Posts Tagged Customer Retention
Staying Committed to the End-to-End Customer Experience
Posted by Rick Pranitis in CUSTOMER SERVICE on June 6, 2016
When we talk about the customer experience, it’s important to remember that it’s an end-to-end experience for customers. It’s not just about the pre-sales experiences a customer may have viewing products on a company’s website or the interactions a customer may have with a salesperson before deciding on a purchase. The post-purchase support a customer receives is also a critical component of overall satisfaction and loyalty.
A few weeks ago, I posted a blog article about poor customer service that my son and I received from a warranty company regarding coverage on his car that had been damaged in an auto accident. By contrast, as we went through the process of getting my son’s car repaired, the owner of a local auto body shop named Pat provided us with exceptional service – both during and after our preliminary encounters with his business.
In the accident, the front bumper came off my son’s car and then fell beneath the car as the car was still moving. Since damage to the undercarriage could have potentially affected the vehicle’s alignment, Pat made sure that he first had the car evaluated by an alignment mechanic that he works with before starting any of the body work.
In addition to the body work that Pat’s shop took care of, Pat also made arrangements with another local mechanic to replace the engine mounts on our son’s vehicle since those were also in need of replacement. Pat spent a considerable amount of time communicating with our insurance company to make sure that the insurance would cover these costs in order to minimize our out-of-pocket expenses.
We’ve used Pat’s body shop in years past (we’re not demolition derby drivers in our household, but we have had a couple of deer collisions) and he has always provided us with excellent service. I’ve recommended him to everyone who has ever asked for a referral. The time and effort he spent ensuring that all facets of the repair work needed for our son’s car would be covered by insurance reminded me why we keep coming back to him. He’s not just looking to cash a check. He truly wants to make sure that everything is taken care of to our satisfaction.
I pointed out Pat’s actions because he’s a business owner who looks after his customer’s interests across the full span of the customer experience. It’s that kind of attention that generates loyalty and long-term customer value.
This article was originally posted to the 1to1 Media Blog by Tom Hoffman on March 29, 2016.
How to Keep Your Clients Through Writing
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on April 1, 2016
It is a wonderful thing that you keep obtaining more and more clients for your business. You have a large number of clients. The question is whether you can keep those clients. Considering that you are probably using your content as a powerful tool to attract clients, you should also be using it to retain them indefinitely.
Learning to retain your clients
Of course, you must be well aware of the fact that your content is critical to your professional success. There are many different reasons why your content must be written and presented in a certain way in order for it to have the most impact on your clients and prospective clients.
The content gets the other people to start thinking about what you and your business can do for them. It is very important at this point to remember that no matter how wonderful you and your business are, the only thing that really matters is that you are able to solve the other person’s problem(s). With that in mind, it is essential that you write as effectively as you possibly can. After all, it is extremely important for you to keep your eye on the prize. That prize is being able to retain your clients forever (or whatever forever means to you and to your business).
What should your writing approach be?
First of all, it is important to choose quality over quantity. However, it is also very important that you don’t lose sight of each person with whom you are trying to establish a relationship. It is also important to understand that the value of a relationship to one person (or to two people) may not be the same for other people. Each connection that is established is slightly different. Not only is that true but if we don’t maintain the relationship and really keep it alive, even if the relationship was originally established for very good reasons, those reasons may not be enough to sustain the relationship. If you want to become much more successful than you are at this moment, you will need to step up and bring your business to the next level. So, how do you plan on accomplishing that?
There are two aspects of your content approach that you must consider. First of all, you need to make sure that the quality of your content is up to snuff. Second, you have to make sure that you content positively affects the people who are reading it. In other words, you need to understand why you are writing and sharing that particular content.
Before you start to write anything at all, you should have certain concepts in your mind.
- Getting your clients to pay attention: First and foremost, you are going to need to get your readers to stand up and pay attention to what you want to share with them. In order to do that, you need write your content in a certain way. You want to attract the right type of people, not just anyone. Remember, quality over quantity.
- Establish a connection with your clients: There are many different ways that you can establish a connection with your readers; however, one of the way is critical to your relationship with your readers and, therefore, with your success. That is the emotional connection. Without the emotional connection, you will have no common ground with your readers.
