Have you ever been in a store with a sign behind the counter that proclaims that “the Customer is King”?  Sometimes that title may seem ironic, since it is unclear what rights and privileges are conveyed.  In Japanese, there is a common phrase which is even more over the top: お客様は神で, which literally translates as “The Customer is God”.

While it might be nice to think that these types of expressions have some impact on selling behavior, when making purchases, a more practical expression is worth keeping in mind: caveat emptor.  This Latin term means “let the buyer beware”.  This idea has a great appeal to some salespeople since the responsibility for judging the quality of a product rests with the buyer, a burden seems to be lifted off of their shoulders.  Buyers are right to beware of such salespeople.

It is natural for the customer to distrust salespeople. Centuries of dysfunctional selling practices have helped buyers develop strong defenses.  It takes more than signs and catchy phrases to win the trust of buyers.