The Tribune

By Scott Farrington

“Open mouth, insert foot”. Or, if you prefer: “Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth”. I personaly like the latter saying much better when it comes to a botched sales pitch.

These expressions describe what happens when we say something we should not have. Maybe it was inappropriate, hurtful, embarrassing for both parties, or just awkward.

When is the last time you wished you could take back something you said? It was not too long ago for me. What did I do? I was very passionate about what I was saying, and I will discuss this in my next article. (Foreign versus local and where does our money go?)

Ever heard the saying: “Think before you ink”? The same applies to when you’re speaking with anyone. I have a friend, and when I talk with him there is always a silence before he responds. It feels awkward because silence between conversations is not a common practice. But this person always thinks before he speaks. It’s like the computer has to process a response first, then the response comes out.

So. w

Why does sales ‘foot in mouth’ happen?

• We are excited and passionate about what we want to share.

• We get defensive when we hear an objection.

• We become uncomfortable or impatient with the silence after we ask a good question.

The problem is, we can never take back those words and, more importantly, the reaction to them.

So, what to do about it? Immediately after you have said something you wish you had not, you usually a get a feeling of ‘ooops’. And certainly by later in the day, when you are replaying the conversation in your mind.

Try the following:

As soon as possible, if not right away....

• Offer a sincere apology. Use the words: “I’m sorry for _.” or “I apologise that I .” Include specifics on what you did.

• Use humour. With the right person, and in the proper context, self-deprecation is helpful. “Oh, there I go again talking too much.” Or “open mouth, insert foot “ and “ I’m sorry I was just so passionate I let myself get away “

I’ve found that admitting something you did wrong right away can be a powerful leveller in a relationship. The more human you are, the more your buyers want to work with you.

A final tip: If you want to avoid having to apologise, slow down. Let the computer (your brain) prepare a response. Take a breath, press the hold button on your phone for three seconds, and think before you say anything. This, of course, is easier said than done.

There is a German philosopher, whose name I can’t recall. But whoever he is, I give credit to him for this, when he says: “Everything is hard until it gets easy.” Think about it. The art of pausing before you respond is difficult, and unless you practice this it will always be hard. But the more you practice this, the easier it will become.

All of these strategies are certain to keep your business on top during these challenging economic times. Have a productive and profitable week!

• NB: Scott Farrington is president of SunTee EmbroidMe, a promotional and marketing company specialising in uniforms, embroidery, silk screen printing and promotional products. Established over 27 years ago, SunTee EmbroidMe has assisted local businesses from various industries in marketing themselves. Readers can contact Mr Farrington at SunTee EmbroidMe on East Shirley Street, or by e-mail at scott@sun-tee.com or by telephone at 242-393-3104.