One of the key differentiators in a customers buying decision is the salesperson. You are an extension of the brand that you represent. You are the ambassador of the company brand. At the end of the day, people want to do business with people they like.   Even more importantly your customers want to know that you will be there to assist them if they have problems or something goes wrong.  If your customers view you as just their salesperson and no different than your competitors then you are missing out on being “the great differentiator”!  

Being liked is good, but being trusted and respected is better.   This doesn’t come from a single interaction and thankfully for you, is not something that all salespeople practice.  Salespeople can sometimes be lazy and assume that once they have their customers business, the hard work is done.  However, the reality is it takes consistent, intentional work to become a trusted and respected salesperson and even more work to become a trusted business partner.  However, once you reach this level with your customers not only will they willingly give you referrals but you will make it more difficult for your competitors to get in the door and take the business away.  What then are some things you can do to ensure you become the differentiator and trusted business partner with your customers?

1.  Show your customer how your product or service will make their business better, not just explaining to them what your product or service does.
     a.       Will your product/service save them time? 
     b.      Will your product/service save them $$?
     c.       Will your product/service help them grow their business?
2.  Stay in regular contact with them. If you can’t meet with them in person on a regular basis, pick up the phone and make sure they are not having any issues.
3.  Research what their competitors are doing and share what you learn with them. (This will not only show them you are in it for more than just a commission but they will start viewing you as more of a consultant than salesperson.)
4.  Continue to bring them ideas and/or solutions that you feel will help their business.
5.  Return all phone calls and emails as quickly as possible.  Don’t give them a reason to contact your competitors.

Take the next minute and a half to watch the following video to see how you can build relationships with your customers and earn referrals at the same time:
“If you walk in with information about you, you’re a salesman. If you walk in with valuable information about them (the customer) or for them, now you’re a resource.”-Jeffrey Gitomer

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If you were to rank all of the factors of a customer’s decision making process, price is normally at the top of the list. That being said, the most common objection to a sale a salesperson hears is “your price is too high or I found it cheaper somewhere else.”  Unfortunately what customers don’t often realize is the cheapest price at the moment of purchase is not always the lowest cost in the long run.   Herein lies the struggle that customers face when they are making a purchase.  This struggle is between whether to choose the cheapest price or the one that has the best value overall.  Oftentimes there is a big difference and although the decision may vary depending on what you are purchasing the harsh reality is, in the end the lowest price often does not end up being the lowest cost after all.

Determining the total cost of a product is not as simple as looking at two different prices.  Price may get the most attention in the decision making process but cannot be looked at as the only factor.  Here are some other important factors to consider in the total cost of a product:

Ø  Quality of the product-   How long will it last and what are the repair costs if it needs to be repaired?

Ø  Brand-   Is this a well known brand and will they be around in the future?

Ø  Customer Service- Is the company easy to get a hold of?  What kind of after sale service do they provide?

Ø  Return Process- How convenient is the return process? 

Ø  Money Back Guarantee- Do they offer a guarantee?

Additionally, lowest price doesn’t often equal best value.  In fact, if the price for a product or service is far lower than the other competitor prices, this should raise a red flag.  The old adage of “you get what you pay for” is especially true here.  A customer will often say their decision starts and ends with price. This could be due to the fact that they don’t see any additional value in your product or service.   This is a great opportunity for the salesperson to help differentiate his or her product or service from the competition.  For example, does the customer understand how your product or service will make their life better?  Do they understand what the true differences are in the price? If you sell a service rather than a product then you have some additional ways of quantifying value to your customers.  Here are a few ways you can ensure your customers are looking at the total cost:

Ø  Show them how your service saves them time and then quantify the labor savings into cost savings.

Ø  If your service is better than your competitors and results in fewer customers calling into their Customer Service Dept; quantify the savings of reduced Customer Service calls.

Ø  If they receive greater visibility as a result of your service, quantify the value of that information.

Ø  Show them how your service impacts their COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) and quantify that impact.

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What is a sales cycle? The sales cycle from the customer’s perspective is the sequence of phases that a typical customer goes through when buying something.  Unfortunately, many salespeople assume the sale ends once the contract or agreement has been signed. This however would be the wrong assumption.  This would imply that what happens up to this point is the most important part of the sales cycle.  However, I would argue what happens after the contract or agreement is signed is more important than the activities that led up to that point.   Don’t believe it or want further proof?  A study of the cost of customer acquisition vs. customer retention was done a few years ago by Bain & Company and the results were as follows; “acquiring a new customer can cost 6 to 7 times more than retaining an existing customer.”  Yet, so often far more time and resources is spent on acquiring the customers rather than retaining them.