- Get your clients to buy into who you are and what you represent: As a business owner, there are some things that are extremely important to you. One of those things is passion for what you are doing. Another thing that is extremely important for you is; really believing in what you are doing. The reality is that the more they buy into what you are doing, the more likely they will be to sing your praises to other people.
- Your approach to selling your products and/or services: The reason that you write content, which you will not share until it is perfect in your eyes, is to ultimately sell your products and/or services to other people. Your content is the ultimate tool to selling your offerings. However, it is very important to remember that your selling approach must be soft. Otherwise, you will probably not succeed at selling anything. Always use the soft-sell approach.
- Figuring out how to keep your clients: You need to figure out a way to keep your clients coming back for more through your content. Not only do you want your clients to want to stay with you but you need to write content that makes them want to deepen the relationship that they share with you. That is the only way to ensure that the relationship will progress in a healthy manner.
Conclusion
If you are going to succeed at writing content that allows you to keep your clients, that means that you consider their needs above your own each and every time you write content that you intend to share with them. Of course, before anything else, you need to have a proper strategy in place. Part of that strategy must be to empathize with them and to be sensitive to how they feel and how they think. The truth is that you are going to have to keep working at keeping your clients. It may be challenging at times but it will become easier over time and it is certainly well worth the effort.
This article was originally posted to the Business 2 Community blog by Carolyn Cohn on March 13, 2016.
Five Ways To Build Lasting Client Relationships
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on December 23, 2015
Client relationships, like any relationship, take time to build. One of the greatest ways a company can differentiate themselves from their competitors is by the level of service they provide. And to provide a great level of service, you must have great client relationships.
Firms will often miss the mark on developing client relationships when their primary focus is more on “closing the deal” or increasing revenue. Building client relationships begins with establishing a foundation of trust, open communication, and commitment to your client. Below are five ways to build your interactions with your clients in order to better distinguish yourself from your competitors and boost your firm’s bottom line.
- Investing Your Time – Building relationships takes time. Taking the time to get to know your clients makes them feel important and is one of the best investments you can make in growing your firm. Get to know your client’s industry, if you don’t know it already, and what key issues they may be facing on a regular basis. You want them to know that you value the work that they do and are truly interested in the success of their business. In doing this you may even uncover issues that they may not be aware of. Such information is valuable to them and confirms your expertise in your field.
Your status as an outside expert gives you a distinct advantage over an insider. Where the real value lies is when your firm can establish a deep enough understanding of your client’s challenges that you are able to apply the entire gamut of your skills to their problems.
- Communication Is Key – Respond quickly and communicate regularly. Always aim for exceptional communication between you and your client. It’s very hard to over communicate. When questions arise, make sure you are responding to their inquiries within a timely fashion. You may not be able to answer their question at the moment but a quick response is better than no response. You may even set up an automated response when necessary. Being available makes it clear to your client that they are important to you.
- Follow-up and follow-through –In addition to timely and thorough communication with your clients, it’s important to always follow-up after conversations that you have with them. Recapping your conversation with a quick email communicates that you listen to them. Always follow-through with what you said you were going to do. Keeping your commitment helps builds trust.
More importantly, do not make promises you can’t keep. If you are unable to make a deadline, then it’s important you communicate that to your client in advance. Your clients measure your actions and your ability to follow-through. Failing to keep your commitments could result in losing future opportunities and damaging your client relationship permanently.
- Exceed Expectations – Going the extra mile is something your client will always remember. If you have adhered to any of the “ways to build better communication” above then most likely you have already exceeded their expectations. Offering value, nurturing good relationships, producing great results, strong communication and keeping your commitment is all part of “going the extra mile.” But don’t stop there!
A client with an extraordinarily great experience will not only return in the future, but they are also more likely to share their experience with others and make a referral. Exceeding their expectations not only gains their trust, but it gains their loyalty to you and adds value to your bottom line.
So what are some other examples of what it looks like to go the extra mile? Show gratitude by sending them a personal thank you note for their business. Check-in once in awhile to see how they are doing. Invite your top clients to breakfast or lunch. These are just a few of the many things you can do to go the extra mile and build your client relationships.
