I got an email this week from a college student looking for assistance applying to business school. She’d been referred to me by a Collegewise family who was hoping I could help this student like we helped the family’s son apply to college. But we don’t do business school admissions advising. I don’t know anything about the schools, the process, or what a good essay topic is for a student looking to get an MBA. In situations like this, I always try to remember that just because someone can’t buy something from us doesn’t mean we can’t still give them good service.
Sometimes families call us looking for help filling out their FAFSA, which we don't do. Sometimes they’re wondering if we have offices in Toledo, Chicago or Miami, which we don’t. And other times, we’ll recognize during an introductory appointment that we aren’t the best choice to provide the kind of help they’re looking for. When that happens, here’s what we do at Collegewise:
1. Acknowledge what they want.
You don’t want to make someone feel silly for asking. A few words of acknowledgement can go a long way.
“Oh, you have a niece in Toledo? How old is she?”
“Wow—we don’t meet a lot of students who want to apply to all the Ivy League schools, especially when you’re only a sophomore!”
2. Apologize.
No, we haven’t done anything wrong. But a sincere apology is a nice way to let someone who wanted to be your customer know that you really wanted to work together, too.
“I’m really sorry—I just don’t know anything about business school admissions. Maybe that’s something I should learn more about.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. We actually don’t have an office in Chicago, and I don’t personally know anyone there I can refer you to. You’re not the first person to ask, either. It might be time for us to explore the windy city.”
3. Find a way to leave them better off.
The fact that you don’t have anything to sell them doesn’t mean you can’t offer a little service. Offer them a referral, a resource, or some other kind of guidance to help them find the kind of help they need.”
“We’ve heard great things about a financial advisor who can help you fill out your FAFSA forms. A few of our Collegewise families have been raving about her. Would you like her number?”
“Here’s a website that lists all the certified college counselors who are part of IECA. You can search by city, and I’m sure you could find someone in Chicago.”
Even when a potential customer can’t buy from you, treating them well pays you back. Whoever sent them your way will get a good report and will be more likely to keep referring people. The customer you treated well now has a good reason to tell other people about you (people who can actually buy something from you). And it lets you be a good small business citizen.