Is your poor attitude affecting your business?
As businesses seek to expand and reach new customers, owners must put themselves in a position to talk about and sell their products or services to others. Many people do not realize the impact their behavior and attitude has on their business.
Last year, a small app developer wanted to add A ProblemSolved Maintenance as a listed business on their app. The app was nice, but the price did not match the service that they offered (remember that most of the largest business databases allow you to add your business for free). All the times I spoke with him while he was pitching his services he was extremely nice and pleasant. After a few conversations, I made it clear that I was not interested (at this time) he became very rude and his attitude was apparent. What he did was turn me off completely to his app and the service he was offering. I liked the idea of what his app was about, but it was just not a good time for my business to make that investment. I had every intention of calling him in a few months, UNTIL his attitude changed. He became short and rude. He spoke negatively about work we did, when the day before he praised it. There was no question as to what made his attitude change, and it was disappointing. His business idea, while over priced was still good nonetheless. The entire reason that I would not deal with him in the future was strictly the way he handled being told no.
As a business owner, you must always remember that every single person you talk to will not buy from you, it is what it is. Just because someone does not buy from you today does not mean that they may not refer someone else to you or become a customer tomorrow. We must remember that customers are people and we do not know everything that is going on in their life or their current financial ability. If you are told no, remain pleasant and thank them anyway; it will have a much better lasting impression than you turning cold and becoming angry. The way you handle rejection will have a direct impact on whether or not you have the ability to win that customer at a later date. Business is all about relationships and when you display an attitude you can guarantee that you are straining that relationship rather than building it. Entrepreneurs are brand ambassadors for their businesses, and if you are known to have a bad attitude it will be assumed that dealings with your business will be negative. Having a positive pleasant attitude will show through in positive business reviews and referrals.
Attitude is determined in more than one way. We can pick up on negative vibes from body language, tone, and words used. People believe that if they do not say anything, people will not pick up on their anger or frustration. While they give little value to the fact they are rolling their eyes and using a combative body stance. Negativity can be easily detected, so it is best to remain positive and optimistic. Sales pitches are often a law of averages and you must speak to as many people as possible to gain the best effects. Rejection is a normal part of business, it does not mean you have failed. Learning to use rejection as a lesson and stepping stone is how successful entrepreneurs are able to turn negatives into positives. Listen to the reasons that customers are telling you no. If you are constantly being told no because the price is too high, that in an indicator that you need to make an adjustment. If you are selling a service and people are indicating that they wish it came with an additional component, you may want to add it in. Realizing that a large portion of business is trial and error will assist you in coming up strategies to turn a no into a future yes.
Leading by example means being a positive influence for your organization. Your employees will look to you to guide their behavior and actions. If you are constantly positive while providing excellent customer service, they will be inclined to do the same. On the same note, if you are rude and display poor body language they will feel it is acceptable to do the same. It is easy to SAY that you want the image of your brand to be positive, and it is completely different to lead your organization by being the example. As an entrepreneur or manager your actions will always speak louder than words.
The daily dealings of business can be frustrating and a large challenge, as business owners we must remember to smile at the things we can not control and make wise decisions on the things what we can. Not every person you interact with will become a customer, and that is okay. Your reaction to rejection or an unpleasant customer says more about you and your brand than the way you handle a paying customer. Everyone is happy after a sale, but are you still smiling when you lose one?