- Remember The Great Commandment – Treat everyone the way you want to be treated. I know it sounds cliché, but imagine you on the receiving end and ask yourself “what kind of service would I like to receive from a firm like mine?” That means treat your clients with respect, be patient with them, be honest, keep them engaged, and always show gratitude. Make it your priority to maintain client confidentiality and be a person of your word. I’m sure you would prefer exceptional service over mediocre any day, so treat your clients exceptionally.
All clients are unique in their very own way. Some may require more fostering than others and sometimes others may require a different approach then what you are accustomed to. In order to maintain and build your client relationships, you must raise the expectations that you have of yourself and of others in your firm. Nonetheless, every client you have is vital to your firm’s success; therefore you must continuously remember how valuable each and every client is to you.
This article was originally posted to the Business 2 Community Blog by Cynthia Findlater on December 7, 2015.
Five Reasons to Start Sending Hand-Written Notes
Posted by Rick Pranitis in GENERAL DISCUSSION on January 2, 2015
It’s a lost art, but can quickly become your secret weapon. Few people take the time to send hand-written notes anymore, but they can have amazing power. Perhaps more than ever before, they stand out and make you look really good. And if used effectively – in the right contexts and timed well – they can help you win and influence more business as well.
Here are a few examples to get you started. Why not use the last few weeks of the year to start a new habit?
Executive thank you notes: Encourage your management team to write quick, hand-written notes to customers and top prospects. It can be a simple “thank you for your business” or “thanks for attending our event.” Just a couple lines, a couple times a week, can go a long way.
Gift promo codes: Thank loyal customers with a surprise coupon and a hand-written coupon code. I’ve actually tested coupon codes delivered via a machine-printed letter and a hand-written letter. The huge increase in conversion rate made taking the time to write notes worth it (especially if you outsource that effort to an intern or admin).
Customer service follow ups: Put a stack of note cards and envelopes next to the desk of your high-touch customer service reps. Encourage them to write a short thank you note to customers after a good call, including their business card or a branded sticker or something fun.
Event attendee follow ups: Divvy up the cards between those who attended the show or staffed the book, and have people knock them out on the flight home. Have an admin or intern coordinate getting them stamped and mailed.
Job candidates: It’s a good practice for candidates to send thank you notes to prospective employers. But what about sending a thank you note to candidates you’re wooing and recruiting? It says something about the culture you have, and just might help sway your preferred candidates to come on board.
Of course, sending a hand-written note is more time consuming than firing off an email or social media message. How do you lower that barrier and increase your likelihood of making it a regular habit?
Have note cards and envelopes ready and nearby: If it’s as easy are reaching into a drawer, you’re far more likely to write something than digging through a closet or wondering what you should wrote on. Simple cards with your logo in a corner should suffice, but even generic non-branded cards are fine.
Have postage: Stick a pack of forever stamps next to those note cards.
Create a daily reminder: I use my daily to-do list, but you can use whatever system keeps you organized (calendars, task lists, etc.).
Design Your Customer Experience to be Frictionless
Posted by Rick Pranitis in CUSTOMER SERVICE on October 16, 2014
Most definitions of “customer experience” boil down to how customers perceive all their various interactions with a product. And of course this only really makes sense when we try to view it from the customer’s own point of view. The quality of a customer’s experience with your product or service is whatever the customer says it is.
In the vast majority of situations, customers aren’t buying a product or service for the sake of the “experience” of buying or using it. They are just trying to solve some problem or meet some need, and if they could solve that problem or meet that need without having to deal with a company at all, don’t you think they would?
What this means is the ideal customer experience should be designed to be frictionless. The ideal experience would require no extra effort on the customer’s part, it wouldn’t require the customer to repeat anything they’ve already said, and wouldn’t pose any obstacles to meeting the customer’s need.
Probably, in fact, the ideal customer experience would be no experience at all, to the customer. That is, the only thing the customer would “experience” would be the elimination of whatever need or problem drove them in the first place. So when you design your own company’s customer experience, you should aspire to that goal – the goal of receding from the customer’s awareness altogether, fading into the background of the customer’s life, never to cause a worry or require a task of any kind.
