There is always going to be one or two people who are just plain skeptical. It does not matter how open and friendly you try to be, they are going to be curious and concerned—wondering what your motivations are, whether or not the products actually work, wanting to know if you are going to follow through on promises and assuming that you will not. Some of us find skeptical individuals to be tough to work with…
Chances are, the skeptical client or customer has been burnt before by unsavory business practices or he or she is someone who is either naturally protective or has been raised to be skeptical of others. I think that it is best to not try to change the person or delude yourself into thinking that you will turn a skeptic into a completely different personality. Instead, we have to figure out how we can combat those fears and concerns and still do business.
There are issues of fear and control at the root of a skeptical client or customer. I have found that being as honest and direct as possible and allowing for extra time to answer questions can help. It also helps to work on ways to alleviate those fears. If you can figure out what the skeptical person is actually afraid of (afraid of looking like a fool, losing money, etc.) then you can work to put those fears to rest. I also think that while it is important to be honest and operate your business interactions with integrity, you can immobilize yourself by trying to be perfect. We are only human, but watch out for promising more than you can deliver because this will only give the skeptic more reason to doubt you. You can expect that you will need to build a relationship and earn a skeptic’s trust, but if you operate your business with care, honesty, and understanding of the skeptical customer or client’s point of view, you can still make a loyal customer out of the hardest skeptic.
See Also: How do You End an Unhealthy Client or Customer Relationship?
Working with Challenging Customers and Clients