How to sell products to customers is an art. But at the same time you should know that saying ‘No’ to a customer is as important for business as treating him nicely.  Do not hesitate to say it, if you must use it on rare occasions. However, the use of word no should be limited if you have left with no alternative. Let us discuss few points when to use it and how, I am sure these will come in handy to run your business successfully. Besides the use of the word no, there are few other suggestions and phrases, which work good for your business as well.  

Saying No is an art

It is easier said than done but sometimes you have no option but to accept the reality, saying no is an art that can help save you many embarrassments in future. You cannot satisfy all your customers on every occasion and you should accept this fact that you committed a mistake in a particular case and you need to write it off. 

Every material has a longevity limit you cannot stretch it beyond that, same is true in case of your customer, you should treat him with politeness and adjust him as much you can but not beyond a limit. You will have to say ‘No’ when the matter reached to a particular point of no return. There is no harm if you do that to save you from losses after a certain point. It is like a famous company’s policy that reads ‘Would that be okay if we supply you free unlimited spares, close our company, return your money and dismiss all our employees. Sir, do you think it would be satisfactory on your part?”  

Spin of a coin cannot solve problem

The glaring fact is you can meet genuine demands of your customers but you cannot withstand their greed. You shall have to put brakes on when you see that your customers are making undue demands. At this point, you must recognize genuine demands from those of made out of greed to milk you thinking that customer is always right, some times, he is not. However, you will have to develop a foolproof system to make a difference in between genuine and fake demands and you certainly cannot do it at the spin of a coin. Heads, he is right - tails he is faking his problem. Your decision in this matter is crucial because it can break or make the faith.

How to say NO

It is a difficult question because it is not easy to disagree without being disagreed with someone and that is not easy. It takes special ability to do that. When you say a ‘NO’ he should not take it forever but for that particular time, otherwise you will lose a customer forever. It is a big problem to do that indeed but let me be specific. Suppose a customer brought a machine for repair to our company and we found out that his problem is power supply of his machine, even if it is a few dry solders and his battery is not getting a proper charge up. 

The customer will not understand that soldering few dry joints is not that big a technical fault, which should create problems in future. But customer wants us to replace the whole power supply that we can do easily. But we do not do it because that is not a right solution of the problem; rather we correct the dry points and charge a discharged battery in front of our customer to show him the results. It is perhaps the best way to say no if you can explain it to your customer and still satisfy him. He will understand your reasons and will trust you forever, but you will have to tell him properly. You as a businessman must learn the art of saying no.

How to keep your customers associated 

You should know certain time tested points to keep your customers satisfied although these are not secret or complicated but common sentences, which every businessman should keep in mind, you can read these sentences as you read a religious book with a difference -

* We should know that we are in buyers market where consumer is the king with ultimate say. Buyers market is complicated to handle with lesser profits compared to sellers’ market. So you need to take every step carefully.

* We should know that running is a business means you get for your efforts unlike you earn in a government job. You cannot afford to go home unless job is finished, you also cannot afford to keep your work pending for tomorrow because tomorrow is another day, waiting with new jobs to do.

* Do you know about “I shall try my best” this probably has solved most problems for many people who tried sincerely.

* Have you heard about dogs, which keep sniffing while walking, they almost always succeed finding a bone. It says if we keep trying, we have more chances to get success than not trying at all.  

* People who talk lesser or when necessary perhaps have most to say. People who have nothing significant talk continually without having anything to say. 

* If you are selling or buying cheap that does not necessarily mean you are making genuine deals.

* Following blindly is perhaps the sycophancy of the worst kind

* And have you heard about “I will find the way”

* ‘Maybe you are right’ works wonders for reaching to a conclusion

* ‘Compromise’ works better than ‘arguments’

* Your work gives 70% results, while role of destiny is maybe 30% or even lesser

* You may dispute it but honesty is still the best policy

* You are either making room in field for yourself or going out of competition

* Standard of service or product should be before your profits, profits are sure in such cases

* Stop worrying, concentrate on your business results will come according to input of your efforts, worries take you nowhere.

* ‘I cannot do it’ will lead you to nowhere

* Keep a close watch on your expenditure that may reduce your profits

* No one is a born salesman, professionals are trained in a school

* A journey of thousands miles begins with a step

* We do not buy products but brands well, in most cases. The best way to sale is to work more and waste as little time as we can. Sounds odd, but that is true.

*  People come to you for their own satisfaction, because they trust you keep their trust intact.

* You can save your customer with your last ditch efforts, tell them you are selling them profits not a product

* And have you heard about the bow that bends more, its arrow covers more distance. Try to be polite and see the result

* To avoid an argument is to avoid it from taking place 

* If you do not want to win, never start a war

* A small favor to customer is more than thousand words comprising promises

* Your image is the only thing no one can steal    

* Creating customer network is ultimate of marketing

* Customer can forget product’s price range but never forgets its quality, give them best as per his demand

* The best way to increase quality of your product is to improve servicing of the product

* Any fool can make complaints, criticize or bad comments and only the fools can do so, wise ones try to find ways to improve

* Today’s smaller orders convert into bigger orders of tomorrow, keep begging smaller ones without loosing hope

* Think about your customers before yourself, your customers will think about you for sure. My formula was- 60% for customer, 30% for company and 10% for my family and me. My boss did not mind it. 

* If you are really feeling low, you have right to rest but never lose your hope, bad days are part of life. You could be just a step away from your destination when you decided to give up.

* You know I was a successful salesman because I worked harder than my competitors did and not because customers were needy.

* A satisfied customer is your best asset

* If you can make your customer believe that you are giving him quality, he will not mind cost of the product

* Play chess, I mean a good chess player thinks ahead of his customers and competitors

Conclusion

There are hundreds and thousands of such sentences, which can keep you engaged but the need is to keep repeating them once in a while. If a businessman keeps these points in mind and follows them religiously, I am sure he will never lose a battle in his business. The end story is, this is your business and you know best about it but sometimes you must say ‘no’ without any ‘fourth’ thought because you must think or adjust him three times before using that particular word. A word of caution – If your customer can see your reasons in your efforts to try to bring him to terms, you should never keep his history in mind because tomorrow is another day.