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I am fortunate to get many emails asking questions and making comments about sales.

There is one common theme that carries through all of this correspondence. All of our customers are just like us in the most important way. They’re human.

I received an email recently that helps make this point. I got permission from the sender to publish it anonymously. No further comment needed.

“Scott,

I have to deal with a nasty customer almost daily. If he wasn’t such a big customer I wouldn’t even bother with him. I was listening to yet another one of his complaints when the conversation took a turn I hadn’t expected. All of a sudden he apologized for “barking” at me so often and began to tell me about recently losing his wife to cancer. I was obviously very moved by his loss and his vulnerability. I will never view this man, or any other customer, as just a “customer” again. It reminded me that we are selling to people, first and foremost.”

© 2008 Scott R. Sheaffer

Tags: customers

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