Get Selling Out of the Way
Customers can feel when they are being pushed. Build the relationship first, train your team in your company’s service philosophy, and trust that happy customers will come back, refer others, and lower your marketing costs over time.
I just got my oil changed at the same auto repair shop I’ve trusted for the last 18 years. At this point, they know my car, my history, and the sound of my voice over the phone.
While I was there, I chatted with one of the owners. I mentioned a small concern from someone I had referred to them recently. That person had asked an employee about a possible discount and got a little attitude in return.
Not a huge deal. Not looking for drama or to get someone in trouble.
But because I value the relationship, I wanted the owner to know. Sometimes one small customer experience is a symptom of something bigger.
The owner appreciated the feedback and explained that the employee was new. He was doing a great job overall, but he had come from another shop with a very different sales philosophy. That shop was all about numbers. Push the sale. Sell, sell, sell. Hit the quota.
And maybe that attitude showed up that day. Maybe. She promised to continue to work on it with all of her team. She knew it was important.
The interesting part? That other shop has had plenty of complaints over the years. It is also why I do not use them.
This shop I’ve used for all these years, has a different philosophy:
Take care of the customer. Don’t push the sale. Do what’s right. Build the relationship. The numbers will take care of themselves.
That is not soft thinking. That is smart business.
Too many businesses get this backward. They focus so hard on selling that they forget the customer is a person, not a transaction with shoes. And, when employees feel pressure to “close,” they often stop listening. They stop helping. They start pushing.
And customers can feel it.
The better approach is to get selling out of the way. Focus on the relationship first. Listen. Answer the question. Solve the problem. Be honest. Build trust.
In the EA Lewis “Selling Without Selling” approach, trust and relationship building are central to creating a magnetic presence that attracts clients rather than pushing them away. It highlights the importance of being present, using confidence wisely, and letting the prospect move at their own pace.
That is exactly what this auto repair shop understands.
Sometimes the numbers may not look great on one visit. Maybe you gave a fair discount. Maybe you recommended the smaller repair instead of the expensive one. Maybe you told the customer, “You can wait on that.”
But here is what happens next.
They come back.
They refer friends.
They trust you.
Your marketing costs go down because your customers become your marketing department. And unlike a billboard, they can talk.
There is also a leadership lesson here. New employees bring old habits with them. Some of those habits are helpful. Some are not. If someone comes from a hard-sell culture into a relationship-first culture, you cannot assume they will automatically adjust.
You have to train them (and most likely keep coaching them on it as change can take time.)
Not just on the technical work. Not just on the software, the process, or where the extra air filters are hiding.
You have to train them on your company’s philosophy.
How do we treat people here?
How do we answer questions?
How do we handle price concerns?
How do we protect trust?
How do we define success?
Because culture is not what you say in the handbook. Culture is what the customer feels at the counter.
The moral is simple:
Business is easier when trust is already in the room.
So get selling out of the way. Focus on the relationship. Teach your team how your company does business. When you do what is right for the customer, the numbers may wobble in the short run, but in the long run they usually drive themselves home…hopefully with a fresh oil change.
Call to Action:
Take 15 minutes this week and ask your team: “What do we want every customer to know and feel after working with us?” Then build that answer into your training, your meetings, and your daily habits.
If you need a little help changing to a relationship culture and stop pushing selling, give us a shout. We can help. CONTACT US
Hashtags: #SmallBusinessCoaching #CustomerService #RelationshipMarketing #SellingWithoutSelling #BusinessGrowth #CompanyCulture #TrustBasedSelling
