Saying 'No' to the customer

A week ago I was fortunate to attend a course with an Irish lady who, upon knowing the nature of my work, commented, “I hope you train the salesperson in India on how to say no”. It is a profound statement indeed. And I constantly wonder – how is it that the salesperson finds it so difficult to say no to the customer? Even if he/she does have the ability to say no, it inevitably (with exceptions of course) also sounds quite rude.

So I thought of dedicating this blog to the debate of whether the ability to say no to a customer is an essential skill for the salesperson. Some would argue that it is good to have the skill, but not an essential one to have. And that it certainly is not necessary to train the front line salesperson in this skill as an essential do-or-die sales skill. In comparison to the more essential selling skills of understanding, probing and closing the sale, it pales in significance.

I would beg to differ a wee bit on the above. While there is no dispute that understanding the customer and closing the sale are skills without which no salesperson may be called a successful one, I feel that developing the ability to say no to the customer is also fast emerging as a lifesaving skill for the salesperson. Only because future relationships with the customer or potential customer may hinge on this ability of the salesperson. In my experience of training salespersons, particularly from the retail industry, I find that in most cases, the normal salesperson gets flummoxed when faced with a situation when he/she has to say no to the customer. In extreme cases it’s almost like a fear psychosis. It could be in situations as varied when to say no for a price reduction to a service related issue. It is almost as if the DNA of the salesperson in India is lacking this essential component.

Let me explain why I consider this an essential trait to develop, especially among front end salespersons. Nothing irritates a customer more than a ubiquitous answer that evades the question. It is as false as a misleading answer that breaches the delicate trust the customer places on the salesperson. I say this is a fast emerging lifesaving skill because the budding relationship between customer and the salesperson can be shattered by an inappropriately uttered ‘No’.

The balance of power and equation between seller-customer lies in the ability of the seller to say no when the situation demands it, and say it with conviction (firmness) and humility (politeness), the two sides of the coin bearing the word ‘No’. What many fail to understand is that most customers will appreciate an honest and clear cut answer, and will remain a valued customer for life. What is essential to remember here is that the no is said appropriately, with an ingrained politeness and an explanation on why a no is being said. It should also be a no that is crystal clear - not a confusing maybe. Further additional value is felt by the customer if that explanation is followed by a suggestion of alternatives for the customer, if available, so that the customer feels good on sensing a window of options in the brick wall he/she has just encountered. 


For further readings on selling, go to:

Five secrets to confident communication in sales

Service in 'Customer Focus' while selling

Selling with a difference

Rapport in selling

Selling with a Difference

Think back to the last purchase you made. Whatever it may be – major, minor or any of the other chords in-between. Recollect your experience – the sights, the sounds, the feelings... 

Now, if you were to answer a poll on "When you buy a product/service, does the seller largely sell it to you in the manner that you want to be sold to," then the odds are that your answer would fall in the greater percentile of respondents that said ‘No’. (You may also answer the poll given alongside)

Anything new in that? Absolutely nothing. Have you ever paused to consider the reasons why this happens? And let’s move deeper from the general, universally accepted conjecture that we are all different from each other. Consider your past buying experiences...

Have you ever felt like buzzing the salesperson whose sole focus was on showing you the beautiful brochures, catalogues, cuts, colours, patterns, graphs, charts, giving you test rides, making you feel the product…when all you wanted was for him to talk and explain to you about the product/service? Does that sound familiar to you?

Or have you ever felt like running from the scene when cornered by the talkative salesman…when all you wanted was simply to experience the product/service, maybe try it? Does that feel familiar to you?? 

Have you ever seen yourself pulled and coerced into trying the product/service or listening to endless spiels on the benefits…when all you wanted was to see the choices, the colours, the styles, the looks, the catalogue? Does that look a lot familiar to you???

These are just but examples of the nuances involved when buying and selling. Nuances based on patterns of our choices. Which aspect of the product/service appeals to me predominantly – the look of it, the sound of it or the feel of it?

When the salesperson first strives to understand and become aware of the predominant buying patterns of the buyer, then sells the product/service in that very same pattern, that's when selling happens with a difference. 

The difference being the unconscious rapport that is generated, paving the way for long term relationships. 

For further readings on selling, go to my posts:

Five secrets to confident communication in sales

Saying No to the customer

Service in 'Customer Focus' while selling

Rapport in selling 

Rapport in Selling

What keeps the so called ‘super’ salesperson apart from the others? Many factors.  Primary among them would be the uncanny ability to establish a sense of connectedness with the customer. For many a ‘super’ salesperson, the ability to establish this sense of connection appears, at first glance, to be almost inborn. Maybe it is. Or maybe it is a behaviour modelled from others, or even a skill that has been honed in by years of practice and perfection that it now appears almost ethereal.

This sense of connection with customers goes beyond the superficial, to a depth of understanding that defies all logic at times. For the customer and salesperson could be poles apart in personality, likes and lifestyle. Gone are the days when one could walk into a client’s room, comment on the knickknacks and décor of the room, and hope to establish a connection with him. In this age of super computers and smart phones, can customers be lagging behind? We nowadays have ‘super’ customers and ‘smart’ customers, who have been programmed to sniff out the artificial bonhomie and become vary of ‘salespersons’ as a tribe. 

So is this almost magical connection that ‘super’ salespersons appear to have with customers, a gift for the chosen few? If this magic is understood and given sufficient practice, can it be imbibed as a behaviour pattern by all? Most fervently, the latter.

The magic lies in the ability to become aware. Become aware of patterns. Life is a dynamic pattern of intricate designs. Think about it. There is a pattern in everything we do. The way we sleep, talk, dress, relate to people, make decisions and even buy things. This pattern gives beauty, meaning and a sense of purpose to our lives. We oftentimes get the feeling of being lost and adrift on an island, if we lose the thread of this beautiful pattern. These patterns very often define our sense of being. And the beauty is that each of us has our very own unique structure of patterns. These appear so simple to us that they have become an integral way of our lives. While to those who observe us, it might seem to be a complex maze which apparently leads nowhere. But even a maze has a way out. Provided we pay attention and become aware of the patterns in it.

Consider this. What would it mean if a salesperson sensed to some degree, the customer’s unique pattern of thought, behaviour and choices? And what would he get if he had that? A map to understand the customer’s pattern of being, living, decision making and buying.  With the added benefit of having the almost magical skill to relate with the customer in the pattern that he is comfortable with, and the mystical, yet simplistic ability to sell to him in the pattern that he buys. Is it possible? A resounding yes. What does it call for? 
A greater sense of awareness of patterns, within ourselves and others, which in turn leads to greater rapport in selling.

For further readings on selling, go to my posts on:

Five secrets to confident communication in sales
Saying No to the customer
Service in 'Customer Focus' while selling
Selling with a difference