Sales Skills / Keep Customers and Win Referrals / Lesson 15

LESSON 15 · KEEP CUSTOMERS AND WIN REFERRALS

Listen First, Fix Second

Practical ways to listen first and fix second when a customer is upset.

Upset people need to be heard. Solutions come after.

10 tipsEasy things to say7-day plan

10 tips that really help

These ideas come from The Little Red Book of Selling (Jeffrey Gitomer), Never Eat Alone (Keith Ferrazzi), Raving Fans (Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles), and everyday practice. The first six help the most. Pick one and try it today.

TIP 1

Upset people need to be heard first

Solutions land better once the customer feels you understand what happened and how it felt.

TRY THIS
Listen before you fix.

TIP 2

Stay calm and do not defend

Defending yourself early adds fuel, while calm attention lowers the temperature.

TRY THIS
Breathe slowly.

TIP 3

Let them finish completely

Interrupting tells them their words do not matter, so wait for a full stop.

TRY THIS
Count to two.

TIP 4

Reflect their feelings

Saying that sounds really frustrating shows understanding without agreeing to blame.

TRY THIS
Practise the line.

TIP 5

Ask clarifying questions

Calm questions give you facts and show you care about getting it right.

TRY THIS
Prepare three.

TIP 6

Summarise the problem

A short recap proves you understood and lets them correct you.

TRY THIS
Say it aloud.

TIP 7

Then offer a fix

Once they feel heard, propose a clear and fair next step.

TRY THIS
Think of two options.

TIP 8

Thank them for telling you

A complaint is a chance to improve, so appreciate it.

TRY THIS
Say thank you.

TIP 9

Follow up

A call after the fix shows you care how it ended.

TRY THIS
Calendar it.

TIP 10

Review what you learned

Note what you could prevent next time.

TRY THIS
Write a line.

Easy things to say

When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many sales conversations.

LISTEN

“Tell me what happened.”

UNDERSTAND

“That sounds frustrating.”

CHECK

“Have I understood correctly?”

FIX

“Here is what I can do.”

CARE

“I want to put this right.”

THANKS

“Thank you for telling me.”

Your first week

One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.

DAY 1
Stay calm

DAY 2
Let them finish

DAY 3
Reflect their feelings

DAY 4
Ask questions

DAY 5
Offer a fix

DAY 6
Follow up

DAY 7
Review

More lessons in “Keep Customers and Win Referrals”

Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.

← Previous: Fix Problems Before They Notice Next: Say Sorry Without Excuses →