“Spend a lot of time talking to customers face-to-face. You’d be amazed at how many companies don’t listen to their customers.”
H. Ross Perot
How many of you would agree with the following when it comes to your clients... their needs are constantly changing and it's up to your sales to team to understand hot to help?
How well is your team keeping up with what they need?
Your clients hold the keys to your success. They're no longer at the mercy of you, your team or your company. In fact, they're more interested in the experience your team provides as opposed to the products or services.
I bet what they really crave is clarity, transparency, realness and caring; not vagueness, insincerity, fakeness and a crap ton of excuses.
Client experience goes beyond service.
With a few descriptive words, how would your clients describe the experience they're receiving from your sales team?
Come on, I'm waiting for the words. What would they be?
- Are they personalizing the level of service?
- Are they in continual contact?
- Are they listening to your clients?
How well is your team creating experiences and memories?
In this highly competitive business world, where your team is being perceived as a commodity, how the heck are they standing out with your most precious asset, your clients?
Whose fault is it that you're being pigeon-holed as a commodity?
When's the last time you or someone on your sales team has dug deep, spoke from the heart and asked... what words would you use to describe the support being provided to you?
CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
I'd like for you to think for a moment...
- How well does your team really understand what your largest clients want?
- Do they understand what they desire?
- Are they even relevant in their eyes?
Would you even know?
How many of you can honestly answer these questions?
Gut check time, isn't it?
I would like for you to think about your largest client, got it? Think about how much they mean to you and your company.
What would it mean to you and your company if you lost your largest client?
Your clients are the single most important factor in your long-term success. This is why the more successful your team becomes in understanding and forming meaningful relationships with your clients, the more successful you'll become.
In a sales world where trust is at rock bottom, no wonder many (yes some of your clients) are skeptical about what you say, how you say it and why you say it.
How well does your team know your clients?
What words would your clients use at this very moment to describe the support or the experiences your team is providing to them?
CLIENT PERCEPTION, IT'S REALITY
According to a report by Walker Information, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator by 2020.
Everyone in sales and those in leadership need a periodic gut check when it comes to client perceptions.
Cold doses of raw feedback are necessary in order to grow.
Humble pie tastes better with a nice cup of coffee.
I say this because there just might be an interesting gap between what your clients think of your team versus what's actual reality.
How your clients perceive your team just might be the key to sales growth.
- How many of you right now, at this very moment, understand the impact this has to you?
- How many of your clients see your team as being available and helpful to them?
- How many of your clients think of your team as heartfelt, caring and trustworthy or unreliable, arrogant and pompous?
I'm deeply concerned that many in sales have taken their clients for granted. They've failed at building, nurturing and growing their relationships. Building relationships with your clients is not a light switch you turn on then off. It's the emotional connection, the human connection and the heartfelt connection you make with each one of them.
How well is your team connecting with their clients?
Trust me on this one... fail to do this and I promise you at some point I know what will happen.
CONVERSATIONS DO MATTER
I'm concerned! I believe very few salespeople are having meaningful conversations with their clients outside of the selling process. How many new relationships are being developing inside your client base?
What's preventing your team from truly getting to know your clients?
How well is your team making your clients feel before, during and after doing business with them?
- What words would they use to describe how your team makes them feel?
- What words would they use to describe how your team cares about them?
- What words would they use to describe how much they trust your team?
What words would your clients use to describe your team?
Meaningful and credible relationships do matter! Discover the power of relational selling at Selling From the Heart.
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.
You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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