The sales cycle from the salesperson’s perspective is broken down into three phases: finding, getting and keeping business.  All three phases are extremely important to the salesperson’s success and the focus on only one of these phases can mean almost certain failure for the salesperson.  However, although salespeople understand this, they often struggle with the ability to focus equal time on all three phases.  Oftentimes this struggle comes internally from sales management who put more pressure on their sales force to find and get new business.  Yet, it is also impossible for a salesperson to reach his or her goals and their company goals without continuing to grow their business.  For the purpose of this article, I wanted to focus just on this third phase.

The retention of business is directly tied to having good relationships with your customers and is not something that should just be left up to the Customer Service Department.   How a company and specifically a salesperson supports the customer after a contract or agreement is signed is a critical component as to whether that customer will continue doing business with you.  Here are a few key components that become decision making factors for a customer:

·         Communication- can they easily get a hold of you when they have a question or concern?

·         Visibility- do you make regular contact with your customer? Do you have them on a consistent call cycle or do they only see you when there is a problem?

·         Problem Resolution- do you have a process in place for them or do they know who to contact when problems arise?

·         Value- do you bring them additional solutions or products that will make their life better? Do you remind them what you have done for them in the past?

·         Competitive Differentiation- do they understand how your product or service differs from your competition?

·         Appreciation- when is the last time you thanked them for their business? William James once said “the deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”  Are your customers any different?

Focusing on keeping or retaining your customers is more than just one of the three phases of the sales cycle.  It gives you the ability to build value and further trust with them and the more trust you have built, the harder it will be for your competitors to take the business away.

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One common truth in sales is given the choice people would rather do business with their friends.  Here lies the importance of having strong relationships with your customers.  If you need further proof of this just listen to what author and professional relationship expert Keith Ferrazzi says, “Smart salespeople spend 80% of their time building strong relationships with the people they do business with and 80% of building and maintaining relationships is just staying in touch.” Having a strong relationship is more than just being good at small talk with your customers.  Rather, it’s connecting with your customer on a personal level and building trust over time that will lead to a great relationship.  This is not a onetime event. As in any relationship in life, it takes time and multiple interactions to build a solid relationship.  Although most salespeople might not think so, the salesperson motives are usually easily read by the customer.  Nothing damages a relationship with your customer more or prevents one from happening than when the customer feels the salesperson is only concerned with one thing, his or her own needs. This is what separates the salesperson from the good salesperson. The salesperson wants to just take your money and a good salesperson wants to make your life better.

Relationships are all about communication and customer relationships are no different.  Communicating clearly and regularly with your customers is not only about sharing information.  It is both give and take and if done correctly, will build trust and strengthen your relationship.  If given the option, communication face-to-face is the most effective. However, not all sales are done face-to-face so communication via email or over the phone can also be effective. The key to remember and so often forgotten is that without being able to see the facial expressions and mannerisms of the person that is talking, words can easily be misconstrued.  A lot of pain and heartburn can be avoided if the salesperson would just pick up the phone and speak directly with the customer.  Email is a great tool for communicating with a number of different people in different locations, but should never be used as the sole way to communicate with your customers.  Although technology has forever changed many facets of business nothing can replace the impact that meeting with your customers face-to-face can have.  Many of my most successful sales calls and customer relationships have been built by stepping on an airplane and flying across country for a single meeting.  Yes, it takes time and energy but then again what important relationship doesn’t?

It seems with all the training salespeople receive, the focus on customer relationships can often be pushed to the side or forgotten about entirely.  Salespeople often feel internal pressure to hit their ever increasing sales goals that they mistakenly focus solely on the goals themselves instead of the relationships that will help them meet said goals.  There could be a variety of reasons why but the reality is that if you are not focusing on building relationships with your customers you are missing out on a way to built trust with your customers and differentiate yourself from your competition.  In Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust he states this perfectly, “Customers buy because they trust you, but in order for them to gain that trust, they first had to like you AND believe you AND have confidence in you.”

Here are a few solutions to help you build and strengthen relationships with your customers:

1.  Break bread with your customers- Getting your customers out of the office and sharing a meal or a cup of coffee is a great way to do this.

2.  Be a business connector- Introduce your customer to someone you know they want to do business with.

3.  Become a trusted business partner- share solutions and information with them that will help them grow their business and meet their Corporate Objectives.

4.  Take them to a sporting event or concert- this is a great way to involve not just the customer but their spouse.

5.  Thank them for their business by sending them hand written Thank You cards.

6.  Stay in contact with them on a regular basis- this can be done simply by giving them a quick call to let them know you were thinking of them and asking if you can be of any further assistance.

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