We’ve all been in this scenario—you try to talk to a customer about using a certain management system or therapy and they insist on doing something different. The challenge here is to guide the customer to understand your recommendation without further offending them. Working through this requires taking three steps:
- Active listening
- Explanation while getting feedback
- Coming up with a mutually acceptable plan
Source: Beef, October 22, 2017.
In any disagreement, remember the primary goals are the animal’s health, food safety and retaining the customer. Exhibiting your prowess does not help achieve those goals. It is better to listen to your customer, give evidence and ask for then utilize their feedback to develop a plan together.