The document is a presentation by Michael T. Sobus on dealing with difficult customers. It discusses identifying ideal versus non-ideal customers, meeting customer expectations, handling complaints, firing difficult customers respectfully, and determining what customers really want from businesses. It provides tips on learning about customer needs and expectations and ensuring consistency, quality and personal attention in order to satisfy customers. The presentation aims to help businesses better understand their customers and improve customer service strategies.

1. Dealing With Difficult Customers Presented by the Michael T. Sobus, Ph.D. Founder, President Next Level Business Development Inc. “Business Science Evolved” Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

2. Dealing With Difficult Customers Go Ahead, Say It, Michael T. Sobus, Ph.D. Founder, President “the Customer Isn’t Always Right” Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

3. Imagine Wouldn’t it be Great not to worry, not to fear, not to care too much Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

4. First A Confession Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

5. 1 4 Most Important Things To Know About Your Business Coach: Mike Sobus Mike Sobus Successful Business Executive (1983 to Present) Over 28 years as a successful business executive with proven experience in marketing, sales, team leadership, management, training, product development, HR, business startups and business turnarounds. Managed multi-million dollar customers including, GE, Miller Brewing, Abbott, Asahi. SAB, and DuPont to name a few and opened new $multi-million markets in Japan, Korea, South Africa, and Eastern Europe including Hungary and Bulgaria. Managed new product development and roll out of $7 million beverage addititive. Schedule Your “Cash & Customers Strategy Session” Today! +1 (978) 278- 5541 http://www.nextlevelbizdv.com Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

6. 1 2 4 Most Important Things To Know About Your Business Coach: Mike Sobus Successful Business Executive (1983 to Present) Mike Sobus International Business Builder and Turnaround Leader (1983 to 2007) Responsible for building from scratch In just three years a $30 million Specialty Chemical Business for a European-based Joint Venture. Hired and managed a multi-cultural team of 35 professionals in 5 countries, was responsible for the completion of 2 multi-million dollar manufacturing facilities on-time and on-budget and opened highly profitable markets in Easter Europe and Africa. Led the turn-around of a $12 million nanoparticles business from a loss of $1. 2 million to a net profit of $1.3 million in just 3 years. Championed product development and opening of markets in Asia to fuel the turnaround. Schedule Your “Cash & Customers Strategy Session” Today! +1 (978) 278- 5541 http://www.nextlevelbizdv.com Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

7. 1 2 3 4 Most Important Things To Know About Your Business Coach: Mike Sobus Successful Business Executive (1983 to Present) International Business Builder and Turnaround Leader (1983 to 2007) Mike Sobus Avid Learner (1972 to Present) Ph.D. in Chemistry from University of Maryland, M.Div. from Weston School of Theology and Graduate of Executive Management Program at University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business. In 2008 founded Next Level Business Developmentlicensed and accredited by the Professional Business Coaches Alliance where he remains an active member sharing cutting-edge strategies and proprietary secrets with more than 100 business coaches throughout North America. Schedule Your “Cash & Customers Strategy Session” Today! +1 (978) 278- 5541 http://www.nextlevelbizdv.com Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

8. 1 2 3 4 Most Important Things To Know About Your Business Coach: Mike Sobus Successful Business Executive (1983 to Present) International Business Builder and Turnaround Leader (1983 to 2007) Mike Sobus Avid Learner (1972 to Present) 4 All Around Nice Guy. (?? to Present) Happily married and shares the now empty nest with Tank, the cocker spaniel, Moo, the short-hair cat, and any number of fish. Voracious reader of titles on business leadership and management, investing, politics, economics, philosophy, and ethics. Avid pro sports fan who listens to sports radio and recovering golfer. Enjoys Classical Music, exercise, trying to grow things in the garden and fine dining! Guilty pleasures: Tanquary Martinis and arguing politics. Schedule Your “Cash & Customers Strategy Session” Today! +1 (978) 278- 5541 http://www.nextlevelbizdv.com Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

9. A Little About Me Presentation Over $3 million new customer Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

11. Ask questions!

12. Try using what you learn

13. Turn off your cell phoneWhat are your expectations for me? Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

14. Before We Fire a Customer… Know Your Ideal Client- exercise 1 Institute a velvet rope policy- filter Be hard-nose about the numbers Dump the Duds Have a process in place Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

