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Your Attitude Towards Your Customers Can Make the Difference

Guest post by: Tom Borg

Article Overview: It has been said that "man with frown should not open store" nor should he expect his business to grow and prosper. No one likes to be around a grouch.This article will give you the wrong way and the right way a business owner or manager should look at the challenge of serving their customers.

Your Attitude Towards Your Customers Can Make the Difference

A few months back, a business owner approached me after one of my presentations and complained that he had been in the office supply business for over 20 years, during which time he had never seen it so bad as now. Customers were constantly trying to “nickel and dime him to death” on his prices. A local wholesale warehouse was selling many of the same items he carried at prices he couldn’t touch. Customers were inconsid­erate, rude, and impatient. He told me that in order to cope with this type of environment, he had started bluntly telling his customers that if they didn’t like his prices or his service, they could take their business elsewhere. Needless to say, his busi­ness was doing poorly.

A few weeks later, I spoke to another office supply owner who was a competitor of the one above. I asked him how his business was doing. He smiled and told me his business had never been better. As he talked, he described how his customers were pleasant and good-natured and seemed to like coming in to his store. He told me that he treated many of them like they were part of his family. He felt his business was good because of his attitude towards life.

In these two examples, it's easy to see how the business owner's perspective shaped the amount of success he experienced with his business. When it comes to an attitude towards its' customers, some businesses subscribe to Theory X. This theory states that customers are sneaky, troublesome, and motivated by narrow interests. Other businesses subscribe to Theory Y. This theory states that customers are fair and trustworthy people.

Paul Hawken, author of Growing a Business, says that "being in business is not just about making money, but it is a way to become who you are.” It makes good sense that if we are going to have a healthy business; we’ve got to start with a correct attitude towards ourselves as well as towards our customers.

The interesting idea to note is that, despite the way we look at our business, it is up to us to “choose” the attitude we want to express. It’s safe to say that the response we receive from our customers and employees or co-workers will be a reflection of the way we treat them.

As you look around your business community, you will see positive and negative examples of the viewpoint business own­ers display towards their customers. Note the ones who take a positive position, and make it a point to invest some time discussing successful business strategies with them. It will be worth it.

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Article Tags: attitude, customer service, prosperous business
Referred by: http://www.salestrailblazer.com



Related Forum Posts
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Yes, you are right Mal. Attitude plays a big role in it. Robert
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT - Hi David, To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience". Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
20% increase - One of my businesses uses a system to help business owners manage customer relationships and encourage more referrals. I'm finding that this economy is making business owners take a second look at their business and it's assets (aka customers) to see how they can leverage them. Make those Customers (one-time sale) into Clients (repeat sales). I'm finding them more open to having this discussion with me and the results are speaking for itself. Everyone I've worked with so far has seen at least a 20% increase in sales or referrals within 4-6 months all done by managing an existing relationship.
Re: Quote of the Day - "The only people witho - Thanks for sharing this Evan, there are some very powerful quotes in there, I particularly like this one:- You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully. regards, Mal.
How to Do Great Marketing with (Amost) No Money - I've given this presentation to CEOs many times. Now i can share it with you. But I cannot because I do not yet have 20 posts. Jeff Ogden, President Find New Customers


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