The 'Thank You, And…' Approach

Okay, I love this...

I was talking with a customer recently on the subject of compliments. I had remarked that people don't share enough positive feedback but are quick to criticize and the old rule that you need to say five nice things for every one criticism.

In response, I heard this:

"I once worked with a sales rep who had the perfect reply when someone complimented him: "Thank you. That was nice of you to say. Could you also tell me one thing that I might do to improve?'"

I love that!

As good as this guy was, he was always looking to get better. It's not that he ignored or failed to accept the kind words. This was not a "Thank you, but..." response. This was a "Thank you, and..." way of hearing the positive and looking for even more.

Ever since I heard that, I have been trying to figure out a way to make that an automatic response when someone compliments me.

That's one new trick this old dog would like to learn!

One of Don Miguel Ruiz' four agreements is "Don’t take anything personally." This includes the positive along with the negative. This practice takes that a step further.

Get on Bill’s calendar for a free sales consult. Reps, let’s talk about your sales challenges. Owners, let’s talk about your reps. Go to meet.so/BillFarquharson and book a 30 minute time slot. Bill can also be reached at (781) 934-7036 or bfarquharson@epicomm.org.