Risk & Business Magazine Cooke Insurance Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 12

WAYS BUSINESSES LOSE SALES
BY : GRANT CARDONE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR / SPEAKER

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Ways A Business Loses Sales

2017 went down as the year retailers went bankrupt . Toys R Us , Abercrombie & Fitch , American Apparel , RadioShack , Payless , and hhgregg are just a few of the names going under . The retail bloodbath is going to continue . It doesn ’ t necessarily need to continue , but it will because these businesses refuse to learn to sell . Here are five typical ways retailers everywhere are losing easy sales :

LOST SALE # 1 :
The salesperson is rude or condescending — 42 percent of customers will go elsewhere over a rude staff . I ’ m not just talking about salespeople , everyone in an organization has the potential to have contact with customers and be rude and condescending . Someone comes to the showroom and people don ’ t even tell him hi .
If you come to my office in Miami my staff will greet you . If any of my staff didn ’ t greet you they ’ d be fired on the spot . Can you imagine going to a party , walking in and nobody even acknowledges that you ’ re there ? That would be rude . A lot of people don ’ t realize they are condescending — maybe because there ’ s no awareness of their obligation to provide customer service .
You know what condescending is , right ? “ Sir , the number is on the website ” “ It says it right there in the contract ”
“ Did you download it ? It ’ s right there ”
“ The warranty is in your glove box ”
Really you ’ re just saying , “ You ’ re stupid ”. You can ’ t afford to lose customers over rudeness and condescending attitudes . Rude and condescending communication should never be allowed . Have zero tolerance for it . Also have a commitment for no negativity in the office . Your culture should have no negativity , no gossip , and no criticizing of customers .
Where there is no demand , there is no value . When customers want something from you , there is a way to exchange value with them . Complaints and problems are opportunities . If the customer is ridiculous , even impossible , still try and make it happen . That ’ s when you start
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