How can you say ‘’No’’ to a customer?
- Jitender Lakhani (JL)
- February 1, 2022
- Category: Buyers and Customers
Saying ‘No’ to a customer can be really challenging. We’re all quick to say yes to almost everything as businesses. As an entrepreneur, we want to be known as people who get things done, not those who claim things aren’t feasible.
However, there are occasions when saying no is the best option.
That one phrase may improve the efficiency of your company and eliminate problems that cost you time, money, and your sanity. It’s even feasible to say no and yet satisfy the customer and upsell your services. So, in some situations, you will have to say ‘’No’’. How will you say ‘No’ to a customer when you have no idea how to deal with them? You will have to get your denial mechanism in place by following the pointers mentioned below-
- “Success in sales is the result of discipline, dedication and sacrifice.” – Thomas Roy Cromwell
Before answering, thank them
First and foremost, you should always express gratitude to consumers for their interest in doing business with you. It’s incredibly generous of them to put their confidence in you above others. You should cushion the impact with a sincere thank you at the outset, just as you would with any other form of rejection. This will demonstrate to the consumer that you care about them and value their contact with your company.
- Empathy is a great way to start
It’s critical that your customer service reps and success managers lead with empathy in addition to appreciation. Human-to-human interactions should be the norm in these settings. Use phrases like “I see why you’d need this,” or “I see why you’d need this.”
- Explain why you won’t be able to meet their request
Don’t make up reasons or lie about why you’re saying no. Instead, simply be truthful. Acknowledge that their request cannot be granted at this time and explain why. It’s critical that your staff knows why something is against business policy before you say no to a request. Customers may become even more irritated if you don’t know why you’re saying no.
- Provide a variety of alternatives
If you can’t satisfy the customer’s request, it’s a good idea to make a counteroffer. Start by proposing additional services that your firm can supply and see if you can come up with a way to help them meet their objectives. If not, check outside the firm to see if there is another company that can meet their needs.
- Make sure you follow up on the recommendation
You can still have a place in their lives only because they’re working for another firm. Follow up every now and again to see how they’re getting along with the rival. You may also check in with the company to see how things are going with the connection. Maintaining a foot in the door shows the consumer that you still care about them and are willing to assist them if necessary.
- Request comments
It’s critical to understand a customer’s workflow and procedure after they’ve made a request you can’t fulfill. Why is it necessary for them to carry out this duty in this manner? Is this a feasible request for your product team to consider?
The greatest method to continue to provide exceptional customer service and maintain a loyal client base is to collect feedback and learn about your consumers.
- Keep in touch with them
If your consumer is okay with it, you may follow them on social media sites like LinkedIn. You’ll be able to keep up with what’s going on in their lives this way.