Don’t panic – they will not run away

Panic creates problems which create more panic.

Pace yourself. Never say to a customer that you can do it right now even if you think you can.
Walk away, telling the client that you will check your schedule and get back to them. This will give you time to organise what is necessary to do a great job and not just a good job.

Some may say that this is unethical but If the client really wants a great product they will expect to have to wait and they won’t be troubled by having to do so (as long as you don’t keep them hanging on there too long).

The other objection to this will be that the client, if hey have to wait, will go somewhere else to get the job done. This may be the case but if you are offering a quality product, your business ethics are high and you deal with clients with integrity and respect most will wait for you.
If you do lose  potential client who was not willing to wait ask yourself, ‘did I really need to deal with someone who did not have the patience to wait’. You more than likely answer NO.

Urgent for who?

If you try to do too much at one time, make promises that you cannot keep and still provide a quality service, you will do more damage to your own credibility and create problems for the client.
Busy people get more business that is profitable because they pace themselves and only take on what they can handle. Rushing about and creating URGENT jobs will only bring out the worst in everyone involved. I remember someone told me, ‘Because one person had an urgent matter to take care of that did not make an urgent matter for someone else’.
Telling someone that something was urgent often created resistance. Human nature tends to be selfish and the person that you say this to will inwardly say ‘why should it be urgent for me’. When you need to approach anyone with something that is urgent to you ensure that you approach them in a way which creates a positive feeling for both of you.

Create Customer Loyalty

I worked with a someone once who was broke all of the time. When I got to know him over the years I found that he was always concentrating on the cash that he could make and not the quality of his work or the satisfaction of the customer.  I mentioned this to him and he became aggressive and said that he always ‘did more business’ than I did each month. He may have invoiced more tham me each month but his invoices were for new clients who rarely stayed with him long term. His lack of care in his work and customer satisfaction often meant that the new client very soon became a former client.
Creating customer loyaly creates a great business. Loyal customer tell other potential customers about you and your products and services. Don’t go for the short term profit, go for the long term loyalty.

You comments and insight are, as usual, wlecome. After all, I am here to learn from you as much as I am here to share my thoughts.