Time to start saying no to customers more often?
It’s a highly competitive world and winning new customers involves investing a lot of time, effort and money. But there are few better feelings than winning a new customer and once you do, you want to do keep hold of them. It’s much easier and cheaper to sell to existing customers.
The best customers are those with whom you establish strong, long-lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect. They’re a joy to deal with and they genuinely appreciate the value you provide. They’re grateful for your hard work – especially when you go above and beyond. And good customers are prompt payers; they recommend you to others and support you and your business when you need it.
Unrealistic expectations
However, some customers are more trouble than they’re worth. Bad customers drain your energy and goodwill, while rarely showing any gratitude. Some aren’t nice to deal with; they can be disrespectful and rude.
They can take your talent, graft and goodwill for granted. Their demands and expectations are unrealistic. While budgets are important, suppliers also need to make money. Bad customers always try to get more for less. And if they can go elsewhere to save a few quid, they will.
Even good customers can sometimes have unrealistic expectations, perhaps unknowingly. Having to occasionally pull out all of the stops to hit a deadline or stay within their budget is one thing, but when a customer expects you to give them a low price and/or extraordinary service each and every time, it’s quite another.
Customers can have unrealistic expectations and if you never push back – if you never say no – the extraordinary soon becomes ordinary; the exception becomes the rule. You’ll always be expected to meet punishing deadlines and do more for less, which eats up your margins and can leave you feeling overworked, stressed, under appreciated and taken for granted. Resentment can build up and some suppliers look to cut corners, find shortcuts or otherwise compromise, especially when squeezed on price.
Just say no
You don’t always have to say yes, of course, but why are many of us so often reluctant to say no. According to author, Chloe Brotheridge, in her Guardian article Want to improve your life? Just learn to say no: “Many of us struggle to say no, fearing rejection, anger or just the uncertainty of what the other person’s response will be. Our people-pleasing is often rooted in childhood.”
Furthermore, she warns: “We can get so used to saying yes and pleasing others that we don’t even know what we want, or what our needs are. But if your life is so tightly packed with other people’s requests that you don’t have time for what really matters to you – or worse, your mental health is at risk – it is time to make a change.”
According to billionaire businessman and investor Warren Buffett: “Successful people say no to almost everything.” Buffett believes saying no “allows you to say yes to what is important to you”, “it creates space for what matters most to you, rather than drowning in busyness, like most of us are”.
Of course, as with most things, it’s a question of balance. You can’t say no to everything. And sometimes you have to say yes when you really want to say no, because pragmatism is essential in business. But what if you really need to say no to one of your customers?
Honesty is best
Your customer may not expect you to say no, so, some caution is advised. Remain cool, calm and professional; keep the conversation polite and friendly. Honesty is always the best policy, and if you explain your reasons clearly, the customer is more likely to understand your negative response.
If the money they’re offering isn’t enough, tell them how much would be enough and remind them of the value that you provide. If they won’t pay that, wish them all the best. They may come back to you in the future, especially if they have a bad experience with a cheaper supplier.
Remain cool, calm and professional; keep the conversation polite and friendly. Honesty is always the best policy.
If a customer deadline is too tight because it’s unrealistic or other commitments make it impossible for you, be honest and try to negotiate a deadline that you can meet. Sometimes customers will be flexible and grant some extra time, sometimes they won’t or can’t. Show empathy. Be tactful. Always try to work with good customers to find an alternative solution. Even if you can’t help, good customers will come back to you.
You also have to remain firm when saying no to a customer. Realise that sometimes it OK to say no to a customer, without damaging the relationship. Saying no can prevent you from overpromising, which can certainly damage a relationship. Saying no might mean that you lose some customers, but it could ultimately mean that the ones you’re left with are the ones that your business needs, while your life is also much less stressful and more rewarding.
Here at Manage My Website we recently published our philosophy to outline the promises and beliefs at the heart of our business.
Written by Mark Williams, founder and content director of Dead Good Content. Mark is a small-business and start-up content specialist with more than 25 years’ experience, having written for The Guardian, numerous leading brands and award-winning magazines and websites.