How To Answer Your Customer’s Three Questions

Last week we talked about the three questions that our customers ask at every interaction.  If you have not done so, feel free to go back and read that post.  It should only take about 3 minutes.  A quick read.

Today we are going to answer how we the professional sales person will answer these questions.  We do this by uncovering needs.  Yep, we are going to ask them questions.  There has been a great deal of study on what questions to ask and old sales techniques always told us to ask open ended questions that are not answered with simple answers like “yes”, or “no”.  What I have found is that there is no correlation to success with asking all open-ended questions as opposed to closed ended questions.  Obviously if we ask all closed ended questions, we will lose interest from the customer and they will move along.  

I choose to use a mixture of open-ended questions and close ended questions.  I let the conversation flow well and make the customer feel relaxed.  Keep in mind when we are asking questions, the customer is likely to have their guard up.  Making the customer feel more relaxed is key at the beginning of the sales process.  Making sure where we meet, colors we wear, and scents we spray on is also important.  For today, we will focus on the questions.

In the Uncover Needs of the sales process we are looking to draw out information from the customer so that we can sell them the best solution.  We need to find out their needs.  Needs are grouped into three areas and I use the acronym SIR:

1.     Situational 

2.     Issues

3.     Ramifications

Situational needs are questions we use to draw out where the customer is.  This is where they are at in the buying process, where they want to get to in the future, who is the decision maker, what is their process for making a decision, what is driving their need for looking at options, etc.  These are very probing questions and customers are usually not wanting to discuss for hours on end.  The more questions we ask that are situational the more risk we have of the customer becoming anxious.  We will want to limit the amount of situational questions that we ask so make sure we are asking the best ones.  

The larger the transaction there are likely more than one decision maker.  I have had to address large teams of decision makers for deals in the multi-million range.  When I was selling outdoor power equipment to landscapers it was usually one or two people.  Keep that in perspective when you are in the situational questions to understand if you are speaking to the correct decision makers.

Issues are the needs we really need to focus on.  They are the limiting factors for organizations that want to move forward, or the reasons why organizations may fail.  These are highly motivating needs that we need to address with our product or service.  Pain is a large driver in making changes so find out what pain they are experiencing and why.  We also need to understand why these issues are causing them limits or pain.  Asking what success would look like to the customer here would help them think in depth and confide in us a little more.  They may also bring in the people that are actually experiencing the pain to help describe to us the issue not just the symptom of the issue. The key is to find the issues that we can resolve with our product or service.  

Ramifications are also highly motivating needs that we need to know.  If the customer is unsuccessful in finding an option to mitigate the issue they have, what does that look like?  Does the organization have to close its doors, does it lose a large contract, or is it smaller to where the customer can not find a special gift for someone special?  Husbands do not buy your significant other a treadmill.  That is not a special gift.  

When the stakes are high people are very motivated to find a solution and are more open to options.  Make sure when asking ramification questions that we are building up the problem in the customer’s mind to drive a sense of urgency so they open up, bring in others that can help provide information, and help us find more information to drive the best solution.  The more we elevate the issue the better influence we can have on helping our customers.  Understanding the ramifications well will strengthen our sales presentation later and can move the customer to action.  

Be careful not to jump into your presentation just yet.  If we do not uncover all of the needs prior to presenting they we will miss the target and then we risk devaluing our solution.  When I do half and full day trainings on the sales process I walk teams through the entire process including developing the questions that will derive larger impact with their customers.  We really need to  invest time to develop great questions for the sales teams to make greater impact which results in  becoming the brand of choice.

“Businesses wonder why it is still hard to be thought of as the brand of choice with customers.  How can our business make more profitable transactions and stay out of the commodity battle with low profits?  I equip your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate explosive revenues with greater profits!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lWIVasmkFsoYL4h0AqIZgH6LC3qaw_gI/view?usp=sharing – client profile sheet

https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Process-Uncovered-Success-Influence/dp/0578421518 - Book

https://kevinsidebottom.kartra.com/page/5AF12 - Sales Process Uncovered Online Training

https://kevinsidebottom.kartra.com/page/68N10 - Trustworthy Online Training

Sales People..., don’t fear it, embrace it

How many of you like to hear the word no?  No is not typically something people want to hear when they are trying to sell a product or service.  While working through the sales process with the customer we are envisioning the finish line, checkered flags waiving, confetti, and then we hear…”No”

Most sales people have had the experience early on in their careers to keep sitting in the selling phase of the sales process and not asking for the order.  They do not want to hear the word “no” from the customer.  During this buying decision far too many sales people will start spouting off more benefits and features, price dropping, etc. before the customer even provides feedback.

