Page 161 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

151 Quick Ideas to Get New Customers

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It’s Okay to Know You Don’t Know

Call it ego, pride, or vanity, but however you label it, Ameri-
cans are hesitant to admit when they don’t know something.
The really smart person knows it is okay not to know, and spends
their time and effort on finding the answer. Train your employ-
ees to ask for information if they don’t know the answer, rather
than lie or dismiss a customer request.

Raymond drove nearly

50 miles to a computer store Assignment
because he needed a highly
technical part. When When you know you
Raymond asked, “Are you don’t know, admit it, and
sure this will do the job,” the find someone who does.
sales clerk responded, “I That should be a company
think so.” That immediately policy. Otherwise you drive
set off Raymond’s built-in lie away potential customers.

detector. He exited the store

and headed to a competitor,

where he found a reliable answer to his question. Raymond

believed it was okay not to know the answer, as long as they

were willing to get someone who does.

Epilogue

Ignorance is simply not knowing, but stupidity is claim-
ing to know something when you don’t.

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