Alternatives to "No"

by Nancy Friedman

Here’s an important announcement from some of the many and varied surveys Telephone Doctor has conducted over the years.

A while back I wanted to find out how people felt when they were rejected.
What came out of those interviews and surveys was no one wants to be told “no” at the start of a sentence.

And it’s so easy to let that one word slip out when asked a question where the answer could normally be answered with the one word ‘no.’

Take the simple question, “Are you open on Sundays?” Or even, “Does that widget come in blue?”

Pick any question you want that normally will garner a ‘no’ at the start of a sentence and listen up. I’m about to share a technique/statement with you that has helped thousands of our Telephone Doctor and ServiceSkills.com clients. It will help you and your team members too.

When somebody calls your company, franchise, franchisee, whoever, and asks you a question, stop and think for a moment. Simply a split second or two will help. Think: “How can I answer this without saying no at the start of a sentence.”

A little statement of “I wish we could” or “I wish we did.” And also notice a key point. By using the ‘we’ technique (I wish ‘we’ could), it takes the personalization out of the situation. They’re probably not upset with you. Big difference.

Let’s say someone calls up and says, “Are you open after 6 pm?” Instead of saying, “No, we close at five” which can and often is perceived as cold and rude, a softer answer would be, “I wish we were. Unfortunately, we close at six.

However, we open early tomorrow, will that help you?” Sometimes offering a second little choice helps.

Like any idea, before you ‘poo poo’ it, try it.P.S., If you brush your teeth every day, shouldn’t you train your staff every day?

Nancy Friedman, Founder/Chairman, Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, bringing you Zoom programs, and our www.serviceskils.com, a popular boutique, unique online eLearning platform. Nancy is a featured speaker on customer service, communications, and sales. www.nancyfriedman.com or call 314-276-1012.