customer round, no matter how demanding they may have been.
You can use eye contact, body language, and verbal clues to show this empathy, and it really will make a difference in how the customer perceives you and how they react to you.
If a customer feels they are being understood, their attitude can completely change.
Low And Slow
If a customer is beginning not just to be demanding but angry too, keeping your voice low and speaking slowly will help to calm the situation.
The customer’s voice may grow louder, perhaps even become shrill, so if the salesperson can keep their voice steady and calm, they will have the upper hand.
This sense of control will filter through to the customer who will be able to see that the salesperson is only trying to help. This way of working shows that there is nothing worrying happening and the client can start to relax knowing that their problem is being dealt with.
Pretend There Are Others
We’re all only human, and if someone is seemingly irate in front of us, it can be difficult to bite our tongues and try to work through it.
If you pretend that there is an audience there with you, it will be easier to stay silent, no matter what is said, and remain calm in order to solve the problem.
It may not be the most pleasant aspect of the job, but if you do it well it could be a powerful marketing tool.
