How to Get a Better Handle on Dealing With Serious Situations With Your Customers

By Danny Boice, founder and CEO of Trustify.

Not every business is positive and not every topic can be lighthearted. Many startups get to write about fairly innocuous topics — say, selling mattresses or catching a ride. Unfortunately for us, we do not always have this luxury. Whether they’re looking for a missing loved one or confirming infidelity, my clients often come to us under a good deal of stress and looking for information, security and a helping hand.

When offering a solution to a pressing and emotional problem, there’s a temptation to frame your copy in terms that are dramatic or fearful. In fact, selling services to people on that basis would be easy to start with, but is actually counterproductive in the long run.

If your clients don’t believe you are trustworthy, they won’t recommend you to their peers and they won’t come back. Negative language doesn’t foster trust, and without that your marketability is limited. So, how do you write about bad things in a good way?

Be Genuine

If you can’t convince your customer that you understand their problem, you’ll have a hard time convincing them that you have the right solution. When it comes to serious and painful topics, it’s important to acknowledge the problem fully and honestly without sugarcoating things.

You may not have been through the same experience as your client, but a measured amount of empathy is important to instill confidence. It’s tempting to add a bit of sympathy too, but be careful: If you overdo it, you’ll come across as fake or even condescending. Remember, the difference between empathy and sympathy is the difference between offering understanding and offering pity.

Don’t Promise the World

Your potential customer is looking for help, but that’s no reason to bend the truth and offer something you can’t deliver. If you do, you’ll come across as a snake oil salesman, and there are already plenty of those around.

When you’re offering your solution, give it to them in clear terms using your customer’s own language. Aside from honesty being a rare (and valuable) quality these days, being realistic about your solution also circumvents problems down the road.

Sometimes the solution isn’t easy or even feasible, but customers often appreciate honesty and know integrity when they see it. Promising too much and delivering too little isn’t sustainable in the long run, and won’t get you many (or even any) happy customers singing your praises.

Avoid Fearmongering

Exaggerating what your client is going through and needlessly raising their fear level tends not to end well. Sure, you’ll be appealing to the people who are experiencing a dire need — but to all others, your brand’s voice will appear predatory and perhaps unsavory. And they’re your future customers. Fearmongering is a short-term growth strategy that ultimately burns your long-term prospects.

Be Positive, or At Least Neutral

When you’re writing or speaking about something negative, try to use positive language to improve your tone. Make an effort to be courteous when speaking with your clients. For most people, this comes naturally, but Your Dictionary has a great article on using courteous language to improve your tone.

Here are some key excerpts:

• Try to sound neutral rather than confrontational.
• Focus on the positives and use positive language.
• Don’t use the word “you,” as it can sound accusatory.
• Show you care.
• Soften bad news by leading up to it.

It’s not easy to stay positive when you’re dealing with serious and negative situations, but by avoiding negativity and fear, you can make sure your brand’s voice and tone are compatible with long-term, sustainable growth.

The tips we’ve covered throughout this article have helped us, and we hope they help you speak positively about negative subjects with your clients, too.

Danny Boice is the founder and CEO of Trustify, a new service that lets consumers order a private investigator on-demand to check on anything or anyone.