Why beware of blasphemy 09/Jul/08 (Business)

I have been referred into a local circle of business colleagues who have come to me for mortgage and insurance and overseas property advice. They all happen to belong to the same church group and I have been told that a previous adviser has been dropped thanks to her persistent blasphemy. By throwing in a regular 'Oh God' into every sentence she has lost her thousands, which I am thankful to have earned. Whatever you do or don't think or believe, think on about how easy it is to offend those who do.

What an idiot that IFA is. It serves him right for not undertanding his clients and taking their religious belief in to consideration (by the way I'm in no way religious but would not use that term when talking to a new client/customer).

I have known sales people who have muttered a few misplaced words (could be someting as simple as the word Gay, Old, Bald, I can't stand Volvo drivers or even aren't Manchester City FC rubbish, for example) and lost the deal right there and then.

I had a person in my sales team (she was female) a few years ago who said to a potential new client (who's name was Patricia) can I call you Trish? The asnswer was a very firm NO and Patricia refused to have anything to do with her again and I had to take over that account, which was worth £55K

When you are selling you should be totally nuteural and not say anything that could be taken the wrong way until you have built a relationship and more fully understand your client/s. A good sales person will know when that happens

Posted by: Geoff Cox on 09/Jul/08 16:30