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- Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

A couple contacted my husband several months ago about building a new home. We spent many hours taking them through the design process, finding out specifically what they wanted in their new home, and how their budget could best be utilized. They spent several thousand dollars purchasing a lot, paying for my husband to do the home design, and installing a septic on the home site. The building permit is now ready to pick-up. Our clients are at the final decision making stage. The only question remaining is will they or won't they sign the construction contract . . .

As we were going through this process, the housing market took a nose dive. Suddenly the perception of our clients, and most of those folks in the market to build a new home, is that they should be paying a price per square foot comparable to existing houses that have decreased in value significantly.

Consider this scenario. If you were a home builder paying astronomical gas prices, which affects every part of the building supply industry; you had to deal with suppliers and subcontractors who also have rising costs; and you had employees who expect to eat and pay their bills regularly, does it make sense that any of your costs would be going down? I think not . . .

So, here we are at a crossroads with our customer. Their perception and our reality are very different, and ne'r the two shall meet. Where does this leave us? How do we overcome the disparity between us and our customers?

As well as looking for ways to cut costs and get the best prices on materials possible, it's part of our job to educate our customers about what's going on in the building industry, and the value we can add to their project. What is not in our best interest is criticizing, judging, and allowing bad feelings to dominate our lives until it carries over into our business relationships, which could lead to the death of our business.

Here are five strategies to help you overcome negative feelings and move into a positive mode of caring for your customers and your business, when you are faced with a similar situation.

1. Walk a mile in your customer's shoes. If you were hiring someone to provide a service or product, what would you look for before you signed on the dotted line? Would you accept a proposal or purchase the product without making sure you were getting the best price and quality possible? Probably not.

2. Make a list of possible objections your customers may have, and make sure you are able to answer them before you sit down to meet with your customers in person. Have you ever looked back on a situation and thought, "I wish I had said . . . "? Avoid the looking back syndrome and think ahead. Thinking ahead will help you avoid getting ambushed with an objection you haven't had time to think through.

3. Ask trusted friends and family what they would be looking for in a service provider in your area of expertise. Take their answers to heart and see how you can improve your service or products based on their feedback.

4. Be proactive. Use the list of objections, and the list of what people want, and address them on your marketing material, your brochures, websites, advertisements, etc.

5. Focus on the value and results you can bring to the table. Make sure you are communicating your unique selling position. What do you have to offer that can set you apart from your competition? If you position yourself so that you have no real competition, it will be easier to address objections.

The more time you spend focusing on how you can position yourself as the expert in your field, and how you can educate your customers on the unique value you have to offer, the more your business will thrive in spite of a "slow" economy. And as a bonus, your efforts towards creating a positive, caring relationship with your customers will enhance your life, your community and your world.