When we start justifying our price as soon as we send it, we immediately devalue our proposal.  Now the customer has no other course, but to challenge the price.  The old saying less is more applies here.  When the sales person sends over the price, they need to stop speaking.  Just like in a negotiation, the first person that speaks loses. 

Now I temper that with a statement that submitting pricing is not an us vs. them situation.  We are trying to help the customer here, but we need to also be paid for our services.  What I am saying is that when we submit the pricing, we need to not devalue our proposition to the customer.  Now the discussion should be on the customer to decide if they see the value of the investment, or if they have more questions.

Maybe the customer needs a little more information because we did not answer one of their needs that is high value.  That’s okay because we can address that need quickly to help them make sure this is the best product / service they are about to purchase.  Maybe the customer is in the research phase of decision making.  This should have been discovered early on in the first buying decision, but maybe they are trying to budget.  Then it is up to us to make sure we identify the next step for them to take and how we can help the customer.

There is nothing wrong with hearing a no right after we have provided the price.  This is how we adjust and understand what may be limiting the customer from making the purchase.  Just like shooting a rifle from 1000 yards away from a target.  Sometimes a small adjustment needs to be made to hit the target in the center.  This is our opportunity to correct and address the customer’s needs and help them see the value.

It is our job as sales professionals to help the customer’s needs get answered and help them win in this investment.  If we simply walk away when we hear “no,” we are missing a large opportunity to correct and help the customer.  Maybe a large need changed due to the organization’s direction.  Maybe the purchasing team has been reshuffled and there is a new buyer.  That happens quite often doesn’t it.   

If we don’t sell the product / service right after the first time we submit a price, that is okay.  Sometimes there is a better option for the customer, but if we have done a great job, the customer will tell us why we may have lost this sale, but they will tell others how we helped them if we walk with them through the five buying decisions correctly. 

As a side note most sales people never go back and find out why they lost a sale.  This is valuable information if that happens to adjust the sales approach going forward!

We just need to make sure we do no devalue ourselves, or our offerings while working through the sales process with them.

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

The Customer Bought, Now What Do We Do?”

We’ve done it! 

We have made it to the fifth and final buying decision for the customer which is “Buy”

The customer has now purchased our product / service and we celebrate! Unfortunately, this is where 99% of sales people fail in the sales process. 

That’s right, they fail!  I am not saying that it is not okay to celebrate the win and I encourage the celebration, but when the sales person stops the sales process after receiving the order, the customer is left to fend for themselves.  This is wrong and we have not served the customer if we do this!  If we leave the customer and don’t make them successful with their purchase then the customer soon will develop buyer’s remorse, not hitting the desired outcome from the purchase, and possibly thinking they were just sold something instead of purchasing a solution.  The customer then associates us with the slimy salesperson that does not care about them.

Far too many sales people take the signed order and ride off into the sunset never to be heard from again.  It’s a huge opportunity that unfortunately most sales people miss out on!

That’s right, when the customer agrees to buy, this is the time that sales professionals need to roll up their sleeves and move forward with the customer.  The more this is done, the more the customer will brag to their friends, family members, social media, etc. about how awesome we served them and that everyone they know needs speak with us.  Who wouldn’t want a salesforce of individuals selling of us without having to pay them?  

I love having people that have taken my trainings tell others that they need to work with me because I know that what I am doing is working!

First and foremost, when the customer agrees to purchase, they will second guess themselves (buyer’s remorse) about the purchase.  That’s right, they are not sure what they did was the right decision.  This typically happens for purchases over $50.  No, we are not talking about a pack of gum.  The real-estate market has done a fantastic job overcoming this issue of “buyer’s remorse.”  As soon as the customer agrees to purchase a property, they immediately begin moving the customer into the next steps. 

When we confirm that the customer has made the right decision, they feel justified and will be set at ease.  Getting the customer moving forward after this decision to buy and onto the next steps such as delivery date, onsite training, etc., the customer is reaffirmed and feels like they have made the best decision possible.  They have a game plan for the next steps.  The customer will be fired up and ready to begin moving forward with our help!  They appreciate this, because most sales people do not do this!  This simple step!  Now we have a few other things we need to do as well.

