I came across a pretty interesting article today that actually left me pondering my own view on lies and liars in the business world. The article, The 7 Most Common Lies Customers Tell, was written by Mike Michalowicz, CEO of Provendus Group – a consultancy that helps companies whose growth has plateaued. In the article, Michalowicz discusses both why and how customers lie to businesses.
The Why?
Michalowicz says customers lie because they are human and no human is beyond lying. Seems pretty reasonable, right? He also states “lying is a fact of life, and knowing this gives you the ability to find the truth behind the words, which is critical to business success.” This had never once crossed my mind before. I thought honesty was the best policy (which I still believe is true), but never thought to be looking for truth behind the words.
Now for the How?
Below are three of the seven most common ways in which customers lie to you:
- “I think your service is great!” – Michalowicz says your customer is probably lying. It is socially inappropriate to tell someone else they are bad at what they do. Customers don’t want to hurt your feelings, so they lie. They say you are great and then never use your services again.
- “You got the project!”- This has happened to me many times. Customers say over the phone that we have a deal, and then a week later back out. Michalowicz says to remember that you only "get the project" when the contract is signed and the check is cut.
- “We have an urgent need!” – And while I have heard #2 a lot, this one takes the cake. A great line I read from Michalowicz article was, “Urgency is relative to other urgency. The urgent need your customer tells you about today, may no longer even matter tomorrow.” This is so true. Customers think they have an urgent need until something more urgent comes along. It’s all a matter of perspective really.
Usually when I think of lying, my mind automatically goes to a bad person telling lies. Michalowicz says not to do this though. “The lesson here is not that people have bad intentions (though some do). Rather, you should expect your customers and prospects to lie to you. Your job is to anticipate lies and determine what the truthful message is behind the lies.” I found this last thought so intriguing. Instead of being angered or hurt by liars (as I usually am), I should try to find the truth within the lie. In a sense it is trying to find the positive out of a negative, which is not a bad way to look at things if you ask me.
To read the full article, click here