Have you ever blurred the line between "friend" and "customer?"
- Professional standards and priorities matter.
- Is this your customer - or your buddy?
- Don't blur the lines.
We already know that our demeanor and our communication style create an image with prospects. In our prospect's mind, that image is a reflection of our company. We don't treat a brand new prospect the same way we would treat a member of the Saturday night bowing team we've been sharing beers and bad jokes with for five years.
The value of having a professional demeanor with new contacts is obvious. But what about clients with whom you have developed a long-term relationship? What about the people with whom you have developed a friendship? Is it all right to let your guard down with them?
Doing Business with Friends
Becoming friends with a customer may change the dynamics of the relationship, but it doesn't change the nature of the relationship. You and the customer may be more comfortable communicating with one another. That's good. Regardless of how comfortable you two become, however, you still have a "buyer-seller" relationship to maintain. And if you are a professional, that relationship will take precedence over the friendship.
Why? Because becoming chummy with your customer blurs the relationship. Becoming chummy opens the door for "little favors" - price or delivery concessions, for example, that become, in the customer's mind, nothing more than a friendly request. The "favor," if granted, hold little significance, even if the salesperson had to go out of his way to grant it. After all, isn't that what friends are for? To look out for each other?
Similarly, the salesperson may feel that it's OK to make a change to the customer's order - and justify the decision with an explanation like this: "It was only a minor change - I didn't think you'd mind."
In each case, both the friendship and the business relationship will be compromised.
The Meter is On!
You can be a friend to your clients and customers - lending a sympathetic ear when necessary(but never seeking one), offering advice when appropriate - as long as the friendship doesn't overshadow the business relationship. A professional cab driver doesn't turn off the meter, no matter how good the conversation is with the passenger; similarly, a professional sales person doesn't do personal favors that conflict with his professional priorities.
You are a salesperson first. Keep it that way - or give someone else in your organization the responsibility for handling the account! Be careful: Once the relationship becomes "blurred," it's almost impossible to refocus it.
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