The last step in the sales process is crucial.  Again 99% of sales professionals do not do this.  This is the most crucial step in gaining influence with customers.  It’s the next 90 days after the sale that really makes the customer’s purchase a success, or a failure.  That’s right, after the installation and quick run through, the customer is going to have issues.  The faster we communicate how to resolve those issues the better the customer will feel.  That is why organizations have had support lines waiting for customer to call, but the sales professional has an opportunity to take this one step further.

This is the sales process step in trainings that most organizations ask a great deal of questions on how they can get better.  This is where I gain my consulting business and coaching for.  Helping them gain the tools so they can make the customer successful 90 days after the sale.  We figure out how to make the customer successful and the organizations see higher levels of business gains.

What do we have ready for your customers so that they can consistently win with our product / service?  That is the question that we need to answer and if we do this well, we will be rewarded with greater levels of influence.  With more influence comes greater growth in sales and increased revenue.  At a certain point we become such an influencer that people stop focusing on price.  Wouldn’t that be amazing to take the pricing discussion off the table?

We are in the service business no matter what we sell.  Serve the customer well and reap the rewards.  Underserve, and stay a commodity in the customer’s eyes.

It’s okay to have a little celebration, but then get to work rolling up your sleeves and help serve the customer!

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

The Scariest Part Of The Sales Process

Welcome back everyone,

We have been walking through the buying decisions that customers must make before they will buy a product / service from us sales professionals.  If you haven’t read the past few blog posts, I encourage you to go back and read them as they will help you understand how we got here.  For today, let’s jump into this fun topic! 

When I first got into sales, I actually hated this buying decision.  I was so nervous that I kept selling the product as long as I could and would talk myself out of a sale in most cases.  The reason was that I feared rejection.  Just like asking that girl out in high school, I was nervous to ask for the order from the customer. 

Back in high school I was literally under five-foot-tall, weight around 100 pounds and let’s be honest the wind may have been able to knock me down if it blew over 10 mph.  Asking for a date seemed like a monumental task when I had to look up to just about everyone.  Luckily, I grew taller and so did my confidence.

No one really enjoys rejection and I was no different when it came to sales.  I did not want to find out if I had not done a good job at understanding the customer’s needs and addressing those needs.  I did not want to hear “NO” just like a child hates the word no.  I did not want the customer rejecting my request to move forward with the purchase.

Here is what I have learned through many years of selling.  We as professional sales people need to hear the word no.  That’s right, if we have not answered the customer’s needs, we should hear “NO”.  We do not need the customer buying the product only to hate the purchase and then remember us as the ones that sold them that product / service.  We need them to be glad they purchased the product / service and that it helped them.  Otherwise, we are just another sales person that made a quick buck that did not help the customer.  Serving the customer well leads to much more sales success in the long run.

Now, why is it okay to hear the word no?  Once we hear the word no, we can go back to the uncovering needs and verification of needs steps to make sure we completely understand the customer.  Which is what the customer truly wants.  The customer wants to be known and understood.  They want to know that this solution in front of them will actually help them move forward. 

As professional salespeople, we need to make sure we have courage to ask for the order.  We need to find out if we are on the right track or if we missed something.  This is our opportunity to come back and help the customer better if we missed something.  It’s our sign to make sure we are moving in the right direction.

You never know, the customer may actually say “Yes” and award us the business if we have followed the process correctly.  That is when the real work starts! 

Have the courage to ask for the order and wait for the reply from the customer.

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

The One Decision Sales People Get Wrong

Ever have a customer answer your sales proposal with the following statement, “ That is great, but how does that help me?”  I have had this experience and had to use those same words with some sale people when they tried to sell me something.

This part of the sales process is where most sales professionals believe they need zero help.  Unfortunately, most sales professionals need a great deal of help with this part of the sales process.  To show this I ask people to sell me their product / service.  This is where the attendees have a reflection moment.

Most attendees start with firing features and benefits in rapid fire, their elevator pitch, or how their product is so revolutionary like they are in one of those late-night infomercials.  Unfortunately, this is an incorrect process in selling your product / service.  The reason I know this is because I started out selling my products this way which drove my lack of sales.  The customer does not care about how many features and benefits we have to offer.

