Part of the guide: Network Marketing Lead Generation
On my way to generating 25+ leads a day and becoming financially independent I still have to run my day-to-day business and maintain my family life. I measure and install blinds and shutters for the big box stores. I own my own business but sometimes it feels like my business owns me because I still have to answer to the stores, the customers, and if I make a mistake it can be very costly (believe it or not blinds can be super expensive). Throughout the years of being self-employed in the service industry, I’ve come to find out that when a problem comes up you have to avoid saying anything negative.
In this guide
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Whenever the customer (or really anyone) hears about what is wrong, who’s to blame, and what you can’t do, it truly limits everyone involved. Telling someone what’s wrong with an install isn’t usually an issue but when you start pointing fingers and affirming what can’t be done then the conversation starts getting into negative territory. Over the years I’ve found that if you have a can do attitude it helps lighten the mood and it focuses people on the possibilities of what can be done. When you say what you can do (even if the only thing you can do is write down the issues) subconsciously you are saying that this is not the end of the line, and that there is a solution, so let’s focus on that.
Keep Your Head
Being positive and not getting overexcited is a big part of my job. Sometimes a customer will instantly get all worked up over a very minimal issue that is within factory specs and I have to “sell” them on the idea that really nothing is perfect. Other times it is just an issue of having enough blinds for the job. I always tell the customer I will address everything they have a problem with at the END of the job especially if there isn’t enough blinds for the windows. A lot of times when it seems like there aren’t enough blinds they’re just laid out wrong or there’s a straggler in the van or at the shop. Not getting excited and taking things step by step is difficult sometimes, but after years of experience and getting worked up over nothing (more times than I’d like to admit) I’ve found it’s better to wait until the end than to jump the gun.
Don’t Say Anything At All
I’ve found that getting a clear idea of what the customer is looking for is a great way of maintaining a positive can-do attitude. Even if you’re thinking of all the things that were done wrong and how everyone messed up you should do everything in your power to avoid saying it, if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all. A better approach would be to focus your attention on what the customer wants and how you can get it for them, you don’t even have to make false promises you can just say things like “I’ll do my best to get this situation resolved” or “just so I get a better understanding, what exactly were you envisioning?”
You Have Two Ears and ONE Mouth
Paying attention to the customer and listening to their needs is essential in service work. I can think of several situations where if I had listened better I would have had a happier customer and other times where I did listen closely and the customer was overjoyed with the end result. With window coverings, the real money is made in the beginning when the job is measured. The person that measures and designs the job can make (or avoid losing) a bunch of money if they listen and communicate with the customer proficiently. Like they say in the real estate business, “you make money when you buy, not when you sell”, the same can be said in the blind industry “you make money when you measure (and listen), not on the install.”
You Make the Decision
Having a can-do attitude is actually about making a decision to look to the solution. Usually, looking to what can be done will neutralize the problem and it makes all the issues manageable. In my day job, getting people to look to the solution is essential. Oddly enough, having a can-do attitude is a lot like what I’m doing on the internet. I show people what CAN be done and what they can do to get the results that they desire which in turn helps them to eliminate the problems they’re having. When you make the shift and realize that problems are there to move you forward and not to hold you back you won’t see problems, you’ll only see solutions.
In Prosperity
Eric & Lauren Kalberer
P.S. When you have a team with a can-do attitude problems become possibilities.
Comments
Mark Robinson, September 14 2011, 08:45
Your story is truly inspiring, Eric. Maintaining a positive attitude in the face of challenges is something we all can learn from. I particularly liked your advice on focusing on what can be done rather than what can’t. Looking forward to more posts from you!
Samantha Brown, September 14 2011, 10:30
This article resonated with me. I’ve often found myself getting worked up over small issues at work. Your approach of taking things step by step and maintaining a can-do attitude is something I will definitely try to adopt. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
William Turner, September 14 2011, 12:15
You were never meant to do this alone
Reading this changes nothing. Doing it with people who show up changes everything. That is the whole difference between the people who transform and the people who keep starting over.
Start free →Eric, your insights on customer service are spot on. Listening to the customer and focusing on their needs can make a huge difference. Your story about handling issues without getting overexcited is very relatable. Keep up the great work!
Linda Martinez, September 14 2011, 14:00
I really appreciate your advice on maintaining a positive attitude, even in tough situations. It’s not always easy, but your tips on how to communicate effectively with customers are very helpful. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Kevin Lee, September 14 2011, 15:45
This was an enlightening read. The importance of having a can-do attitude cannot be overstated, and your personal anecdotes made it very relatable. I’ll definitely be applying some of these strategies in my own work. Thanks, Eric!
Anna Wright, September 14 2011, 17:30
Your article reminded me of the power of positivity. It’s amazing how a simple shift in attitude can change the outcome of a situation. I’ll be sure to keep your advice in mind next time I face a challenge at work. Great post!
David Harris, September 14 2011, 19:15
Eric, your article on having a can-do attitude is very motivating. It’s a great reminder that our mindset plays a crucial role in how we handle challenges. I’m inspired to adopt a more positive outlook in my own business. Thanks for sharing!
Rachel Adams, September 14 2011, 21:00
Thank you for this wonderful post, Eric. Your practical advice on staying positive and focusing on solutions rather than problems is exactly what I needed to hear. Looking forward to reading more from you!
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How would we actually know the attitude is doing the work here, versus the tactic of waiting until the end of the job to raise the shortfall? Those are separable. One is a mindset, the other is just sequencing information so the customer doesn’t panic mid-install.
Raj’s split holds up as a diagram: measure, install, resolve. The ‘don’t say anything’ rule only pays off if the measuring step was accurate to begin with. Otherwise the can-do line just delays the same bad news instead of preventing it.
We called this ‘always stay positive’ training back in the 90s, minus the blinds. Every wave of sales advice rediscovers it. Doesn’t make it wrong — the two-ears-one-mouth bit is older than most people repeating it — just not the breakthrough it’s dressed up as.
That one’s doing two jobs at once — service tactic and plain decency. Doesn’t really need the business case to be worth doing.
‘You make money when you measure, not on the install’ is the one line here that’s actually a rule, not a mood.
What’s being described here under a different name is close to what’s called solution-focused practice’s rule against dwelling on problem talk — Steve de Shazer’s work from the 1980s, developed originally for family therapy sessions, not a blinds and shutters install. The core finding transfers surprisingly well: rehearsing the details of what went wrong, who’s at fault, and why, rarely produces the fix, and often just entrenches the negative frame further for everyone in the room. The post arrives at the same conclusion through pure trial and error over years in the field, which is itself interesting — a decent chunk of applied psychology gets independently reinvented by people who never read the literature, just paid close attention to what actually worked in front of a customer.
Philip, the therapy angle is interesting but the boring version is just a script — three or four stock phrases for the ‘don’t say anything’ moment, logged so nobody has to improvise them under stress. I built almost the same thing for our escalation calls.
Sorry if this is obvious, but does the customer ever notice it’s the same script each time, or does the calm tone cover it either way?
Around here everybody already knows whose cousin measured the windows wrong. ‘I’ll do my best to resolve this’ works on a stranger. In a town this size you’d better know what went wrong before you’re on the porch, because they’ve already heard a version of it.