Set the Tone for a Positive Customer Experience

Who sets the tone in a customer/prospect meeting?  Most often the customer sets the tone - are they mad that your company missed an important deadline?  Are they glad to see you so that they can discuss their long term plans with your company?  Or maybe they’re somewhere in between.  But don’t ever lose sight of the fact that you too can set the tone for the meeting.

Have you ever had an experience when you set up an important meeting, invited your boss or other VIP, only to have the key customer contact no-show?  Or how about the time that you planned the meeting perfectly, only to show up and find out that they don’t have Internet access after all - or the projector they had promised isn’t there.  Any number of unfortunate things can happen to derail your plans - but you can’t let that change your tone.

Make sure to stay positive and gracious regardless of the curve ball that gets thrown your way.  I have witnessed total rep deflation when one of those unforeseen circumstances arises that completely alters the expected outcome of the meeting.  I have seen reps get angry, go flat, and just lose interest when something unexpected derails their meeting.  That kind of reaction sets a very negative tone for the meeting and unnecessarily tarnishes your brand.  Don’t let that happen to you. 

Even in those circumstances when the customer sets a negative tone, don’t fall in to the trap of mimicking that behavior.  Keep calm and remain positive (and always authentic) regardless of the negative situation.