What the customer does care about is how this product / service will meet “their needs”.  That’s right! How does what we offer help them?  That is the question our customers are asking.  Each customer is different and has different needs which means we need to be smart about how we approach this part of the sales process.  We can not simply rain features and benefits all over them.  We need to answer their needs.

To effectively answer the customer’s needs, the salesperson needs to do the work in the first buying decision by asking great questions to uncover the customer’s needs.  By asking questions we are able to actually understand the customer, what they are looking to achieve, and why they are looking to achieve it with this purchase.  If we assume that we know exactly what the customer needs we typically miss the mark in sales.  

You’re probably asking yourself how do I avoid this mistake?  The answer is simple.  By making sure that the question I am asking aligns with my features and benefits.  That’s right I use the features and benefits of my product / service to roadmap questions for the customer.  If the customer is saying yes to those questions, then we know that we are on the right track to help the customer.  Simple right!

One more point here and this is a big point!

If the answer is no to most of my questions about my product / service.  I quickly understand that what the customer is looking for is not what I offer and I point them in the right direction to meet their needs.  That is right, if my product / service will not help the customer I am going to do everything in my power to help them find what they need.  Most sales people are shaking their heads in disbelief, but they are wrong.  See I am playing the long game with selling that builds influence.  Influence that will come back to me ten fold later on.

If my current product / service does not help the customer and I help them find something that does, I have just solidified my value and gained tremendous influence with the customer. Even if they do not buy this product / service today, they will tell their friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, etc. about the service that I have provided and how I helped them.  They will tell those people that they need to come talk to me.  It has helped me time and time again with references and grow my sales in the long run.

Yes, this is an internal decision to focus on helping more than just selling our products / service.  I chose this early in my career which helped me gain more sales than I could have ever thought possible.  Customers have come to me years later telling me that someone referred them to me because I was the best and helped in such a way that they needed to see me first.

Isn’t that where we want to be?  To be the person everyone wants to come to for a solution to meet their needs?

If you need support on making sure you are hitting the mark on this part of the sales process, or any others feel free to click here to see my online membership that gives you lifetime access.

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

Does Your Organization Answer The Second Customer Buying Decision?

Have you been disappointed by the lack of customer service lately?  Has it affected your decision to buy from this place of business again?

Have you ever decided not to buy a product or service because of the reputation of the organization?

I recently ordered some workout gear from an organization that I often do business with.  I ordered the products and received the shipping information and for a week with no shipment info.  When I reached out to this organization, they informed me they would ship out a new order for me.  A week later nothing.  I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but after weeks of trying to figure out why my products were not shipping, I reached out once more to find out that the replacement order was never placed.  This was exhausting follow up that was very discouraging.

If an organization builds a reputation of poor customer service, unethical practices, bad quality, etc., they are not going to be the organization with the large value proposition to customers.  Organizations often try to cut corners to save a few dollars, that end up sacrificing millions in the long run.  Truth be told that if organizations are not providing exceptional value they are a commodity.  There are other options to buy similar products and services.

With the onset of Millennials in the workforce we are seeing a trend of them working for organizations that align with their values more so than just to collect a paycheck.  This same demographic is also the largest demographic of individuals in US history.  This demographic of individuals stive to work for organizations that align with their personal mission statements.  Millennials want to make sure they are going to help society by working with and for these organizations.  It is imperative that organizations recognize this and make sure they are selling themselves as well as their products.

These same Millennials are also purchasing products and services from organizations.   If the organization does not align with the Millennials goals, guess what, they won’t buy from these organizations.  Again, the largest demographic in US history means the largest buying power.

How do organizations make sure they are selling what makes them unique to the customers?  Organizations should use the same process they use to sell their products and services correctly.  They answer the needs of the customer.  What does the organization offer that will help the customer “WIN?” 

When we look at our organizations whether they are for profit or non-profit, we need to see what we do well.  Do we offer online SEO plans to help customers get quicker growth on the internet marketplace?  Do we have solutions to handling ecommerce for the customer’s products and services online?  What does our organizations do to enable personal growth of our customers?   Do our organizations donate a large part of our profits to help society?  Each of our organizations offer solutions that are vital, but it is up to us to define those game changer answers to the customer’s needs.

What does your organization do well to help the customer?  It just may save your organization in the long run. 

