Every once in a while the old tired debate of whether cell phones cause brain tumors or not arises.  It usually ends with two sides split; one saying they have proof that they do, while the other says they have proof that they don’t. Personally, I can tell you I do not know who is right or wrong in this case.  But one thing I do know is that cell phones do cause severe cases of rudeness.

I cannot believe how many people will stop in the middle of a sale, presentation, meeting or general conversation and either answer a cell phone call or read a text and or respond to one. 

In my mind, few things, if anything is ruder then when a person I am in a conversation with stops the conversation to look at their cell phone, let alone answer a call, read a text or respond to it.  I am not alone in my feelings either.  The next time you happen to be out in public, take a look at anyone that is being ignored when the person they are with pays any attention to their cell phone, you will quickly see what I mean and be even more surprised at how easy these people are to find since ignoring those in front of us to respond to our cell phones has become an epidemic it would seem.  And it should be easy to identify with these people since chances are you have felt the same way when someone does it to you. 

I talk about this here because I am alarmed at how many times we witness this scenario playing-out  when we do our side by side training.  It is something that we see literally everyday all across the country and few in the work place seem to be concerned about it.

If you are working with a customer and during that time you answer your cell phone, text or even look at your cell phone to see who is contacting you, here is the very least your customer will be thinking:

1. This sales person is rude.
2. This sales person is not interested in me.
3. This sales person does not care about my concerns.
4. This person is too busy for my business.
5. This sales person is not organized.
6. This sales person/business is understaffed.
7. If I do not have their full attention when they are trying to sell me their product, how much of their attention will I have after they do?
8. I am in the wrong place.
9. If you want my business, I want your attention.

And you know what?  I think they are pretty justified in thinking this on all accounts.  Because, it is exactly how I feel when it happens to me. 

As a matter of fact, when it happens to me these days, regardless of the level of meeting or conversation I am in, I simply exit the situation.

While having the best technology has to offer can be important.  Having and using it does not and never will give us a license to be rude. 

Besides, whenever you are working with a customer and you take your attention away from them you are now allowing the customer to take control of the sell.  If you are not giving them your full attention than they will continue to examine your product and make decisions based on information they do not have because you were not there to give it to them.  And most of the time, their decision will be to not buy what you presented, but instead only to buy what they originally asked for if anything at all. Any time you take your attention away from the customer for any reason and allow them to consider your product without you there to guide them your closing percentage will drop off by 95%.  Work the deal, customer or situation you have in front of you and you will experience infinitely more success.  The person on the phone is a possibility; the one in front of you is reality.

I believe every business/sales person should implement the following rule in regard to cell phones and cell phone usage:

NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED IN ANY AREA  WHERE A CUSTOMER MAY SEE YOU USING IT.

Simple and effective.

In closing out this message, let me share with you how far I have personally taken this.  When going to a presentation, my phone is shut off and is in my briefcase until the end of the meeting and I am out of my customer’s sight.  It has even carried over to my home.  No cell phones at the dinner table or during other family events. 

Bottom line:  It’s time to stop being rude to the people that mean the most to us; family, friends and customers, and start appreciating and taking care of what is right in front of us.  After all, isn’t that where most of the things we seek are, right in front of us?

Right, wrong or indifferent, that’s way I see selling from my perspective.

Jeff Cowan, Founder & CEO - Jeff Cowan's Protalk, Inc. 

http://automotiveservicetraining.com/