We’ve just watched the most exciting football game of the year, The Superbowl. You know that each team has a playbook that they use to
prepare for the game. Consider this: as a sales professional, what if you could HAND your customers a playbook. This book, would tell your customers what they can and cannot do. For example, by their having the “rules” of the game, it may start with: “You must return my calls within 4 hours of hearing from me.” Then customer would then have to call you back within that time frame.
So, here are the top 7 playbook “rules” that most often want to hear from our customers (gleaned from our sales training sessions) that we want our customers to do:
1. “Agreeing when asked for the order.”
2. “Paying full price every time.”
3. “Always buy from us.”
4. “Be courteous when we call.”
5. “Provide us with a regular stream of referrals.”
6. “Avoid changing jobs so we don’t have to build different
relationships.”
7. “Pay on time. Every time.”
Sound good? Well, as I always say, “fantasy is free”. Think what you want, hope and pray all you like, however, customers don’t have a playbook that they’re required to follow. They play by their own rules—like it or not.
So why do salespeople whine about what customer’s are and aren’t doing? They are the customers, so THEY make the rules. We have to be more efficient, more professional, and mainly, more creative if we want our customers to go by the rules.
Want #1? Ask for the order and ask for it often and differently every time.
Want #2? Create more value so the customer can see why paying full price is the best deal for them.
Want #3? Establish a long-term partnership with your customers so that they know you are the only supplier they will ever need.
Want #4? Avoid idle chitchat and establish professionalism when you call your customers. They’ll reciprocate.
Want #5? Provide your customers with referral business and they’ll give some to you.
Want #6: Help your customer with look good when selling to them and perhaps they’ll stay longer in their current position. And if they don’t you can sell to them at their new company.
Want #7? Make sure that your company is billing your client correctly, has done a credit check, and the terms are well established before conducting business with your customer so you can get paid on time. (c) Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, 678 587-9911 www.salespeak.com |