Marketing research supports this design concept, because studies have consistently shown customer loyalty is not very highly correlated with customer satisfaction scores, although customer disloyalty does have a high correlation with customer dissatisfaction. In other words, customers don’t necessarily stay because they’re satisfied, but they often leave because they’re not.
In one survey of nearly 100,000 US consumers, each of whom had recently participated in some online or over-the-phone interaction with a business, researchers Matt Dixon, Nick Toman and Rick DeLisi found “there is virtually no difference at all between the loyalty of those customers whose expectations are exceeded and those whose expectations are simply met…[and] virtually no statistical relationship between how a customer rates a company on a satisfaction survey and their future customer loyalty.” In fact, the survey found an R-squared (coefficient of determination) of just 0.13 between satisfaction and loyalty, which is very close to saying no correlation at all. (R-squared values range from 0 to 1.0, and to put this particular score into perspective, an R-squared of 0.71 quantifies the correlation between “getting good grades in school” and “achieving career success later in life.”)
Instead, the key driver of customer disloyalty appears to be dissatisfaction, driven by unresolved problems or service issues – from the customer’s perspective, friction. According to the study, a customer service interaction is roughly four times more likely to drive disloyalty than loyalty.
So when you design your own company’s customer experience, it’s important to deconstruct every different type of customer journey, realizing that different customers need to be treated differently. Then take some time and try to figure out how to suck as much friction out of each customer’s experience as possible.
If you want some guidance in breaking down the elements of a truly frictionless experience, think of these elements in terms of reliability, relevance, value, and trust.
- Reliability. Your product or service should perform as advertised, without failing or breaking down. You should answer your phone, your web site should work, service should be performed on time, and so forth. Your systems and processes should be capable of rendering a product or service on schedule, seamlessly across multiple channels and consistently through time, in such a way that it doesn’t need a lot of maintenance, repair, correction, or undue attention from the customer just to meet whatever customer need or solve whatever customer problem it’s designed to handle.
- Relevance. You should remember your customer from transaction to transaction, never requiring a customer to re-enter information, or to look things up that the company ought to know about them already. Every time a customer has to tell a call center agent their account number again, having just punched it in on their phone, they are coming face to face with friction. The most efficient way to overcome it is to remember each customer’s specifications, once you learn them.
- Value. The value-for-money relationship can’t be out of kilter. As a customer, when you go to Costco you don’t expect a Bergdorf experience. But when you buy a Lexus, you expect more than a Ford experience. Whatever product or service your customers are buying from you must be good value-for-money. It will be economical for customers who are interested in price, and it will provide “fair value” for customers more interested in quality, status, or other attributes.
- Trust. In today’s hyper-interactive world, mere trustworthiness – that is, doing what you say you’re going to do and not violating the law – is no longer sufficient to render a frictionless customer experience. Increasingly, customers expect you to be proactively trustworthy, or “trustable.” Trustable customer experience is one in which the customer knows the company provides complete, accurate and objective information, and will help the customer avoid mistakes or oversights. In the customer service arena, think about reducing friction by trying to improve “next issue avoidance.” Think about a call center rep, for instance, proactively advising a customer how to deal with whatever problems might now occur, once they hang up the phone on this particular call. That would be trustable
This article was originally posted to the Think Customers Blog by Don Peppers on October 7, 2014.
The Sales Skill You Need to Succeed
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on July 29, 2014
ROI, P&L, Acquisition Cost, KPIs, EBITDA…
Did your eyes glaze over as you read the words and acronyms in that line? These are common business terms senior executives discuss, use and measure but I have consistently been surprised how many sales people get the “deer in the headlights” look anytime I mention them in sales training workshop.
Why is this important?
Today’s sales person needs to become more business focused. We need to think and act like business people, rather than someone hawking a product, service or solution.
What does this mean for you?
If you are already familiar with business terminology, jargon and acronyms, all you need to do is present this “business” understanding when you are dealing with key executives.
If this is a new concept, you have a bit more work ahead of you.
The first step is to become more familiar with business in general and you can do that by reading business publications. These can include newspapers, trade journals, blogs, and magazines such as INC, Fast Company, The Economist, Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fortune, Forbes, and Entrepreneur.
