5 Languages of Apology For Salespeople

Expressing Regret… "I am sorry."
Accepting Responsibility… "I was wrong."
Making Restitution… "What can I do to make it right?"
Genuine Repenting… "I’ll try not to do that again."
Requesting Forgiveness… "Will you please forgive me?"

These are the Five Languages of Apology as listed by Gary Chapman who wrote a recent book by the same title. Chapman wrote for couples, families, friends, and those in intimate relationships but his thoughts have great business application as well. His primary thesis is that different people have different needs with regard to apology and what will begin healing and restoration after an offense.

In a relationship, you may have the luxury of getting to know your significant others well enough to know there specific language of apology and what they need from you. In business, I would suggest you might want to cover all the bases like the Starbucks barrista did in yesterday’s post. She perfectly nailed at least 4 out of 5.

Consider the offenses that most frequently happen as you sell to and serve your customers. Put together a game plan that covers most of the 5 languages. You will build stronger business relationships and who knows, some of this might overflow into personal life as well.