Doing Business in the Dark...or Cats Don't Like Water

I think it’s safe to say that customers don’t like surprises. Exceeding expectations is a good thing but it really shouldn’t fall into the “surprise” category. Go with me and concede that surprises are generally bad.

I got surprised a while back. I fell asleep on the sofa. When I awoke, I found the house dark and everyone in bed.

As I started to stir, I decided to visit the half bath in the hallway. I stumbled into the room and prepared to find my seat. The peaceful calm of the quiet, dark house was about to be shattered.

When I sat down, I discovered that our cat was taking a drink from the toilet. Why do they do that? I mean honestly, this cat has finer china than we do. Why would any animal that elects to use a litter box in private choose to drink out of a family toilet? Doesn’t that seem strange?

Well, as I sat down, I knocked the cat into the toilet. Cats don’t like water so he wanted out. There was only one problem. His exit was…blocked!

I’m not able to tell this next part as fast as it happened. I experienced a rapid succession of textures and sensations. There was fur, movement, a splash and razor sharp claws…in exactly that order.

I’m convinced that nobody has ever moved as fast as I did. I screamed at the top of my lungs as the wet and angry cat flew out of the bathroom. My wife shouted from upstairs and warned me about waking the neighbors. The kids wanted to know how their cat got wet. No one even cared about my condition or the trauma I had suffered.

I got surprised! This was not what I expected when I stumbled into the room. The result was not at all what I had in mind.

Now, turn this into a business. Do we let our clients get surprised? If we do…do they end up disappointed. Was there was some detail or issue that we’ve failed to explain. Do we ever allow them to get bitten in the dark?

We have a sacred role as salespeople. Most of us will agree that our competitor’s product is pretty much the same as ours. Real Estate agents compete for the same listings and show each other’s properties. Insurance professionals sell similar products and have to comply with identical regulations. And the tax codes are the same for every accountant and attorney.  

The reason a customer chooses you is you! It is your integrity, commitment and skill. They trust you and believe you’ll keep them from getting bit. It’s our job and the most significant value we bring to any client or prospect.

I take calls from prospects every day that have been surprised. They contact our company, frustrated, and hope we can help them get the cart out of the ditch. Often they have spent money only to be disappointed by a limitation or possible pitfall that wasn’t shared in the beginning. They ask Bennett Graphics to fix something someone else has broken.

We need to be mindful of this when we meet with our customers. We have the opportunity to deliver results to an informed and trusting client. Or we can end up apologizing and making excuses for the surprises that present themselves. The choice is ours. Which do you think the customer expects? I think we know. 

I always end the cat story the exact same way. He quit drinking out of the toilet, and I never enter the bathroom without turning on the light. Once surprised, I learned to never do business in the dark.