Avoid prejudice to your customers - coaching sales

In this guide, we will explore key issues related to dealing with clients and the relevance of first impressions. Initial coaching sessions are crucial, as they serve as a discovery process for both parties. It is normal to make mistakes, such as prejudging our clients without having enough information to form an adequate profile.

Prejudices can be very detrimental when we are trying to get to know someone for the first time. By judging prematurely, we create scenarios that do not reflect reality, which biases the way we act and conditions us by factors that are neither objective nor consistent with what we discover as we interact.

Given the relevance of these aspects for the development of a coach's communication skills, we will review some of the essential elements related to biases towards clients.

What are biases?

Prejudging involves making assumptions about a specific event or person without having the necessary information. Through prejudice, we advance the cognitive process that requires getting to know someone thoroughly. Prejudice is, therefore, judging ahead of time. These prejudices can be problematic, as they create erroneous impressions that cloud our ability to reason and interfere with our interpersonal relationships.

People who tend to be prejudiced often realize their error only after they have exchanged information in a more in-depth manner with the one they have judged. Unfortunately, prejudices are more common than they appear and are often disguised as "first impressions".

Usually, first impressions are simply unfounded prejudices. It is unlikely that we will be able to build a minimally accurate profile about someone based on first exchanges alone.

First exchanges are not the most useful

First exchanges are not particularly helpful in getting to know a client and forming a profile about them. When a client introduces him/herself to a coach and begins to establish a professional relationship, several circumstances arise that affect the spontaneity of the communication. Between coach and client, during the first sessions, factors such as shyness, nervousness, discomfort, expectations, lack of confidence and insecurities influence.

This causes the initial relationship to not flow naturally or in an atmosphere of trust. For this reason, we should not get carried away by first impressions.

Use the first exchanges to build trust

Since we know that the first exchanges with our clients are not very useful to go deeper into their profile, it is advisable to take advantage of these interactions to start creating an environment of trust that will allow us to obtain genuine information about the client. During these first conversations, try to be open and allow the customer to get to know you at least in general aspects. Most people are more willing to share about themselves when they have received something from the other person.

By being generous in our exchanges with the client, we are creating a favorable space for subsequent sessions to be more authentic and flow naturally. Avoid excessive formalisms that divert the conversation towards appearances, remember that what you are looking for is for the client to show his or her most authentic version.