When disasters like the corona virus happen, strong leadership is critical to manage the crisis and to reassure the population affected by it. On a (much) smaller, but nevertheless important scale, when disasters happen with your clients (e.g., a missed deadline, a system failure, a product glitch), your ability to manage the situation and reassure the client is equally important. Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Rudy Giuliani, and Abraham Lincoln at critical times in their office understood that. What they did in their worlds is what we as sales people need to do in disastrous client situations.
Churchill had WW II, Reagan, the explosion of the Challenger shuttle, Lincoln the Civil War, and Giuliani, 9/11. Each of them displayed empathy, spoke to the facts, and took pains to reassure their distraught audiences – a strategy every salesperson needs to employ when things go seriously wrong in the delivery of their products or services. That means
- Acknowledge what has happened
- Take responsibility for the mishap
- Reassure your client that the problem will be fixed
These simple steps will add to your credibility, demonstrate your integrity, and strengthen the relationship with your client.
Honesty is the Best Policy
I was reminded of the need for this strategy when I read “Can Our Political Leaders Still Reassure Us During Times of Crisis? In it, writer Sarah Lyall reviews how famous leaders handled crises and quotes David M. Litt, former Obama speechwriter, saying, “The number one thing you have to do is figure out how to address the problem—and make it clear where you can and can’t solve it…You have to be honest…”
An obvious, but solid, piece of advice both in politics and sales.
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!
Use This Coronavirus Down Time to Sharpen Your Sales Skills to Recover Post-Virus Business More Quickly
Check your ability to
- Engage quickly with customers
- Have conversations most likely to lead to a sale
- Distinguish yourself from competition
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