by Anna Ludwinowski
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by Anna Ludwinowski
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It’s not you…
Has this ever happened to you – a customer comes into your store or booth, looks around for a while and then when you ask them if they have any questions, they say “no thanks” or even a “there’s nothing here for me”?!
Ugh.
Customer rejection can feel like a gut punch sometimes and utterly soul crushing.
Sure, that’s hard to hear, especially if you’re a Maker or service provider. It kinda feels personal, doesn’t it?
BUT (you knew there was a but coming, right?!) what if you set aside your feelings for half a minute and find out WHY they feel that way?
Let’s take a step back and LISTEN to what that “no thanks” is really saying-
- It’s not YOU personally, it’s “the thing” (the product or service) that the customer is rejecting
- Maybe it’s just not for THEM
- Maybe they aren’t sure what your product/service is going to do for THEM
- Maybe they’ve had a bad experience in the past with something similar
- Maybe they’ve had a bad experience with pushy salespeople and don’t even want to engage
So, what can you do?
Ask them!
Sure, that might feel awkward at first but it can be a HUGE learning experience for you-
- Maybe your product/service is more niche and your marketing needs to be more targeted so the right customers are finding you
- Not everyone needs/wants what you’re offering and that’s ok
- Maybe you need to be clearer about the benefits of your products/services (better signage?)
- Maybe you need to explain how your products/services are different (again, better signage?)
- Maybe you need to look at how you interact with customers (how are you approaching them, what are you saying, how are you saying it?)
The bottom line is don’t take it personally!
Try to use this customer rejection as a REDIRECTION on how to improve your customers experience with you.
You never know when they might just become your LIGHTBULB CUSTOMER!
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