(By Chris Stonick) Many salespeople have a hard time saying those three little words to a client. I’m not talking about, “I love you.” No, the three little words I’m referring to are, “I don’t know.”
I’ve been on thousands of calls with salespeople, and from time to time, a client asks a question that they don’t know the answer to. What do they do? They try to guess at an answer or worse yet, make something up. Why?
There’s no way a client assumes that you know the answer to every question in the world. If you’re hit with something you are unsure of, just say, “I don’t know. Let me go back to the station to talk with my manager. Once I do that, I’ll get the information you need.”
Your client will respect your honesty, and you’ll learn the correct answer to the question. It’s a win-win all the way around.
For more than three decades, Chris Stonick has helped thousands of organizations across the country with recruiting and retention while generating well over $100,000,000 in billing for his client radio stations. Contact Chris at 863-397-5615 or by email. Read Chris’ Radio Ink archives here.
I thought the only three words sales reps cared about were “what’s your budget?”
But I second your thesis: honesty from a rep goes a long way to building trust. Likewise, any client or media buyer worth their salt can see through the BS anyway, so why lie?