The Perfect Apology #520

The Perfect Apology We all make mistakes, it’s part of being human. The same is true in business. Companies screw up to the detriment of their customers. When this happens, it often falls on the sales professional to apologize, even if they had nothing to do with it. How about your personal life? H ave you wronged someone but struggled to say you’re sorry in a way that prompted forgiveness? Did they accept your apology? This is the human experience where too often our egos get in the way and we refuse to admit we’re wrong. Or if we do apologize we layer on excuses to make us feel better but it does nothing to further forgiveness. What can we do, to make wrongs right? This is the topic for today, the perfect sales apology. Today’s Chapter I was wrong, completely wrong. At the time, I had my reasons but it doesn’t change the fact I was wrong. How can I make this right? Today’s Story The company screwed up, and Chris was the first to learn it. The customer had gone ballistic and was threatening to yank the contract. There was a flurry of calls, with an entire weekend devoted to solving the issue. Now Chris was innocent and had nothing to do with the misstep. Customer service dropped the ball, creating a devastating situation. This was the first time Chris had experienced something like this. It was such a debacle. Pat turned to Chris and said, “I know it’s not your fault. It’s the company’s fault. But since you have the relationship with the customer, it falls on you to apologize. And there is only one way to do this – take full responsibility.” “This stinks!” said Chris. “I guess it makes sense for me to talk to them. But what should I say?” “Well,” said Pat, “Tell them it’s all on us. Tell them we completely missed the mark. Make sure they know they have every right to be angry with us. We’re wrong and we want to make things right. Ask them what it will take to fix this. We want to keep them as a customer and make sure other customers don’t catch wind. The company’s committed to doing what it takes to fix this. And when this is all done, put processes in place so it never happens again.” “I got it,” said Chris, and that afternoon Chris called the client. Take Action Quote Instead of dwelling on past errors or passing the buck, it’s always best to take responsibility for one’s actions. Lao Tzu wrote, “Failure is an opportunity. If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame. Therefore, the Master fulfills their obligations and corrects their own mistakes. They do what needs to be done and demand nothing of others.” Mistakes happen in business and it’s best to own your failures. Ben Franklin wrote, “Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” When people are wronged, they want to be heard and acknowledged. This is when a sincere and full apology can quickly diffuse a bad situation. It’s the only way to move forward. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help, showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See You can be yourself when selling. It’s all about helping others with their challenges and aspirations. I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discussed all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most importantly the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it. Learn the selling secrets for non-sellers and start making a difference today. Here is the entire back catalog of episodes in the sales podcast. Look here This is a production of Habanero Media Got a Question? Something about today’s episode got you thinking. Do you have a question or a comment you’d like to share? If so “babble me” an email here , or if you can’t wait chat Pat now. Maybe you’d like to share your musings on the podcast? Leave a voice message here. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t worry about babbling, we prefer it. Listening Options You can find us on: Spotify iTunes Stitcher Player FM Spreaker The SalesBabble.com website click the player above on this page! The post The Perfect Apology appeared first on Sales Babble Podcast .

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The Perfect Apology #520 is an episode from Sales Babble Sales Podcast | Sales Training | Sales Consulting |Sales Coaching by Pat Helmers: Sales Trainer, Sales Consultant, Sales Coach, Podcast Host.

This episode is 6:59 long.

This episode was published on Mar 12, 2024.

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