Seek First Not To Offend

Just as a doctor’s prime directive is to “…never do harm to anyone”, a salesperson’s first objective should be not to offend. That sounds easy – simply avoid calling your clients obscene names. While that’s certainly something I’d recommend steering clear of, it’s not that simple. People can be offended in a variety of ways. While some clients will be more sensitive than others, it’s best to assume they will all belong to the “easily offended” group.

Most of us have five functioning senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch & taste), and that means we’ve got five ways to be offended.

Sight
Many business owners have logos printed on their company vehicles, shirts or hats. This is a great marketing strategy, but can be quickly undone when coupled with with a controversial slogan or image. Some topics to avoid:

• Politics
• Religion
• Gay rights / rainbow flag
• Confederate flag
• Animal rights / PETA
• NRA / gun rights
• Fair Tax
  

Envision this scenario: Suzy Liberal is driving behind a truck with a sign that reads “Smith’s Custom Furniture”. She is interested, and makes a mental note of the website address. A few seconds later, she notices a “Tea Party Conservatives” bumper sticker. Incensed, she hastily discards her mental note.

Your choice of clothing is important as well. Advice on this subject is not one size fits all - a suit and tie isn't always the answer. Your clothes should be clean and pressed, and coordinate with your furniture or cabinetry. A pair of overalls with a white shirt would work well for a builder of country pine furniture, but wouldn't work for a hip contemporary furniture maker.

Smell
Don't encourage your clients to flee the meeting prematurely. Keep a spare shirt and a package of mints handy. I recommend that you avoid the following:

• Body odor
• Strong colognes or perfumes (Go easy on the Old Spice, Captain!)
  
• Incense & overpowering air fresheners
  
• Cigarette / coffee breath

Hearing
Assume that you can be heard from the moment you pull into your client’s driveway until you leave and are safely away, and act accordingly.

• Don't use a familiar tone with clients until you’ve been told otherwise. Use Mr.and Mrs., Sir and Ma’am.
• Avoid political or otherwise controversial comments (“We should never have gone to war in the first place!”).
• Refrain from bad mouthing your competition.
• Speak clearly, don't mumble, and use proper grammar.
  

Touch
Obviously, groping a client is a sure way to lose a sale, but more everyday forms of personal contact can  distract clients from your message:

• Your handshake: Limp-fish? Vice-grip? Sweaty palms? All three should be avoided. Make sure your hands are clean and dry. Shake hands warmly and firmly, and don't linger overlong.
  
• Personal space: Don't invade it. Men especially should pay attention here - women are extremely sensitive to this.
  

Taste
It’s true that you’d have to go to great lengths to offend a client's sense of taste. I include it here as something to be aware of.

Maybe some people are just too sensitive. But that’s never going to change. Consider this: Would you rather tell the world who you voted for in the last election, or avoid offending a whole party’s worth of potential clients? How difficult would it be to simply not smoke in your vehicle on your way to a client’s home?