Mike Feldman 2016-04-29 04:41:57
Politics? No Comment
There's no escaping the daily headlines (or newsfeed.)
Politics is front and center, particularly in a Presidential election campaign year.
Sometimes, clients try to get me to talk politics with them. The best thing to do is to remain completely silent.
I don't care if your potential client is listening to Rush Limbaugh while you do the estimate or has a signed picture of Hillary hugging President Obama.
During the estimate phase, your primary objective is to identify your client's problems and solve them.
Don't be goaded into debating, encouraging or validating any political or religious opinions, which includes refraining from displaying campaign stickers on your vehicle.
We made a sales call once where our potential client was clearly an avid member of a well-known group that really doesn't like certain ethnicities. This was evidenced by flags and memorabilia of the losing side in World War II.
We declined to comment on their claims about what is currently ruining the country and, despite holding our noses throughout the entire conversation, we got the order!
All this may seem obvious, but it's been my experience that many salespeople fall to the temptation of political discussions.
Just look at your Facebook feed for a sample of how some think their opinions are required reading!
Take it from the Doctor: "Silence is indeed golden."
Mike Feldman is the president of Advanced Film Solutions in New Port Richey, Fla.
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