Most of what I read when I Google ‘understanding psychology of the customer’ refers to emotional connections to prospects/customer and how to build and maintain it.
Having been in sales for more than thirty years I understand how that is a key focus in sales training. When I do sales training I talk about that same concept of building a connection to your customers or prospects which is always about an emotional connection.
In this article , I discuss a different side of understanding the psychology of the customer. I share how sales people hide from their customers and the impact on the psychology of the customer.
What do you think when you read the words ‘hide from their customers’ do you think of not returning phone calls, ignoring emails and basically hoping they will stop contacting you?
All those actions can be viewed as hiding from the customer. And let’s face it, nobody likes being ignored.
Maybe you justify not responding because you don’t yet have an answer to their question or solution to a problem. Why call back simply to tell them you have nothing to tell them?
I get it, it’s not comfortable to make that phone call (and yes it should be a phone call). You know they won’t be happy and you will have to deal with some high emotions.
It’s a mistake to not respond to them and wait till you have the information.
Human nature is that in the absence of knowing the answer the story we tell ourselves is always negative. When you ignore calls and email they will think something negative, could be you won’t be able to deliver on your promise to it’s going to cost a lot more than discussed or whatever it is it’s really really bad otherwise you would let them know.
Thoughts swirl around in their head and the stories they build aren’t happy ones. The longer the time till contact the bigger and more negative the story, and their negative energy around it. When you finally get around to contacting them you will spend a lot of time diffusing their frustration, even if you have good news.
People prefer to be kept informed of the status, even if you don’t yet know the answer. Not only does it demonstrate good communication skills, it tells them you care enough about their needs to put aside your own discomfort and keep them informed.
Another way sales people hide from their customers is not routinely reaching out to them.
Let’s say you have someone who you have worked with for many years. They consistently buy from you and you become comfortable they always will.
You probably don’t even consider the possibility they wouldn’t. You quit reaching out as often as you focus on new clients.
Not paying enough attention to your long standing customers can cause them to be vulnerable to your competition.
Paying attention to your customers and what important to them is as essential as focusing on new clients.
How do sales people hid from prospects?
It’s the same principle as with customers, you quit following up altogether or with increasing less frequency.
I know you can’t keep 100 prospects in the pipeline and in my opinion sales people give up too quickly. When you focus on those ready to say yes today, you miss the opportunity to build a connection for when they are ready.
Hiding can be anything from not contacting them or ignoring setting up that lunch you talked about or forgetting to do something for them you mentioned. All relationships do not develop at the same time or same level. Some take time to nurture and others to jell.
With prospects discounting their objections or possible objections is also hiding.
Come on, you know they are there and yet you hope that if you ignore them maybe they will go away?
Ridiculous!
While money (whether price reduction, refund…) may help it usually doesn’t solve the problem. The sting is still there and while they may buy this time, they won’t come back and they won’t refer others to you.
You cannot hide from dealing with objections. They do not go away.
There is a fairly simple solution to this situation, and maybe even a bit surprising solution.
Contact them. Call your customers, new and old frequently. Continue to have interactions with people you meet who may not be prospects today because you never know.
Do what you say you’re going to do.
If you say you’ll have lunch with them do it and quit making excuses. It’s a few hours, and you never know what can happen.
Bottom line, don’t ignore people for any reason. Every human being wants to feel appreciated, cared for and respected.
So quit hiding from your customers and prospects or one day you may find you have fewer of both.
Want More Selling Tips?
I don’t have all the secrets to selling but I have created a list of 11 that over the years I have determined are key to success in sales. Find out what they are by clicking the link below.
