The Customer Relationship

You are not a salesperson. You are a problem solver.

Internalize the concept and set yourself apart from the competition. Being a problem solver breathes positive life into your reputation in the marketplace. Most importantly, it will naturally strengthen the customer relationship and lead to more closed sales.

When the customer sees you as “a salesperson” their first instinct is to go on the defensive. Consider the stigma the sales profession can have. More often than not a customer believes the salesperson’s motive is purely self involved. This makes developing a strong client relationship more difficult and ultimately leads to fewer closed sales.

Think about it. The customer relationship is a two way street. The client is engaged with you for a reason. They either have a personal or a business need they are looking to satisfy. The customer is looking for help and is willing to pay for it.

Every product or service on the planet is a bundle of features or qualities designed to satisfy needs. The better you connect the features of your product or service to the interest of your client, the more sales you will close.

The biggest mistake most salespeople make? They jump right into the sales pitch.

Rattling off the features of your product without qualifying the needs of the customer will put you behind the eight ball. Without proper qualification your value statement will most likely the mark.

To strengthen the customer relationship, take the time to understand what the underlying need of the customer is. Depending on your industry, this could take 20 seconds or several weeks. If you don’t take time to figure their needs out, you are going to sound like every other ineffective salesperson out there.

Remember, the customer is subconsciously prepared for your pitch. But they are generally not prepared for you to dig deeper into their business or personal requirements. The customer will usually share all kinds of information with you to help narrow down what is right for them. This is key to building trust and setting a solid foundation for the customer relationship.

Once you have your mind set as a problem solver and not a salesperson, things will get easier. You will find your dialogue with the client to flow smoother and drive out their ultimate need(s).

Salespeople often fall into the trap of assuming the customer can make the connection between their needs and the features of the product. This is not the case. The best salesperson will always connect the dots.

There are a number of sales tools you will be able to use more effectively after developing the mindset of a problem solver. By learning how to properly shape your questions you will get more specific answers. Customer survey questions will produce more detailed results. You can leverage any customer CRM program in a more strategic fashion. Additionally, customer satisfaction dialogue can be used more efficiently by focusing on the direct link between the customer experience and the product they have bought.

Your Take Away:

Erase from your mind the fact you are a salesperson. Your new thought process will focus on “solving the customer problem”. You are going to solution your product or service to meet the customers underlying needs. Once you make the connection with the client, the sales will follow.

The customer relationship you develop may be one your competitors will envy.

Thanks for reading.

Good Selling.

Return from The Customer Relationship