Do Not Force a Contract That Isn't Ready

Thank you as always! This is Kaiun-san.
Looking forward to another great day! 😊

This time, I'm not talking about my errand service business, but about a housing service (renovation business).
About five years ago, I had a client who had been considering installing a carport for about two months, and I visited them for the final business meeting.

However, it did not lead to a contract.

The reasons were that it was slightly over the budget they had originally planned, and the location issues regarding the installation site could not be resolved.

To install the carport in the desired location, the depth of the carport would have to be shortened, which would cause the car to stick out, creating an awkward situation. But that was the only place it could be put.

Because of these factors, the husband was hesitant about installing the carport this time.

In short, there were several points that were bothering him.

Although his wife, sitting next to him, did encourage him by saying, "Isn't it fine to just go ahead with it?", the husband remained deep in thought the whole time.

This client was a repeat customer who had used our services for other construction work before, and they were a very pleasant couple.

Since I started my own business, it has been my principle not to force a contract, so I decided to wait for the husband to make his own decision, yes or no.

Inside, I was nervous, but in the end, I threw him a lifeline by asking, "Would you like to take a few days to consider it?"

And the husband took me up on that offer.

He said, "I will give you an answer without taking too much time." And a week later, I received his response.

As a result, there was no contract this time.

Deep down, I wanted this contract desperately.
It is our company's custom to collect a 50% deposit upon signing a contract.
I had been counting on using that money as operating capital for the business if I could get the contract.

But here is the important point of this story.

What would I have wanted if I were in the customer's shoes?
If this were a TV, you could just buy it, take it home, and be done with it.

But this case was not that simple. It was a carport that was too short.
I would definitely be agonizing over what to do.

If the budget goes up and it's too short, I think I would feel like just calling it off.

Therefore, even if I could have pushed them to sign by giving them a little nudge,
I thought it was better to let them think it over carefully and decide to cancel if that's what they wanted.

Nobody wants to keep worrying about whether they made the right choice after they've already bought something, right?

If I had forced the contract while they were still worried, and that feeling lingered in their minds later on, we wouldn't be able to have a good relationship in the future.

I told the customer, "Please feel free to contact me whenever you decide to reconsider in the future," and left their home.

Of course, I still have a good relationship with them today.
However, I have not heard from them about reconsidering the carport installation since then,
so I believe it was the right decision not to force it through.

If it were the Kaiun-san from a few years ago, the branch manager of a cutthroat company, I would have secured the contract in a split second...

No, no, I have changed 180 degrees since then.

Ever since I started my business with the goal of being useful to people in need, I have completely sealed away my cutthroat skills.
People who knew the old Kaiun-san are surprised.

Especially when I was a corporate slave, I was a branch manager for such a company, so I acquired super-black skills.

When a person with such skills enters a business negotiation, even high-priced products can be closed instantly as easily as taking candy from a baby.

It is like the difference between a survival game player firing a gun and a professional sniper firing a gun.

However, Kaiun-san will never use such immoral negotiation skills for the rest of his life. I would like to forget them as soon as possible lol

I digressed, but the point is not to approach business negotiations with a self-centered attitude.
"Always customer first".

It is strange, but even if you miss a big business deal, a big project will often emerge again a while later. It is interesting, isn't it?

So, be bold and cut off difficult-looking business negotiations.
Naruhiko Kaiun

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