Fire The PITA Customer « 800 CEO Read

October 10, 2006

Fire The PITA Customer

Filed under: Sales — Sally @ 2:21 pm

We can all easily describe our Ideal Customer. The person who is curious, has money to spend, is open to new ideas, etc. Each of us has our own profile. I have actually turned my profile into criteria: I must have the expertise, the client must value my expertise, and the engagement must be fun. If a client doesnt meet all three of these criteria, I see red flags waving furiously.

Think about what happens when you have the opposite of your Ideal Customer. Have you ever had a PITA customer? You know, Pain In The Ass. What happens? They drain you, waste your time, the time of your staff, and you dont make any money. They are never good referrals, because PITAs hang out with other PITAs. So, fire them before you start.

Not always easy to do, because we see the dollar signs and think if we dont take this customer, we dont know where the next one will come from. I maintain that you are in big trouble if you take the PITA. It is a glaring Opportunity Costand Opportunity Lost to attract your very best customers. Say NO! It is one of the best decisions you can make.

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http://greatcustomerloyalty.blogspot.com Irwin Glenn

Joanne,
Before you fire that PITA customer, ask them directly what is their condition of satisfaction. Of course you want people to respect your expertise, that’s why they engaged you in the first place. Reinforcing to them what your expertise is while performing the service will remind them that they were smart to contract with you.
I have found that you must continue to interact with the customer and know what it is that they expect and, at the same time, you must keep reminding them that you are there to solve their problem or deliver the service that you agreed to deliver.
One very important element is to understand the root cause of a PITA customer — they believe that you will not help them be successful.
This may not be true in your mind but it is truth in theirs. Turning that around will make your biggest PITA into your best referral.
I realize this seems absurd on the surface, so, I invite you, and all the readers here, to buy the book “Say The Magic Words – how to get what you want from the people that have what you need” by Lynette Padwa. While the book tells the story of being successful as a buyer, she uncovers the secret of why bad experiences start in the first place. She covers this in 3 pages in her introduction and then backs it up with solid evidence across 18 diverse service provider industries.
Please read it and see if it applies to your client interactions. I think you can turn PITA back into just another kind of bread.
Enjoy the book.
Irwin Glenn
http://greatcustomerloyalty.blogspot.com
http://www.NoMoreColdCalling.com Joanne Black

Hi Irwin:
Thanks for your recommendation of Lynette’s book. I will check it out.
While I understand your point of view, I think most of us know a PITA right away and can say no on the spot. We only have so much time, and I choose not to spend it with a PITA. I’m not interested in turning them around. I want to work with clients who are the opposite of PITA–my ideal clients.
Those are the ones I ask for, and those are the ones I get. My sales cycle shortens dramatically, the competition disappears, the client spends more money and is thrilled with the results. I can’t ask for more than that.
Joanne Black
http://www.NoMoreColdCalling.com