Patsy Cline was sorry – so were Britney Spears, Madonna and Tracy Chapman. Chicago found it hard to say sorry – and Sir Elton John found it the hardest word to say. Singers have been saying – or trying to say – “sorry” since popular music was invented. 
Some have found the words – some haven’t.
It’s not just individuals that find it hard to say sorry – so do governments, politicians and churches.
In business it can be just as hard.
I recently came across a publication from the NSW Ombudsman called “Apologies: A practical guide”. The second edition was published in March 2009, and it’s a great little booklet. It’s well written, easy to read and extremely useful as a reference when you find the need to say sorry – but aren’t quite sure how.
One of the realities of professional selling is that we make mistakes, we say the wrong thing and we let people down. Just like our customers and colleagues – we’re human and we will all find ourselves at some point in our career in a position where we need to say “sorry”.
How do we do it? In this article, I’ll give you some insights from this excellent publication. But – as the guide itself recommends – don’t take this advice by itself. If there’s any possibility of legal implications, make sure you get the professional advice you need. Download the full guide from the Ombudsman’s web-site (www.ombo.nsw.gov.au). It’s free and it’s a handy booklet for everybody’s bottom drawer.
Before we look at the Ombudsman’s guide – let’s have a quick think about what causes most of the reasons salespeople need to apologise.
Although major issues requiring well crafted and thought-out apologies do arise, most of the hurt and inconvenience we inflict on others as salespeople comes out of our own sense of urgency, and, often, a well-intentioned desire to give customers what they want. The following three simple rules will avoid most of the “silly” reasons we need to apologise:
1. Sell authentically with genuine concern for your customers, your colleagues, your community – and yourself. Continue Reading…
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