By John R. Graham
Your economic survival depends on your
customers. As long as your sales funnel is full,
your sales potential is unlimited. To keep your
funnel full, however, you have to decide on
the prospects you want, make a commitment
to the ones you have and take other
measures to ensure your selling future.
Include these steps in your prospecting and customer retention plan and you’ll help keep your river of customers flowing.
1. Assess each prospect’s sales potential. The salesperson who wants long-term success can’t think only of short-term sales. Your prospects may have enormous selling potential, but to fulfill it you have to sell and serve them in a way that strengthens and extends the relationship. Set aside thoughts of getting the sale now even when the buying time isn’t right for your customer. Instead, assess customers’ long-term value to you by considering such factors as their current size, growth potential and future needs. When customers realize the relationship is more important to you than the sale, that will help build the trust that further cements the relationship.
2. Meet customer needs. Again, if making the sale was your primary goal until now, it’s time to rethink your priorities. Delighting your buyers helps turn them into advocates of you and your company and makes them less likely to leave. Survey your buyers to find out what their sales and service priorities are, then make a commitment to consistently exceed their expectations. Exercise your creativity! For many buyers it’s the thought that counts, so even small but unexpected treats like delivering a pound of their favorite snack are often enough to keep buyers around. Be sure to meet your buyers’ emotional needs as well – make them feel secure knowing you are looking out for them.
3. Stop destructive sales and service practices. Many companies and salespeople say customers are their top priority, but their policies and procedures tell a different story. Using a “canned” pitch for every customer, tailoring delivery schedules to suit your company instead of your customer and adhering strictly to rules that often inconvenience customers are just a few of the practices that drown out your claims that customers come first. To help you pinpoint other causes of customer frustration, ask your buyers themselves or think about the things that tempt you to try the competition when you are a customer. Everyone in every department of the company should understand that customers are the reason for their business, not an interruption of it, and treat customers accordingly.
4. Commit to your customers. Does your level of commitment to closing match your level of commitment to customers? It should. You can’t be expected to care too much for people you know nothing about, so develop a more selfless outlook by getting to know your customers.
Ask about their families and interests in an effort to connect with them on a more personal level. Remind yourself that they are people with lives too by remembering their special occasions with a personal note or thoughtful gift. Always deliver on your promises and hold yourself to a higher standard of service than they do. Your customers may be the source of your livelihood, but to keep them you must learn to view them as much more.
5. Be willing to do what’s difficult. If you are willing to do things your competitors won’t, you have an edge on them. Offering discounts and giveaways may help you sell, but those are probably things your buyers can find just as easily someplace else. Your knowledge and expertise, on the other hand, may attract buyers as an uncommon and valuable resource. Capitalize on the fact that many salespeople aren’t willing to spend the learning time necessary to become an expert in their industry. Your knowledge can add tremendous value to your sale, so consider reading a priority, not a luxury. Take advantage of opportunities to learn from customers and attend training sessions, seminars and other industry events when you can.
6. Show your appreciation. As hard as you work to please your customers, it can be easy to forget that you still need to thank them for their business. When a customer signs a purchase order, a perfunctory “Thanks” won’t do – instead, make a point of saying, “I want to thank you for trusting me with your business. I really appreciate it and I’m going to do my best to exceed your expectations,” or words to that effect. Don’t wait until you get an order to show your gratitude – a handwritten note, for example, sent between orders lets buyers know your appreciation lasts long after the product has been delivered. Indifference is a leading cause of customer attrition, so say “thank you” sincerely and often to help keep your buyers close.
Customers who are well taken care of have a way of multiplying on their own. Prospecting for new buyers is critical and should account for a large part of your selling time, but keeping the ones you have happy is at least as important. If you hold on to your current customers, the new ones you find will increase your sales instead of just maintaining them.