Mental Health Awareness — Improving Supplier/Vendor Perception
50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24
Last Thursday was Mental Health Awareness Day and it got us talking in the office about how people have different issues and still manage to succeed and get through the day. The topic came up of how to ease the relationship between the confident supplier and nervous customer and we decided to pour these ideas into our weekly blog. 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24, but there is still a lot of stigma around mental health and issues people have with them. These people will find it difficult to plan a wedding and discuss things with suppliers. There’s a great deal of stress with planning a wedding, and times like this call for patience from suppliers, to give the best service they can for their customers. If you’re a supplier with knowledge and understanding of mental health, drop us a comment with your experiences — you may be able to help new business owners as well!
There are a variety of mental illness people can live with, such as Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or even PTSD. They’re not always visual illnesses, you may not see any crutches or scars, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. People with Anxiety and Depression will have lower self-esteem and often be exhausted more easily because it takes a lot of effort to stop the brain from focusing on the negatives. With Anxiety, a person can experience an intense fight or flight response from something as simple as overwhelming information. PTSD can be the same, and a lot of misconceptions about these mental health issues can cloud your judgement as a vendor or supplier. People with OCD aren’t obsessed with cleaning for example, and people with PTSD won’t always react to something stressful.
Certain people can have difficulty in social situations but unfortunately, there’s no avoiding social interaction when planning both large and small events. People who see the world differently with their mental health issues will often experience trepidation with discussing ideas with a supplier; perhaps they’re worried about how their ideas will be received; if they will be judged; if they will be swept aside in the planning process and overwhelmed. As a supplier, your customers are your priority, and not all of them will tell you if they have issues. They may feel like it would be bothersome or that there’s no reason for them to let you know. Perhaps it’s a private matter. Either way, you aren’t likely to ask them since it’s such an intrusive question.
Some signs of uncomfortable behaviour may indicate anxiety or that they may be unused to social interaction. Lack of eye contact, fidgeting, faster breathing — these are the body language indicators that you might see. There’s no need to bring it up to your customer if you see it however, just try to be gentle with your language. When you’re asking questions about what they might prefer, give them plenty of time to express their opinions. Smile, suggest things that are similar to their style. They might want traditional themes like white dresses, or they may want alternative styles full of dark colours. Take their hints and expand on them, work with them and don’t just wait for a straight answer.
A possible scenario could be; a customer looking into decorations for their venue, and you provide a wide range of colours and styles. The customer comes to you, maybe they’ve been recommended by a friend or seen a good review of things relating to their interests. Let’s say they walk into your store and see your display of popular traditional decorations such as white table covers and pale coloured ribbons. They’re displayed because they have been purchased a lot, and while the customer may know this, their first impressions will give them a concern that you won’t be able to assist them. Worries can override sensible actions quite easily and it’s not easy to control. The customer approaches you, you have a smile on your face and they smile back but there’s an air of uneasiness about them. They’re fidgeting with the hands, avoiding eye contact, and look very stiff. In some cases, this may seem suspicious, but the difference is that the nervous customer will be wanting to talk to you and possibly, buy from you. That’s why their posture is so stiff, and why they’re fidgeting. They’re nervous about your opinions of them and what they should say to you. A train of thought is running rampant in their brain trying to work out the right words to say, while another train is trying to work out how to relax without looking lazy or like they don’t care. They can’t control this very well but they’re still there, and they’re still looking to you to help them with their wedding. The strength and the courage it’s taken for them to conquer their obstacles need to be respected, so while it may take a little longer for their consultation, they will not only hold you in high esteem, they will also admire you for taking the time to help them despite their nervousness. Asking to speak to someone else on their behalf shouldn’t be the first thing to say to them, the same goes for pushing the customer a little harder probably because you have other customers waiting. Give them time and recognise that they’re here because they want YOUR product — treat them with the same kindness you’d want to be treated. It sounds cliche but it is the truth.
People who live with their lives with unseen difficulties deserve the same patience and care as any other valued customers. They might not want to reveal any private information about themselves, or they may want to let you know beforehand if they’re worried their body language is suspicious. Either way, we’re all human, and we’re all in this together. We all deserve respect from each other.
If you’re worried about the mental health of your friends or family, don’t be afraid to offer your support to them. This can range from going to the doctors with them, or just sitting with them and listening to their problems. They may not necessarily want advice, so be prepared to just sit and hear them out. If you’re concerned about someone’s health and don’t know how to help them, check out Mind charity for assistance. If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, here are some helpful phone numbers:
- 116 123 = Samaritans
- 111 = NHS non-emergency medical helpline
- 0800 58 58 58 = Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) — for men (5 pm to midnight every day)
- 0800 068 41 41 = Papyrus — for people under 35 (Monday to Friday 10am to 10pm, weekends 2pm to 10pm, bank holidays 2pm to 5pm) or Text 07786 209697
- 0800 1111 = Childline — for children and young people under 19 (This number does not show up on your phone bill)
Remember, if an emergency, call 999.
We hoped we’ve helped somewhat, let us know if we’re off track or if you have any other tips for suppliers in helping others. If you’re a supplier with knowledge and understanding of mental health, drop us a comment with your experiences — you may be able to help new business owners as well!
See you next week.
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