Preventive Customering Greetings!
Recently Senator Jim Jeffords switched political parties, resulting in a huge power shift in the U.S. Senate.
Think about the magnitude of it: One person makes a personal decision, and it affects tens of millions of people.
The Senator said it was because of fundamental policy differences. Others have speculated ego was the reason... and it was widely reported that what iced the switch was Jeffords not getting invited to a White House ceremony honoring a teacher from his state!
But, the reasons--big or small as they might be--don't matter. He switched. Ballgame. End of story. Done deal.
After the fact, the finger pointing and blame-laying does no good. For the Republican party, the customer is gone. He has aligned with the competition.
It's just like when an important customer of yours jumps ship.
You can't do much about it once it has happened. Oh, sure, you can call and grovel... asking for another chance, but we know that does little good. The damage didn't occur overnight. It festered over time. Best case, after the fact, we can learn from our mistakes to prevent it from happening again.
The best route is Preventive Customering. That's simply paying attention to your customers... performing routine maintenance so they don't pack up and leave like Jim Jeffords.
And it really is simple and fundamental. But sometimes those are the things that fall by the wayside, just like in other types of relationships.
When other sales reps call your customers, you want the customers to say what you might have heard before when prospecting: "I'm satisfied with (your company)." Here are some incredibly simple, but time-tested truths to help keep customers.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING
Go out of your way to leave an indelible pleasing memory after the first sale. Under-promise and over-deliver when it comes to delivery times. Throw in something free as a welcome gift. Mail a handwritten thank you note. Call after the order has been delivered with additional useful information. Reinforce their wise buying decision.
LEARN THEIR BUSINESS AS IF WERE YOUR OWN
The bottom line is the bottom line. There's a lot to be said for building relationships on a personal level, but the best way to become truly indispensable is to be an integral part of their business. The more you know about them, the better-equipped you are to make profit-building recommendations. If you're looked at as a sales-boosting consultant as opposed to a salesperson, customers will never consider listening to the overtures of competitors attempting to stick their foot in the door with promises of lower prices.
PROVIDE VALUE EVERY TIME YOU CALL
Don't call to "just touch base," to "check in," or, "to just stay in touch to see if they need anything." Customers could potentially view these reactive, no-substance contacts as a nuisance. Make it policy that every time you call you have a value-added reason for doing so. Answer this question: What information can you call with that would cause the customer to say they were better off after taking your call than they were before it? Any kind of industry or product news they might find interesting, notification of sales or promotions, or ideas you feel they could use are all value-added reasons for calling. Come up with your own.
ASK THEM WHY THEY CONTINUE BUYING
This is so incredibly simple, yet it's rarely used by companies. What you might think is a great benefit of doing business with your company could be meaningless to your customer; they might buy for a totally unrelated reason. My dry cleaner might like to believe she gets my business because she does superb work and has competitive prices; I use her because she calls me by name when I walk in the door. She has never asked.
Ask your customers, "Pat, I want to make sure we continue providing you what you want. What is it you like best about doing business with us? What else would you like to see?"
BUILD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
With new customers, at appropriate points during calls (such as the end), ask innocuous questions about their plans for the weekend, or for the summer. Listen carefully to the answers, and react accordingly, sharing of yourself as well. If they mention they're going to curl up in a beach chair with a good book, find out more about what they like to read, and what else, if anything they do at the beach. Again, common sense stuff, but this works. One word of caution: I've seen reps who were everyone's best buddy, but rarely sold anything. Likeable, yes. But also very easy to get rid of by customers, and reluctant to directly ask for business, fearful of being too "pushy." Build relationships, sure... in the context of business.
KEEP YOUR NAME IN FRONT OF THEM
You don't need to call every week, indeed you shouldn't, if you don't have a valid reason for doing so. However, in between your calls, stay in touch in other ways. I've received postcards from sales reps' personal vacations. Well-read reps clip industry-specific articles from any and every appropriate source and photocopy and send them to customers with a note attached. Send a fax to customers with confidential news of an upcoming sale. E-mail them. Advertisers call this strategy getting your piece of "mindshare," meaning they'll think of you if they have a need before your next contact, or when a competitor comes courting.
CONTINUE ROMANCING THEM
Some sales reps are passionate about chasing the business, but lose interest once the relationship has begun. You need to be committed to the relationship, and be fanatical about service. Otherwise, nothing else matters. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Vision without action is merely a dream.
Action without vision just passes the time.
Vision with action can change the world."
Joel Arthur Barker
Art Sobczak
President, Business By Phone Inc.
Editor and Publisher, TELEPHONE SELLING REPORT newsletter
13254 Stevens St.
Omaha, NE 68137
(402)895-9399
Fax (402)896-3353
Or, e-mail to arts@businessbyphone.com
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