If you understand what is important to business people, and you can position your offering accordingly, you will stand out from your competition and improve your odds of closing the deal.
This article was originally posted on the Fearless Selling blog on May 26, 2014
Trust – The Simplest Key to Sales Success
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on January 24, 2014
We’ve all encountered this situation; young girls with their moms standing at a grocery store entrance selling cookies or boys with their dads selling popcorn. Why is it, a majority of people passing will stop and make a purchase? A large part of the reason is the organization sponsoring the girls and boys selling these goods has spent years building trust in the community and you have faith your money is going to a good cause. Trust is one of the most important aspects in sales. And sales trust is the significant factor in your ability to succeed.
It’s an unfortunate situation; many buyers just don’t trust sales people. This lack of trust has come from past dealing with sales people who have been too pushy or just plain dishonest with the buyers. Further, some 90% of companies surveyed report they will only buy from a company they do trust. If you want sales, you have to build sales trust. Today, a majority of sales people are more educated, well trained, and are aware of the importance of building a lasting rapport with their customers. Building rapport builds trust. And once you have established the trust, it’s important to maintain it. Never promise something you can’t deliver, always stand by your word, and always admit when you’ve made a mistake. Building a lasting sales trust will help assure you continue doing business with the customer for years to come.
Once you have developed sales trust with your customers, they are more likely to recommend you to other people. If the customer believes you are someone they can trust, they’re more likely to put their own reputation on the line to refer you to other customers. Building sales trust helps you to build business through word of mouth. Customer referral and recommendation is among the best marketing you can receive and it’s entirely built on trust in you and your company. When a potential customer sees a satisfied customer who’s working with you, they’re far more likely to do business with you.
Trust, particularly sales trust, speaks to your integrity as a person. Your own self-worth is built upon being a person who is trust worthy, believable and honorable. As a sales person, you will look for these traits in your own company and the company will look for you to be dependable and truthful. Groups which have trust in each other tend to work better together and are more likely to offer assistance and direction to help each other succeed. When you feel good about yourself and your company, your self-confidence grows. Buyers pick up on that self-confidence and it makes them feel more confident in you and your company. A customer or client who has confidence in you is basically displaying that they have sales trust in you.
Sales trust takes time to develop and unfortunately can be shattered very quickly. It’s important you do the things which build and maintain trust. You need to be reliable, dependable, honest, and honorable. This is the secret to developing and keeping sales trust.
Ten Commandments for Creating Great Customer Service
Posted by Rick Pranitis in CUSTOMER SERVICE on October 10, 2013
We all know the realities of the professional sales world regarding the cost ratio of keeping versus regaining a good customer. When it comes to maintaining your share of the market, satisfied – returning – customers are key. AND very likely the most important element in controlling your bottom line in cost of sales. 
Keeping customers happy and feeling valued should be everyone’s top priority. Customers don’t expect rock bottom prices everywhere, but they do expect good treatment. It’s all about Customer Service!
Borrowing from Daniel Kehrer, Founder & Managing Director of BizBest Media Corporation, here’s ten great points – commandments if you will – for establishing great customer service within your organization.
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Happy employees create happy customers. Employee satisfaction translates to great customer service. Employees who like their jobs and care about the business they work for are more likely to go the extra mile for a customer. Creating that feeling in your employees will pay you back exponentially.
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Always respond quickly. Your customers are busy, too. They shouldn’t be left wondering what kind of service they are going to receive or when. Answering email inquiries, returning phone calls and responding to messages or other contacts on Facebook or other social media should be part of a daily routine.
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Make it easy to do business with you. Never make customers jump through hoops to buy something from you. Have a return policy that is easy to understand and puts customer interests first. Provide refunds quickly and efficiently.
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Keep customers informed of what’s happening. When customers know what’s happening with an order or request, they can enjoy doing business with you. For example, if you’re handling a return and typing information into a computer, you might say, “I’m entering the date of purchase and product number so we can make sure to give you the maximum refund possible.”
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Use technology to provide good service. Today’s technology offers every small business the means to provide service more quickly and efficiently than ever. Business owners sometimes assume that customers don’t like to be communicated with online. And for some that might be the case. But most people appreciate the ease online communication provides.
