In a meeting with a customer this week I reminded of a great way to lose your customer’s business.  It is not a new way but should be a wake-up call to those in sales or who interface with customers in one form or another. This customer was in the process of explaining to me more about his business when the question of why he uses certain vendors came up.  His response was short and simple but yet spoke volumes.  He stated that for whatever reason, the vendors he had been using just stopped calling him and staying in touch so he had no choice but to look elsewhere.  Committing this cardinal sin in sales is bad enough but hearing that it has happened a few times to the same customer was even more alarming.  Finding and getting business is not easy and takes hard consistent work but what is the point of going through all that work only to have the business slip out the back door.  It has been well documented that you will spend far more money and time trying to get a customer back that you lost, than you will in acquiring them in the first place. Unfortunately, I wish I could say that this story was unique but I am afraid it happens far more than we would like to admit.

This story also emphasizes the three phases to every sales cycle: finding the business, getting the business and keeping the business. If you ignore any one of these phases the results can and most likely will be disastrous.  One of the ways you will keep your customers business is by having a good relationship with them. Staying in touch with your customers is good, building trust with them is better and being considered a trusted business partner is best.  All three of these levels require both communication and consistency.  Eliminate either one of these and you will be working hard to try to win the business back from your competition.

Here are some effective ways of communicating with your customers to ensure you keep their business:

1.  If you sell over the phone, set up a call cycle to talk to your customers on a regular basis. 

2. If you sell face to face, make sure every time you meet with your customers you bring someone of value that will impact their business.

3.  Send your customers emails with information that would be pertinent to their business or industry.

4. If you have an entertainment budget, get your customers out of the office on a regular basis for a meal.  This allows you to not only connect with them on a more personal basis but will give you a chance to talk without the constant interruptions that you have in the office setting.

5.  Send your customers a hand written Thank You card for being you customer. Show them that you truly value their business and are so glad you have them as a customer.

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Publically traded companies often take a lot of heat from the general public (you and I) and very often it’s for good reason.  It often seems that all that matters is how much money the company is bringing in or where their stock price stands at any given moment.  The reality is that for-profit companies are in business for this very reason, to make a profit.  No company creates a business plan and opens their doors in hopes they lose money. At the same time however, there are many great examples of for-profit companies that regularly give their time and money back to the communities where they do business. Their focus is often on the environment, our school systems and community outreach opportunities. These are wonderful and no one could argue that our world would be a much better place for our children and the next generation to come, if companies expanded these efforts.  When is the last time you heard of a company giving back directly to its customer at the expense of their profits?  This concept is so radical that I bet you wouldn’t easily forget.  Look no further than to the chain of bakery-café’ quick casual restaurants, Panera Bread. They just announced they are opening up their third non-profit, “Pay What You Wish” location or what they call their Community Cafes.

Some may argue this is just a gimmick to attract media and good well to their company rather than having true altruistic motives.  I don’t believe it is but even if it was you cannot overlook how radical this decision is and the true value they are providing to their customers. As Founder Ron Shaich states “This is not about a handout," Shaich said. "This is about a hand up, and every one of us has a need for that at some point in our lives."  Panera Bread should no doubt be applauded for their generosity and taken nothing aware from what they are done; I want to focus on another aspect of this great story.  A less obvious aspect of this story is the fact that Panera Bread was willing to take such a big risk. Innovative companies are willing to take strong calculated risks in order to exceed their customer’s satisfaction and at the same time, differentiate themselves from their competition.  I haven’t heard of any of their competitors following suit, have you? 

No doubt there are some who oppose this idea and probably even some within the company who wonder if this is such a wise idea. This however is a normal response to a company taking a risk. Anytime you go against the grain so to speak you are opening yourself up to criticism and skepticism.  However, there is also risk in going with the flow and continuing to do business the very same way it’s always been done for you and your industry.  The definition of insanity is doing the very same things but expecting different results. If you want your company and/or your products to stand out you must be willing to take a risk.  Risk is not easy and you have to be comfortable with the fact that you can potentially suffer loss.  Panera Bread is not the only company that is finding success by taking a risk and going against the grain.  The difference however, is they were not willing to standstill but instead they have decided to do something about it. Do you have an idea or solution that you have been thinking about but you know others will think is crazy?  The question you need to ask yourself today is “am I taking a bigger risk by not taking any action?”

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If you surveyed sales professionals and asked them if they would rather be viewed by their customers as a sales rep. or strategic advisor, the answer would not surprise you.  The question then is what does it take to become a strategic advisor? In order to reach this status, you as the sales professional need to stop merely selling and start helping your customers. This may seem for many sales professionals like blasphemy. A common response may sound something like this; “Aren’t I trained and paid to sell?” Yes, but if you focus only on selling you will continue to be commoditized by your customers. Instead, by helping and educating your customers you can become a strategic advisor and true resource for them. This is also a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition.  Companies have many sales people trying to sell them their product or service but have very few who are providing what they really need, answers and solutions. As author and speaker Scott Ginsberg states “The reality is, customers don’t need more service-they need more answers.” 

Those in the sales profession understand that they are really in the service profession. Serving is more than just resolving issues that arise. You serve your customers by providing them with answers as well as educating them.  How different might your sales results be if you viewed your customers not as a means to pay your salary but as pupils who attend your class?  How much time do you put into lesson planning?  Do you show up every day ready to teach? Sales representatives mainly have transactional relationships with their customers whereas strategic advisors are able to gain entrance to higher levels within the customer’s organization.  As a result, they are able to understand their customer’s objectives and goals and are able to offer answers and solution that will help their customers meet these objectives.

The question then is what does helping my customer really look like in an everyday situation?  Here are a few seemingly simple but impactful ways you can provide help:

1.   Listening
        o How hard do you work at listening?
        o Are you truly present when you are in front of your customers?

2.   Industry Research
        o Do you spend time understand both their business and industry?
        o Do you know what challenges they are currently facing?
        o What makes customers choose them over their competition?

3.  Continually bring ideas
        o Are you introducing your customers to new things on a regular basis?
        o How often do you send your customers articles or information on ideas
           or products that they  may be interested in?

Today more than ever customers are looking for value and that value often comes in the form of help. So the question is, are you spending more time selling to your customers or helping them? 
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