Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Attract the Right Job or Clientele by Demonstrating Client Care:
As buyers, we expect sellers to care about our need. But when it’s our turn to exceed expectations, we sometimes fall short.
My Story
In the early days of my sales career, I went to great lengths for delivering excellent client care. The uncertainty of how to sell due to the lack of training had me paying strict attention to details. I did my best to ensure satisfaction with each meeting and each sale. The effort paid off in that I developed a returning and referring clientele.
Articles distributed online today indicate that sales is on the way out of fashion. Part of the trouble is the lack of client care on the part of the representatives. Annoying robocalls have become popular. There is no human element to this approach and prospects tend to block future calls.
Another element that turns off clients is the lack of personalization in all types of communication. Rather than be referred to as “Hey there,." or hear a continuous monologue, prospects do their research online. Search engines provide the information we want, and so many see little need to welcome a salesperson. I spoke with two senior people; one a successful salesperson and the other a talented entrepreneur.
The three of us agreed upon these five success tips:
- Call a person by their proper name
- Be interested in what the prospective client has to say
- Inquire about prior experience
- Share stories
- Apply the lessons from the stories and experiences to what you have to sell
As you demonstrate client care, your clientele will care!
For more insight read, “How Do You View Customer Care?."
A very personal example is that of receiving notification of an unexpected late fee in the mail. The original people in charge of accepting payment would not respond to my objection. Determined, I refused to pay. But I did send in a concern form stating the error was on their end due to the turmoil of employees leaving.
Three months passed when a new person, Joan, was appointed to management. Upon reading my strong messaging, she picked up the phone to call. Her voice was pleasant and asked to hear me out. Matching her style, I toned down my annoyance to explain the experience. Within a minute Joan waived the fee.
The result was my telling Joan how much her latest contributions to the community are appreciated. I then volunteered to provide a testimonial whenever she feels the need. Expressing appreciation, she then asked I visit her office to introduce myself in person. Joan’s customer care has me confident that our community is now in good hands.
Your Story About Customer Care
There will always be people who are rude, complain too much or who don’t get what you are trying to offer them. Your job is to weed that population out so that you may better match and qualify your preferred clientele. Life and business become much easier when you enjoy the people with whom you meet.
Do you ask these questions to determine if client care will be worthwhile:
- What types of research have you already done?
- Do you already have preferences in mind for what you need and want?
- How would you like me to assist you in the process?
These questions are designed to have an in-depth conversation while demonstrating client care. The give and take go toward establishing credibility and that you will strive to earn the sale. ‘Earning’ differentiates you from most everyone else. For insight on the opposite approach read, “Do You Push Seemingly Easy Sales?."
In your quiet time, consider comments from your clientele. Is improvement needed? The need for personal development always exists as does remaining up to date on the best sales techniques. Consider looking at the Sales Starter program offered by HubSpot.
And should you enjoy a returning and referring client base, then you know you excel in client care!
Sales Tips for Client Care
- Personalize each communication
- Approach people with questions of interest to them
- Listen carefully to the answer for understanding
- Ask more questions to clarify
- Inquire of clients where they have the most need
- Obtain ideas for solutions
- Ask for expected outcomes
- Speak of an improved tomorrow by incorporating both of your ideas
- Offer three choices for moving forward with the value attached to each
- Celebrate Success!
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