How are you... Is oversharing hurting your business?

“Hungry, gotta headache, and I need to pee.” This was a cashier’s response to a customer’s question. Perhaps, a little too honest and full of information to be professional.   It gave those in line a chuckle and a humorous anecdote for my significant other to share when he got home from the grocery. However, it was probably not what the store was looking for in terms of customer relationship building.

That response got me thinking about how easy it is over share, especially when we interact the same customers on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the first sign there is a problem may be the customer dropping out of site, and you may never know the reason why business dried up.

Why would over sharing impact your relationship with a customer? Maybe content has made them uncomfortable, or lengthy conversations, more personal than professional did not respect their time constraints. Recently, one of my customers commented that they really dislike it when their vendor is overly chummy… “old buddy old pal” acting like they are the customer’s oldest friend.

Over the years I have heard former co-workers share cringe-worthy personal details regarding dating relationships, marriages, health concerns, pregnancy birth and breastfeeding, and worst of all issues they had with co-workers or our employer.

There is a difference between relationship building with a customer, and treating them as if they are your life-long bestie. Whether it is with customers, vendors, or anyone else associated with the company everything we say and do reflects on our employer. The way one customer put it was, "to us you are CONNECTION Sales Corp."

How do you know if you are crossing the line? I figure, if I wouldn't be comfortable with my boss or the President of the company hearing the conversation, then I probably left that line somewhere behind me.