One among the "aha moments" I've had in the past few weeks is that several solo professionals (or entrepreneurs) shrink up and find defensive after receiving any question or suggestion about how they are doing their work. Instead of creating the choice to relax, take a breath, and study what was commented on, they waste their time (and their client's time, too!) in defending what they did. It's such a waste of their time and energy, and such a lost chance for growing the simplest mindset for their own life and their business. And it's a lost business chance, too.
If you get a comment or grievance, and then you select to defend your actions, you are standing in a very place of refusing to think about change. That reaction is always, 100% of the time, fear based. You don't build a nice life or a great business based on fear. And your customer, seeing that you simply defend instead of look with curiosity and openness regarding the comment, can merely walk away.
Here are three ways in which to truly INCREASE your business when you get a comment or flat-out criticism of your work.
1. Do not react with "that is the approach we have forever done it." No one cares about how you've perpetually done it, they care that what you did didn't completely do the work they needed done. In the moment that the client (or client) says something you probably did for her did not quite work, prick your ears up like a dog spotting a juicy new bone. You have got someone offering you FREE comments on your own work procedures that, with a very little bit of thought, can a lot of than likely improve what you are doing and increase your customer satisfaction. Attempt saying, "Oh, I appreciate your comment concerning that. Will you tell me more?" And listen up! You'll probably keep that client, and he or she'll be so shocked at your positive reaction to her comment that she'll tell 2 others who can do business with you, too.
2. Do not react with a long-winded explanation (or perhaps worse, e-mail) concerning WHY you did what you probably did and how long everything you did took. Your client doesn't need to concentrate to your defense of what you did. She desires you to get that she does not utterly perceive the price of what she got for the money she invested. There are solely 2 answers to the current concern. One is that you truly did charge an excessive amount of money for her to ever feel she got a sensible result for what she spent. The second is that you just did not communicate effectively the complete monty (therefore to talk) of what you actually were going to do, and a half of it is not something your client values. Your goal is to possess your customers saying "that was worth every single penny" not "well, I got the duty done but it value twice what I thought it ought to cost." Once someone thinks that concerning your work, making them hear or read an extended explanation regarding why you did what you did will NOT solve the problem. You'll lose the client and the word of mouth referrals.
3. Don't react to a essential comment by building even additional policies and operating procedures to any justify the manner in that you work. The one big advantage that entrepreneurs and solo professionals have over the big guys is that we tend to are nimble. We tend to will create or break our own rules right in the instant, and generally we have a tendency to should do simply that. If you are trying to create a policy or procedure to handle each stinking little thing that ever gets commented on you'll soon be spending most of your waking hours either writing the rules, defending the rules, expanding the rules, or explaining the rules. None of this point builds your business.
Once a few years ago I worked with a massage therapist who had a rule that her clients had to point out up a full 15 minutes before their massage time. This was a rule she implemented in a very foolish try to form certain her shoppers were never late and never impacted her schedule. Notice that I used the word "foolish" just now? The rule came into being as a result of one weekly shopper perpetually showed up ON TIME but then spent 10 minutes of her hour-long massage hitting the restroom, obtaining a drink of water, and exactly folding her clothes before hopping on the massage table. In reaction to the current ONE shopper, the foolish "15 minute rule" was implemented on EVERY client. Do not create a brand new rule, instead face the matter with the client head on and accommodate it only where it makes sense to house it. See, not wanting to speak to the offending consumer was fear. The new "rule" went into effect therefore that this massage therapist could avoid facing her fear of talking straight out to the current client. She may mutely purpose to "the rule." Except, as I'm sure you have got worked out, it didn't work. The offender still messed around when she got there and everybody else complained regarding the new rule and left. Enough said!
When entrepreneurs defend against comments or criticisms they run the chance of leaving thousands of dollars on the table. This makes me sad. Take your client comments as little gems, explode and sit with them, and evaluate your mindset and your work. Thank your stars that somebody cares enough to comment instead of simply silently walking faraway from you and your business. That's a certain path to success.
Author Resource:
Jeff Patterson has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Critical Care, you can also check out his latest website about
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