How to Argue With a Customer . . . and Live Happily Ever After
At some point a customer is going to disagree with you, oppose you, or argue with you. There’s a right way and a wrong way to have a disagreement with a customer.
Be Prepared
The best way to successfully have a difficult conversation is to avoid creating tension. The way you do that is to be ready and aware when the conversation is heading in the wrong direction--you don’t want to add to the tension.
Notice when your customer is talking louder or faster. Watch when he repeatedly points his finger at you. You have a problem when his face gets redder and he has more animated facial expressions. Stop thinking about your response when you see these signs and start listening very, very well.
How to Listen Very, Very Well
One of the most important traits of all good listeners is that they never interrupt a speaker. However, not interrupting is going to be very hard when emotions are high; you’re going to be tempted many times during the heated conversation to break in and reply. Don’t do it. You are just adding fuel to the fire.
Many sales professionals are unaware of how hard it is not to interrupt another person who is speaking. Here’s a strategy to avoid interrupting: Listen for the end of the sentence and the silence that follows. Start waiting again if the silence gets broken by the speaker’s next sentence. You only get to reply if the silence continues. By listening for silence, you are forced to pay attention and it helps you avoid interrupting.
What you accomplish by not interrupting is to gain the emotional support of the speaker. You de-escalate the tension and make it more likely that both people will listen and might come to a possible understanding.
Show That You Heard What They Said . . . and More
When you are in a heated discussion, that is not the time to let your mind wander or think about what you are going to say next. Instead, really focus on what your customer is saying. You want to be able to demonstrate that you accurately heard what they are feeling when they finally stop talking as well as what they said.
In your reply, be sure to include something that they said; even better is to be able to say, “When you said X, I agree with you.” Just be sure to never follow with a “but”-- you'll end up taking away the agreement you gave. Instead, use the word “and” when you continue the sentence.
Finally, thank them for trusting you enough to share their feelings with you and allowing you to disagree.
Having a heated argument with a customer is not something you want in sales. What you do want is to know how to handle a disagreement best.
