Know the F.A.C.T's: A = Be ASSERTIVE

Lauralee and I keep referring back to the F.A.C.T's that I've created to help you become a Fun Cheap or Free Queen too.

To help dictate what this acronym means, I'll do a series of posts to help clarify a bit. While this is a bit out of order, I'm starting with A = Be Assertive since I had some recent experiences (mentioned here) where it was important for me to BE ASSERTIVE in order to get my way with deals.

I've broken down the "Be Assertive" steps into 7 tips. First of all, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ASK! No matter how "dumb" or "not a big deal" it is, no matter how scary it is, always ask. You just never know!
Once you've asked, here's how to get your way:

1. Be firm, but nice. I promise, you WILL NOT get your way if you are mean, but you also WILL NOT get your way if you are timid and back down easily. Balance, people, balance. :)
2. Don't take the first NO for an answer. You may not get your way in the end, but make sure you hear 10 NO's before you finally accept it! :)
3. Ask for a supervisor. Most times the first person you speak to can't make the ultimate decision. It is not mean, cruel, or unnecessary in any way to ask for a supervisor. It's being assertive; get to the decision-maker!
4. Present alternative solutions. If they keep saying no, or if something is against policy, you can't really argue with that. Present alternative solutions instead! "If I'm too late to get tickets for this game, how about you give me tickets to the next home game instead?"
5. Threaten to take business elsewhere. Once again, no need to be mean. Just simply say something like, "Look, I understand where you are coming from, but I hope you also understand that this makes me unhappy and I will just take my business elsewhere. Is this really worth losing a lifetime customer over?"
6. Get a name. Good or bad, get a name. This will make them feel good if they treated you well, or will scare them a bit if you didn't get your way. If you need to file a formal complaint or call back later you MUST have a name to have any form of credibility.
7. Resolve the situation. Don't just walk away. If you didn't get your way end it by saying, "Well, I'm sorry you lost a customer over this." Or if you got your way, "thank you so much, I really appreciate it; you've earned my lifelong business." Sometimes they'll give you something more just for being so appreciative!

Watch the videos for how I did this!

So, as you can see from my (blabby) videos, it takes guts, perseverance, and time to BE ASSERTIVE to get your way with deals sometimes, but it pays off! Once you make being assertive a habit it will become  easier and easier...you'll be a FCF Queen in no time :)

Let me know if you have any questions, and good luck being assertive this week!