The customer says (either on the phone or in person): “Tell you what, I’ve decided not to take the Blue Widget.”
Answer from a PASSIVE person: “OK, thanks. Have a nice day.” Customer feels nothing. Usually disappointed.
Answer from an AVERAGE person: “You sure?” ?Customer feels slighted. Probably could have used a little help.
Answer from a PROACTIVE person: “Wow! Sorry to hear that. Are you aware there’s a Widget Maker that goes with it at a discounted price? You’ll have several uses for it. Why not keep it? You’ll love it.” Customer feels great. Didn’t realize there was an accessory with it and buys the Widget and the Widget Maker.
See the difference? Now, which one are you? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of these types. Every company needs each of them in this busy world. However, we need certain types in certain positions.
Sadly, sometimes we hire folks because they’re breathing. I’ve done it. It happens.
Let’s take a look at each type: Which one are you?
PASSIVE—Telephone Doctor’s definition is: A passive person receives information and does nothing or very little with it.
Passive doesn’t mean a person is bad or shouldn’t be helping customers. It simply means they’re passive—not active. Are there passive sales people? Of course. The thing about being passive is most people don’t like to be called that.
Yes, passive individuals usually receive information and do nothing with it. Happens all the time. You go into the grocery store and the checker your check or credit card that has your name on it. The checker asks you for identification sometimes. And then does whatever it is they do, hands you back your ID and (sometimes) says, “Thank you.” No other words are exchanged. Even though the checker had your name, it was never used.
This person is passive. Passive individuals receive information and do nothing with it. The checker had your name—twice—once on the check and once on the ID.
But again, it’s not a bad thing. From my experience, those that are in the PASSIVE mode and put into a proactive situation are uncomfortable. They’re not at ease telling others what’s best for them or making decisions for others.
So if you have PASSIVE individuals on your team, talk with them; be sure they’re happy. Be sure they’re comfortable in their job.
AVERAGE – It’s easier to get an average person to be proactive than it is to get a passive person up to average. Let’s see what the dictionary says about average: average, medium, mediocre, fair, middling, indifferent, and tolerable.
There are tons of average folks out there. I don’t want to be one of them. Not sure about you, but I made a decision a long time ago that I didn’t want to be average. I didn’t want to be in the mass of mediocrity. Again, average folks aren’t bad. They’re fine upstanding citizens. But, they don’t stand out to be remembered. If you’re in sales, or in any active exchange area, you want and need to be remembered.
Average individuals receive information and honestly try to do something with what they receive. It’s just that they don’t seem to be able to get over the hurdle. Average folks say a lot of words like: ‘wow’ and ‘gee, that’s so interesting.’ Telephone Doctor calls those ‘agreement’ statements when they’re really ‘don’t know what to say’ statements. So you can see they’re not bad, just not effective.
PROACTIVE—Ah yes, it’s the proactive people in this world that make things happen. They find the sales and help the customer. They are detectives. They are “naturally inquisitive.” They ask more questions, look a little deeper and always double check to be sure. Very few proactive people take “no” as an acceptable answer (or a final one).
They’re naturally inquisitive. They know it can be done. Proactive people love sales. And let’s remember, sales don’t always need to be a product. It can be a thought, a service, an appointment or helping someone.
A proactive person isn’t necessarily a workaholic. They just have the ability to turn “on.” Normally upbeat and happy, proactive people seldom wallow in negativity or self pity. Proactive people find a way to get it done. They make one more call, research a little more thoroughly, answer one more question, write up one more sale and never run out of questions to ask.
Proactive people think for their clients. They provide solutions. They enjoy solving problems for their clients. They enjoy success. So again, I ask, “Which one are you?”
Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at real estate association and corporate meetings. She’s appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning. Nancy is the author of seven books on sales and customer service. For a demo of Nancy, call 314 291 1012 or visit www.telephonedoctor.com.
Tracey C. Velt is a writer, blogger and editorial strategist who specializes
in the business of real estate. For the past six years, she's been writing
and editing for REAL Trends, is the editor of the REAL Trends blog and the editor of LORE magazine. Prior to that, she served as an editor for
Florida Realtor magazine and continues to contribute to multiple real estate
publications, both in print and online.