Put your answer in the comments below in this blog as I love to hear how organizations answer the customer’s needs.

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

Do I Trust You?

Good morning everyone,

Last week we talked about how we need to let the customer feel comfortable and relaxed when they meet with us.  What colors to wear options and why were provided, how to approach them, tones of speech, etc. to help us make the customer feel comfortable and so that they could be relaxed which will allow them the opportunity to like us.

This week I want to work on the other two questions that the customer has which are Do I trust you?, and How can you help me?  These two questions are very important with sales of $50 or more.  People need to know like and trust us before they will do business with us.

If in the first buying decision that the customer has, “The Salesperson” the customer does not trust us and we can’t show them how we can help the customer, then they will simply go to another source and purchase.   Our product / service has now become a commodity.   It does not matter if we have the best product on the face of the earth.  The question is how do we build trust and how the customer knows that we are there to help them.

In my training on The Sales Process Uncovered, I walk sales people through the house analogy that I use to learn about the customer.  We want to learn about the customer, their family, their passions, issues they are needing help with, and the consequences of not fixing those issues.  We need to know their S.I.R. before we can identify a solution.

Asking questions is the way to get to know if what we have to sell will actually help the customer.  Not just simple questions like, would the customer like a certain color of the product, but why are they looking to achieve with this purchase.  What did they like about the last product they used, what do they wish they had on the previous product that they are replacing today?  What does a win look like for the customer with this purchase? 

Is the customer looking to gain a certain sense of prestige, needing a vehicle that basically drives itself so they can get more work done on their commute, or do they have a child that has a condition that makes the need for them to have a certain easy entry vehicle?  Ask deeper questions to understand the why behind the customer’s decision.  Until we do this, we are unable to help the customer.

People crave to be understood and known. Customers also want to know that we are with them to make them a hero in their story.  Customers need to be the hero in their story and know that they have the solution that will solve their issues.  That is why they talk to sales professionals.  They are looking for guidance to find a solution.

Think back to the last time you had an amazing buying experience.  What were some of the key elements of that sale that you had to tell your friends about because it just made you feel like you were set up for success with that purchase?  How did the sales person make you feel?  What did that salesperson do that stood out to you?  What extra step did they do that no one else has ever done when you were making a purchase?

Next, think of a bad buying experience?  What were some of the reasons why the sales person lost the sale?  What could they have done better?  What made you run away as fast as you could to get away from that sales person?

Now look at some of the wins and losses we have had in sales.  This will take some time, but it will help us in the long run.  Playing through the situations in our head will help us reevaluate what we did well and what we can improve on.  We want to focus on opportunities for improvement to allow the customer to have a fantastic customer experience.  Experiences that customers can’t help but brag to everyone about how we helped them.  Do this enough times and we will not have to work as hard in sales and will become a success.

If we do not get the first buying correctly and constantly improve, then we will be mediocre in sales.  No one really wants to be mediocre.  We want to keep growing and getting better because without success we start losing hope and looking for other careers.  This is a slippery slope as with all new ventures, failures come quickly and often.  This is why people that consistently start over when a challenge happens never really excel.  Those that stay true to the process of growth and refining are the ones that truly hit high levels of success.

Today focus on making sure that the question asked to customers are ones that will hit the mark.  If you need help with drafting questions reach out.  I am here to help you!

Have a great week everyone. 

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

They Won't Buy From You If They Don't Like You

Good morning everyone,

Last week we talked about how sales people tend to get introductions out of the way quickly and then jump straight into selling.  These same sales people have not proven themselves reliable, or trustworthy to the customer, but yet these sales people believe that the customer should trust and investment with them.  Sales people assume the customer likes, trusts, and believes that the sales person can help the customer.  How do we perform typically when we assume in situations?  When we assume we get the situation wrong. 

The first buying decision is the longest and hardest to complete.  Mainly because there is so much decision making that happens in this buying decision before anything can move forward for the customer.  The customer has to know, like, and trust us before they will ever buy from us.  Do you think that right after someone gets your name and starts selling that they really care about you or your needs?

We as sales professionals need to make sure we are answering these three questions for the customer within the first 60 seconds of the interaction:

Do I like you?

Do I trust you?

How can you help me?

If we jump straight into selling mode after we get their name the customer will be quickly be turned off.  Ever wonder why when asked what brings you in to this store today the customer says something like this, “Just looking.”  It’s because the customer has been trained to think that sales people are all the same and all the sales person cares about is selling their product or service.

