6 Ways To Learn From Customer History 1. Run a printout, of the past twelve months, from your accounting program listing all your customers from the largest at the top to smallest ones at the bottom. Define the largest and the smallest, based on the amount of business you did (in dollars) over the past twelve months with each customer. Add Comment Digging For Information + Listening Well = Bigger Sales Digging for information by posing good questions and really listening to your prospects’ answers is a killer combination in the new world of sales. Selling is often more difficult for a salesperson who is only interested in making a sale than it is for a salesperson who simply focuses on satisfying a customer’s real needs. If a salesperson has pure, honest, and unselfish motives, the sale will usually come. The continued use of this new style of softer, research-oriented selling often leads to long-term customer relationships. Getting The Customer When meeting a prospective customer for the first time, listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time. Your job is to listen attentively and determine exactly what your prospect requires. If people agree to see you, they are making a statement of interest in the products or services you offer. However, before they are prepared to listen to your pitch and long before you know what to say, they want to tell you what they are looking for. 20% Of Your Efforts Can Deliver 80% Of The Results There is a rule in business based on an 80/20 split: 20% of your efforts can return 80% of the rewards. There are many ways that this rule manifests itself in business. The key sales issues are getting the customer and getting more from the customer. Win Their Trust It is also important to win the trust and respect of prospective customers by convincing them that you are a professional. Show up at the sales call on time and be dressed appropriately. You’ve probably met with suppliers (not traditional salespeople but owner/operators of small businesses) who show up late, are unprepared, have no business cards, and don’t have any idea of what you want. Think about the poor impression that these people have made on you. Watch The Time, Yours And Theirs Sometimes, small business owners/operators are so excited about their products and the chance to make a sale that they forget that a prospect may have a limited amount of time. Ask at the beginning of the meeting how much time is available. If a prospect goes beyond the scheduled time, you know that he or she is interested either in your offer or in your information. Keeping An Eye On The Key Customer Could you be looking at the wrong person? One of the most important things to do when entering a meeting is to determine who the decision makers are. Spending the entire meeting developing eye contact with the wrong person not only wastes time but can also be very damaging. Decision makers usually want the supplier to know that they are the ones who are awarding the business. Customers Are People Too Be sensitive to a prospect’s mood. A prospect may seem nervous or distracted or he or she may be having a bad day, which is not the best time for a meeting. Tell the prospect that you could come back at a more convenient time. The prospect will probably thank you for your concern, appreciate your willingness to help, and find a way to eliminate the distractions. Lost Customers And How To Get Them Back Jack had a ladies’ wear store in a popular mall. His customers were loyal and he could always count on a steady stream of business while accepting the usual seasonal ups and downs. The mall had several other stores that also sold ladies’ wear. Over the past few months, he had noticed a drop in sales and less store activity, even on days that were usually busy. As Jack’s frustration grew, he began to think that something new was going on at the mall. 13 Tips For Outstanding Customer Service
1. Make The Experience Easy And Enjoyable. Make the entire interaction a simple and pleasant experience for your customer. Do not present reasons for someone to not do business with you. If you don’t have a product in stock, get it. If you are not normally open at a certain time, extend your hours. When you do extend your hours, let everyone know about it through a mailer, telephone calls to regular customers, social media, on your website, signs in your window, and any other form of customer communication you are currently using. Not every announcement requires an advertising campaign. |   Eric Gilboord is the Founder and CEO of Warren Business Development Center Inc. We
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