Most business people know the difference between right and wrong, and they know the difference between honesty and deception. But there are still people who operate in shades of gray and convince themselves that it is okay to deceive, manipulate and play with the truth to get new customers. An attitude of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth will work for you in the long term.
How would you feel if you bought gold from a company based on an ad that read, “Analysts predict the price of gold could double in the future?” While that prediction is not illegal (although it probably should be ) it sure smacks of an attempt to convince buyers that gold is a sure thing, and that buying from them will give them a great return and riches untold. It is however deceptive, Yes, gold could double in the future, but who knows when, and who will guarantee it?
You will never get in trouble trying to attract customers by telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Part of searching for new customers is occasionally encountering those who hold you at arm’s length because of their loyalty to a current supplier. Inevitably they will tell you stories about how their current vendors have gone the extra mile for them. Our instinct, when attempting ot get business, is to be defensive and try to overcome that statement of loyalty. That is the exact wrong thing to do and it will do nothing more than alienate that prospect, which means that it’s unlikely you will ever get their business.

The first thing to do when someone describes his or her loyalty is to compliment them. If you really think about it, it is a good character trait. Would you like all of your customers to be so loyal that they throw all competition out the door? Second, explain to them that loyalty is a rar commodity, and it is all too often missing in business today. Remember, loyalty comes from customer delight. I fyou do it, they’ll want it. Make sure you are ready to catch them when they fall, and you’ll have a new loyal customer.

What is the mentality of a salesperson? To get that answer think about telemarketers who’ve called you, paticularly during the evening. What did you do? Engage them in conversation, or hang up? Most people hate telemarketers because of the intrusion factor. Selling has a bad image. Therefore, you must learn to be a helper, not a seller. Find out what customers’ problems are and solve them, and they will see you as someone who is truely committed to helping them, rather than someone who is desperate to make a sale.

To say that purchasing agents are frustrated would be the understatement of a lifetime. Everyone who comes through their door has one thing in mind; to get their business. If you want to be different, find out what their problems are. Find out what frustrates them. Find out what their competitors are not doing. Be seen as a helper, not a seller, and provide solutions.