Let’s change that perception.

Let’s start by using a plan on how we will approach the customer in a way that builds likeability and trust right out of the get go.  Let’s start with making sure when we approach the customer we are not circling like hungry vultures.   Let’s let the customer come into our facilities and let them get comfortable by smiling and saying “Hi, welcome.  We are here to help you when you are ready.” 

Smiling, wearing the right colors that psychologically reflect trust, honesty and lowers anxiety.  Not power ties, not blacks, not dark greys, but light blues whites, and some greens to ease the customer into lowering their defenses. We also need to listen to how we talk.  That’s right speech patterns that don’t align will also increase anxieties.  I found this out when I started selling in the southern United States.  I needed to change my speech patterns a bit instead of a fast-paced midwestern speech pattern. I also needed to say soda instead of pop J

Science has shown that depending on the environment (noise levels, smells, colors, lighting, etc) the customer can actually become engaged, or withdrawn.  Next time you walk into a department store check out the different areas of the store and notice the lighting, colors, music playing, and scents pumped into each area.  This helps to ease the customer’s anxiety lower.  Ever wonder why Costco offers free samples?  Because the longer a customer is in the store the higher the probability they will buy more.

The next time we show up to work we need to be putting our best foot forward to make the customer relaxed.  Will we be paying attention to the customer and welcoming them, or will we be going in for the kill to make a sale?  Make sure to be attentive to the customer and allow them to like us.

Answering Do I trust you and How can you help me? for the customer is essential in the first buying decision. We need to build that trust as well as show the customer that we will work to help them meet their needs.  There is a great deal in these two questions so we will have to save that for next week as to how we will do this, but for today think about asking questions to the customer. 

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com

Customer Loyalty, We Want It Right?

Good morning everyone,

Everywhere you look you see articles on how to build customer loyalty.  Just about every major retailer has a loyalty program.  Offers are given with point systems in hopes of retaining customers.  These are all great things, but there is one area that businesses are falling short.

What about the new customer that does not know our brand and has no idea how awesome we are?  What are we doing today to keep them for a lifetime?  These individuals want to believe that if they join our “club” we are going to take care of them, but they have been taken advantage of so many times they may be a little skeptical.

All of us can be Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A in the future with lines for the drive through wrapping around parking lots and disrupting street traffic flow.  What we need to do is think about ways to serve customers so well that they want to keep coming back.

Both Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A do one thing really, really well.  It’s customer service.  That’s right they are always going above and beyond the call to serve the customer. This is resulting in customer loyalty, a Fanocrocy, and great business success even during pandemics.  People will literally wait in 20 min lines for a cup of coffee, and chicken sandwiches. 

Chick-Fil-A also has one thing they do every time they serve us when we say thank you.  They respond immediately with “it’s my pleasure.”  They literally ingrain each employee to be customer service focused.  It does not matter which location we to go, we still get great consistent service.

When an organization focuses only on profits and not on serving the customers it never ends well.  Doing the right thing consistently over time creates loyalty.  Making sure we have set up a solid customer service focus no matter how long the customers have been doing with us is key to achieving customer loyalty.

Focusing only on maintaining the customers we currently have loyalty with will erode as they expire.  Yes, I have checked the data everyone expires!  If we only focus on those that have bought several products from us to generate loyalty at the risk of making things right for a new customer, we will LOSE!!!

Too many organizations focus on short term profits.  One main driver for this is publicly traded companies focusing on making their stock holders more money as their main goals.  All organizational goals serve this one main goal.  How do we make shareholders more money? 

Organizations should also not focus on helping only those that have pledged loyalty to their brand, but consistently doing the right thing to generate future loyal “Fans.”  When “Fans” pledge their loyalty to us, they tell others how awesome our organization are.  They share stories of how we have helped them and rave about our service.  We have sales people selling for us that are not on our payroll.  Wouldn’t you like that?

Do not take the customer’s payment and walk away from the transaction waiting to see if the customer will buy from us again before we give extra effort.   Give the extra effort up front and every time we engage people and we will be rewarded!

Check back in next week and I’ll help you with a few ideas on how to grow more loyal customers and some ideas of how to gain more fans that will sell your brand.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Kevin Sidebottom

“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business.  I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”

www.kevinsidebottom.com