Emotions Can KILL the Entrepreneur. Breathe, Relax, and Respond
Ever get one of those nasty emails from a client (or anyone) basically telling you how much you suck…how much they hate you and your service….how much they wish they never met you…. How much…ok you get the point.
We’re human, so naturally we’re going to become upset and angered at this person for basically taking off your head because something went wrong. But it’s all about the response. The response separates the good entrepreneurs from the great entrepreneurs.
It’s so easy to…
Respond with the same anger by writing an emotion-riddled email telling off your client why he or she is wrong and how they can take their problem and shove it up their ass. This type of response is neither rational or appropriate.
Not so easy to…
Take the time – from a few minutes to a few days depending on the urgency of the complaint – to clear your head and think of a way to respond without your emotions; with a logical business mind. You can’t fight fire with fire. You have to be smarter than that and understand that this assault on you and your business was emotionally driven.
It’s hard not to take it personal. But will yourself not to.
Respond Right
Do the right thing and don’t let your anger or emotions cloud your ability to respond to a complaint with a rational, calm, and well thought-out email or phone call. At the end of they day, everyone wins. Your clients will respect you for responding with such equanimity and composure and it’s more than likely that your business relationship will continue.
Remember
Don’t let emotions dictate your decisions. Emotions are produced from the fire in your belly. Rational decisions are produced from calm minds.
Great thought! While I’m building my business I work part time in customer service and I’ve learned a lot from that experience. Even though I don’t own the company I work for part time sometimes it’s still hard not to take things personally but in the end there is always an appropriate response and an inappropriate response. That doesn’t mean that you have to agree with or give the customer what they want but it’s the way you handle the situation that changes their attitude towards you.