White Paper 7:
Keeping Customers
Why do salespeople typically lose accounts to the competition? Better
prices, features or service are not always the main reasons. In fact,
many of the reasons lie within the salesperson’s control. Here’s what
we found:
* Customers have needs the salesperson didn’t recognize or know
about.
* Customers have a negative perception because the salesperson
“disappeared” after the sale.
* The competition knows more about how customers are using the
product and how satisfied they are by it than the salesperson who sold
it does.
* Customers feel neglected or dissatisfied with the services and
support the vendor offered, as well as with the product’s performance.
* Customers feel the competition understands their needs more
precisely than the vendor does.
* Customers feel the existing vendor’s salesperson cannot “get things
done” in the vendor organization.
* Customers see the competition as more experienced and successful
in business like their own.
Bottom line: Competitive vendors are having less trouble making
appointments with your customers, even those who feel relatively
satisfied with their current vendor.
The question is, how do salespeople build lasting relationships that
customer consider valuable and that pre-empt competitive intrusions.
Many salespeople consider frequent and regular visits the necessary
mainstay in maintaining relationships. However, if every visit or phone
call doesn’t clearly show the customer something worthwhile, then he
or she has no reason to value the relationship. A salesperson must
demonstrate the relationship’s value by what he or she brings to every
customer contact.
This is the key idea behind adding value. If a salesperson hasn’t
differentiated him or herself in this way, the customer has little reason
for valuing the relationship.
A salesperson who adds value:
* Shares a wealth of industry and business knowledge, and know what
to ask and how to make every sales call productive and informative,
even if it doesn’t end in a sale.
* Demonstrates a genuine interest in the future plans and growth of the
customer’s company.
* Isn’t pushing a product; rather, is interested in finding and solving
problems with all the resources he or she knows about.
* Links the customer to others in the vendor company who can help,
advise, or add value to the customer’s use of products and services.
* Keeps in frequent contact with a number of people in the customer’s
organization, not only the decision-maker or buyer.
When you’re able to do these things, you become a relationship-
oriented salesperson who makes a real contribution. Your customers
allow you to influence what decisions are made and how they are made.
No, it is not enough to realize that the company has needs, to build
alliances and loyalty, to visit frequently, to take your boss or a senior
resource along, or to create an impression that you’re dependable. You
need to add value by what you bring to every contact with your
customers. In this way, you create a customer relationship that
competitive forces will find extremely difficult to break.
Copyright © 2002 Singularity Group, Inc.
Keeping Customers
Why do salespeople typically lose accounts to the competition? Better
prices, features or service are not always the main reasons. In fact,
many of the reasons lie within the salesperson’s control. Here’s what
we found:
* Customers have needs the salesperson didn’t recognize or know
about.
* Customers have a negative perception because the salesperson
“disappeared” after the sale.
* The competition knows more about how customers are using the
product and how satisfied they are by it than the salesperson who sold
it does.
* Customers feel neglected or dissatisfied with the services and
support the vendor offered, as well as with the product’s performance.
* Customers feel the competition understands their needs more
precisely than the vendor does.
* Customers feel the existing vendor’s salesperson cannot “get things
done” in the vendor organization.
* Customers see the competition as more experienced and successful
in business like their own.
Bottom line: Competitive vendors are having less trouble making
appointments with your customers, even those who feel relatively
satisfied with their current vendor.
The question is, how do salespeople build lasting relationships that
customer consider valuable and that pre-empt competitive intrusions.
Many salespeople consider frequent and regular visits the necessary
mainstay in maintaining relationships. However, if every visit or phone
call doesn’t clearly show the customer something worthwhile, then he
or she has no reason to value the relationship. A salesperson must
demonstrate the relationship’s value by what he or she brings to every
customer contact.
This is the key idea behind adding value. If a salesperson hasn’t
differentiated him or herself in this way, the customer has little reason
for valuing the relationship.
A salesperson who adds value:
* Shares a wealth of industry and business knowledge, and know what
to ask and how to make every sales call productive and informative,
even if it doesn’t end in a sale.
* Demonstrates a genuine interest in the future plans and growth of the
customer’s company.
* Isn’t pushing a product; rather, is interested in finding and solving
problems with all the resources he or she knows about.
* Links the customer to others in the vendor company who can help,
advise, or add value to the customer’s use of products and services.
* Keeps in frequent contact with a number of people in the customer’s
organization, not only the decision-maker or buyer.
When you’re able to do these things, you become a relationship-
oriented salesperson who makes a real contribution. Your customers
allow you to influence what decisions are made and how they are made.
No, it is not enough to realize that the company has needs, to build
alliances and loyalty, to visit frequently, to take your boss or a senior
resource along, or to create an impression that you’re dependable. You
need to add value by what you bring to every contact with your
customers. In this way, you create a customer relationship that
competitive forces will find extremely difficult to break.
Copyright © 2002 Singularity Group, Inc.
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