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Make your customers feel valued. Understand that each and every one of your customers is special. As the late business guru Peter Drucker said: The sole purpose of business is to serve customers. Make sure your employees understand this, and that above all else they must focus on making customers feel valued and appreciated.
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Remember, disgruntled customers won’t complain; they just won’t come back. If you don’t take time to provide excellent service, customers won’t take time to tell you how to improve your business. What’s more, unhappy customers will tell others about their bad experience. And in this age of social media, the ripple effect can be very damaging.
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Provide special training for front line employees. Employees who interact directly with customers are critical to your business. Their attitudes, communication skills and style of service are what customers associate with your business. Make sure they are trained to handle the potentially stressful task of working with customers.
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Make sure the first customer is happy before moving on to the next. Customers value quick service just as much as they value quality service. But you can’t sacrifice one for the other. It’s important to make sure one customer is satisfied before you move on to the next. That can be as simple as asking, “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
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Compensate for mistakes. Never shortchange your customers. If a mistake was made or some other circumstance is preventing you from providing the best level of customer service, find a way to make it up to your customer. Give employees the latitude to provide customers with solutions when they can’t satisfy a need.
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Dealing with Upset Customers
Posted by Rick Pranitis in CUSTOMER SERVICE on June 20, 2013
No one enjoys dealing with upset customers, and people don’t buy a product or use a service with hopes they can call customer service to complain. You need to keep in mind the customer is not simply calling you to ruin your day. How you handle the customer’s complaint will either escalate or diffuse the situation, which will make your life much harder or much easier. And, most importantly, determine whether or not you have lost a customer or retained his or her business. So how should you deal with upset customers to ensure the best possible outcome? Here are some tips to help you out.
The moment you encounter an upset customer, your very first step is to listen carefully and be patient. Allow the customer to vent and explain the problem. It’s natural for your “hackles” to go up when a customer is yelling or starts with personal attacks. But remember, behind the emotion is a genuine problem. So carefully listen and be patient while the customer lets off their steam. If you start off defensive, it will only escalate the customer’s anger, and it will be harder to sort through the issue and get a sense for what the real problem is. Remember not to take the attacks personally, even if the customer is making personal accusations toward you – the customer is looking for acknowledgement he or she is angry, so recognize there is a problem and he or she has a right to be upset. Chances are a patient approach will help diffuse the anger. Once the customer is calmer, you can start working on addressing the problem constructively.
Once the customer has started to calm down, it’s now time to start figuring out how to address the problem and start putting your soft skills to work. Avoid phrases such as “that’s our policy,” or “you’ll have to go to our website”. The customer didn’t call to be shut down or re-directed. The customer called to speak to a live person who will help solve the problem. By reiterating the issue, you’re communicating to the customer how you clearly understand what is going on and affirming to the customer you’re listening – and HEARING!
You risk being perceived as distancing yourself from the customer’s problem by telling the customer another department will help them, or you’ll need to have a supervisor assist with the problem. Instead let the customer know upfront you, personally, will take responsibility to ensure the issue is solved, and you’ll work with them to make sure he or she ends up satisfied. By stating your responsibility, instead of simply passing the customer off (even if you will need to coordinate with another department or a supervisor to solve the problem), you’re communicating you’re on the customer’s side – you’re an ally. This personal approach will reinforce to the customer he or she is being listened to and the problem is being addressed. In a customer service world where customers are used to navigating through automated phone systems and dealing with scripted call center reps, this personal acknowledgement will stand out.
Instead of dictating to the customer your company’s policy or telling the customer what will happen, re-phrase the process by saying something such as: “What would you consider a fair solution?” When you do this, you’re helping the customer be part of the solution and help set the starting point for a negotiation, as well as setting a level of expectation for the outcome. Even if the customer suggests something that is beyond what your company can offer, it gives you a starting point to work down from so the customer is compensated for time lost on a service or a broken product.