15. Customer Service “You can have everything in life that you want if you help enough people get what they want.” List 10 things you would like to learn or improve about customer service. Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

16. Why is Selling to Existing Customers Important? Revenue Customer Service Institute – 65% of business comes from existing customers Technical Assistance Research Programs Institute – 91% of dissatisfied customers don’t return – AND tell seven people! Harvard Business Review – Increasing customer retention from 10% to 15% can double revenue. Cost Customer Service Institute – It costs 5X more to get new clients than to keep an existing one Longevity National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) – 3-Year study proved that businesses that focused on service were more likely to survive than those who emphasized price or product Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

17. It All Comes Down To… Customer Expectations Meeting (Exceeding!) those Expectations Totally satisfied customers are 6X more likely to repurchase than satisfied customers (Xerox Corporation study) Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

18. The Business Model Message Marketing Vision Marketing Communication/ Medium Sales Conversion/ (Closing) Customer Service CREATE SYS TEMS L E A D E R S H I P HUMAN RE SOURCE S Serve Bookkeeping, Administration, Accounting, and Finance Receive Account Analyze Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

19. Message/Vision Every great company starts with a vision of how they will serve the market DIFFERENTLY and BETTER than existing options Then they communicate it! Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

21. Discuss how your business fulfills on the above.

22. Discuss how your business falls short on the above

23. Discuss what you can do to improve on these areas.Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

24. It All Comes Down To… Customer Expectations Meeting (Exceeding!) those Expectations Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

25. Customer Expectations Your Message (on which they acted) Price Target market served Product line offered Ease/speed of purchase Location Ease of use Technology, portability, Quality Personal attention Other? Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

26. What Customers Want CONGRUENCY Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

27. What Customers Want… CONSISTENCY Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

28. How to Meet (Exceed) Their Expectations Business Appearance First Contact Other Interactions Employees Systems Magic Moment Post Purchase Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

29. The 80/20 Rule 80% of your revenue comes From 20% of your clients Those 20% are your ideal customers Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

30. Ideal Customers Loyal Spend a lot and often Fair Profitable A joy Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

31. Make a List and Check It TwiceNeed to find out who’s naught or nice Has the customer purchased several times Profitable- Don’t just guess Strategically important Spent significant money with you Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

32. Profitable How much they spend How often What- high margin or low margin Referred others to you Pay on time Full price or discount shoppers Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

33. Ideal Customers Ask for products you are good at Value your products/services Pay fair Challenge you to do better Support your continued growth Help you move in strategic new directions Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

34. Learn about them The products or services the love or would love to see Customer service elements important to them Why they chose your business How your business could improve How cold you do more business with them Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

35. What Characters You Don’t want Penny pincher Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

36. What Characters You Don’t want Complainer Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

37. What Characters You Don’t want Time-waster Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

38. What Characters You Don’t want “more for nothing” Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

39. What Characters You Don’t want Know it all-egocentric Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

40. Handling Complaints Why? Studies have shown that customer will continue with you if they felt they were treated properly 90% of unsatisfied customers never complain they just go elsewhere Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

41. Handling a Complaint Respect Engage Diagnose Listen Restate No blame Solution –break into steps Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

42. 9 steps to fire a client Be polite and professional Stay calm and relaxed Offer an alternative Send them a letter If you need to break a contract Remove them from your list If they ask why, tell them Offer a concession If things get out of control, have a plan. Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

43. Next Level Business Development Inc. “Business Science Evolved” Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

44. Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

46. Business Effectiveness Evaluation – get a clear picture on biggest areas of need

47. Target Market Review- Demographics Psychographics and Ideal Customer Niche plus a 90 minute meeting to generate ideas and tangible action plans

48. Walk away with clear plans for next 90 daysStrategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

49. Next Level Business Development Inc. “Business Science Evolved” Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541

50. Dealing With Difficult Customers Presented by the Michael T. Sobus, Ph.D. Founder, President Next Level Business Development Inc. “Business Science Evolved” Strategy Development, Professional Business Coaching and Training Mike Sobus mike@coachsobus.com 978-278-5541