We’re having a problem. A couple of them actually. A large swath of stucco is peeling off one wall, dangling precariously over our neighbor’s deck, and our roof deck has sprung a leak. The joys of home ownership.
We called a stucco company and then a roofing company. The stucco company came first and gave us a reasonable bid, but couldn’t do the work until mid-September. The roofing company gave us a bid that also included fixing the stucco issue and was available this week.
My husband called the stucco company to give them the bad news directly, but he had to leave a voicemail. About an hour later he received this text response.
It’s not easy to be in sales. There is so much room for disappointment, regardless of how much we all try to pretend that it doesn’t matter. Losing a sale always hurts just a little bit (sometimes a lot), no matter the reason. And it is too easy to let that hurt breakthrough.
Reading this response, however, was an incredible reminder that we can be honest in our disappointment while also seeking other positive outcomes. In this case, we may be able to connect two good businesses, and each one may benefit.
When was the last time you took the loss of a sale and turned that lemon into lemonade? How many ways can we turn a loss around? And how can your response prove that you are a class act? Read More