Once you have ended the call, your job is not over. After you’ve dealt with an upset customer, it’s vital you follow-up, after a few weeks, to make sure the problem was sufficiently resolved and the customer is pleased with the result. By checking back in, you’re demonstrating your company really does care and is focused on customer satisfaction. And you’re letting the customer know his or her business really matters and you’ll go the extra mile to keep them as a customer.
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Seven Ways to Become a Better Salesperson
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on May 31, 2013
Being in sales is a constant battle for improvement. Whether it’s getting better at overcoming objections, improving your appointment setting success ratios, or increasing the number and size of deals you close, every salesperson is trying to get better every day.
By making incremental improvements in the way we operate, salespeople have a unique opportunity to see big results. Here are seven things, which if you focus your attention upon, will assure you success.
Become a problem solver – the best sales people do more than just dial the phone and meet with customers – they are creative, innovative, energized professional problem solvers and relationship builders. Your job is not just to sell a company your particular service offering, but rather to solve their problems. Once you change your mind set to think of your role as a problem solver, you will learn to be more tuned in to your prospects pain issues and what motivates them. Start looking at your position as a problem solver and will see a difference in your client interaction.
Offer information – sales people need to constantly work to build trust with customers as part of the process of nurturing sales leads over time. One of the best ways to build trust with customers is to share the latest news, industry trends and business intelligence. If you find an article about their industry that you think would benefit the customer, share it with them – even if you didn’t write it.
Overcome your fear of rejection – sales is a tough job because prospects are constantly rejecting you, hanging up, saying “no,” sometimes even acting abrupt or rude. The best sales people know how to rise above the daily rejections and keep pressing forward. Remind yourself that you are a talented professional with a great solution to offer the right customers. Remember that there are a lot of customers who need what you have to offer, and that you’re going to find them and connect with them. Face the rejection head-on. After all, who cares if someone rejects you? It’s not personal. They’re just busy and don’t have time to talk, or they’ve been discouraged by too many time-wasting phone calls from other less scrupulous sales people. Customer rejection is not about you, it’s about them. The best sales people have thick skin and maintain control of their emotional state even in the face of adversity – but this unflappable nature is usually not something people are born with; it’s a way of being that is earned over time. Let the rejections go, and keep moving forward to talk to the people who will be happy to hear from you – they are waiting for someone like you to help them.
Ask for contact information – sales people often find themselves on the phone with the wrong person – i.e. an administrative assistant in the wrong department, reporting up the wrong chain of command to get to your ultimate decision maker. But don’t give up just because your calling list had the wrong information. Instead, be direct and ask the person on the phone to help you out. Instead of hanging up, ask the person you’re speaking to, “Could you give me the phone number for (NAME OF DECISION MAKER)?”
Ask for the next appointment – every salesperson needs to constantly guide the prospect through the sales cycle. Every conversation needs to end with the sales person asking the prospect to commit to a future conversation – whether it’s on the phone, in person or via web conference. Before you can “make the ask” and close the deal, you need to make the “ask” for your next appointment.
Take great notes – many sales people make the mistake of taking sparse or incomplete notes about their sales calls. Taking better notes can give you a trove of useful information for your next conversation with the customer. Write down specific details about which objections, questions and issues came up during the conversation. Not only are these details important for closing a deal with the customer in the future, but they might also be helpful for conversations with other customers. Make a list of questions, objections and challenges that you weren’t able to answer – then compare notes with other colleagues on the sales team, do some research, and follow up with the customer on a future call. Showing that you’re committed to finding the right answers will help you build trust with the prospect.
Learn from your colleagues – the best sales people don’t feel threatened by the successes of their peers, they celebrate team success and find a way to learn from the successes of others on the sales team. If one of your peers recently landed a big account, find out how they did it. Take your successful peers out for lunch or coffee and ask for advice on which sales techniques have been working for them. Good sales people know that success is not a zero-sum game. They will want to help other people on the sales team improve their results so that the whole team can benefit.
Being a better salesperson is often not a matter of making drastic improvements, but instead is about making smaller improvements in multiple areas over time. No matter how successful you are as a salesperson, you can achieve better results by adjusting your performance in at least one of these areas. Successful selling is a combination of art and science. It’s about passion, motivation, drive, and interpersonal performance, but it’s also about managing details, monitoring a process, and striving with rigor for excellence.
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