“The customer is the most important part of the production line.”
– W. Edwards Deming, management guru
“I can’t do that.”
Granted, I’m sorta persnickety when it comes to word choice, but it drives me completely over the edge when someone tells me — the customer — I can’t do that.
What they mean is, they won’t.
Granted, I know the clerk at Dick’s Sporting Goods — at least there is a rumor out there that Dick’s does, in fact, have employees, although I’ve never seen one — actually can’t do some things. But in a B2B world, the choice is rarely “can I or can’t I?” and almost always “will I or won’t I?”
There’s credibility that comes with “I won’t.” There’s respect and dialogue that comes with “I won’t.” It takes us down a path of “Why?” or “Why not?” It sets us on a course for what we will do.
Customers don’t want to hear what you can or can’t do. They want to know what you will do.
Leave a Reply