Why Do Good Customers Leave – Reoccurring Theme
Why do good Customers leave?
Maybe it’s because we stop treating them the way they want to be treated!
Let me make what I think is a good or maybe not so good analogy.
Dating:
When you first begin dating you don’t really no how things may end up. So you do your very best to empress and show your best side. In reality you’re selling your “butt” off.
As things progress, the need to empress slowly goes away as you begin to gain trust and a level of comfort in the relationship.
If all goes well marriage is the next step and a partnership begins. ( It gets no better than this we think.)
For the first few years all is great (the honeymoon period). However, we may begin to overlook the little things that made us so attractive while we dated. We begin to take things for granted.
Slowly, things begin to fade. The shine goes away. If we are not careful and start doing the things that made us attractive while we were dating, someone new may come along and begin treating them the way they want to be treated.
Let’s stop right there. No need to go any further as you know how the story will end if we don’t change something quick.
Is this a reoccurring theme in your personal life?
It’s like the movie “Groundhog Day” except you are the star.
Selling:
When you first begin calling on a customer you don’t really know how things may end up. You do everything you can do to empress them and show you are the person they’ve been looking for.
You would never think about canceling or showing up late for an appointment.
You’re engaged in their business and come prepared with ideas and suggestions that provide value and you start to become someone they can trust.
As things progress you make sure to pay attention to details. You always do what you say you will do and when possible over-deliver, exceeding any expectations.
Next thing you know, you have become more than a salesman. You become thought of as a partner and trusted advisor.
You may want to think of this as the “honeymoon period.” You can probably do no wrong. Most if not all of your ideas and suggestions are welcomed and valued. Even if you make a mistake or your quote is little more than the competition it is often overlooked or shrugged off as not important. (It gets no better than this we think.)
But at some point the honeymoon ends and the shine starts to fade.
Without the work and effort you gave your customer initially you may begin seeing your sales go away. The trust and value you created will begin to leave as you become more and more complacent in the relationship.
Where you would never be late for a meeting, you start showing up a few minutes late or just cancel it for something you feel is more important.
The little details begin to be not as important as you know/think your customer will understand.
Before you know it, your customer becomes unsatisfied and starts looking for someone who will provide them the things you once provided.
Again, let’s stop right there. You know how he story will end if no changes are made.
Is this a reoccurring theme in you sales life?
Groundhog Day all over again.
I hope you can begin to see the reoccurring theme.
Dating and Selling are much the same. The work really begins after the courtship and honeymoon ends.
If you see your relationships starting to slip away you must begin treating them way you did when you first started dating or calling on them.
You must consistently show and remind them you are still the person they were looking for.
You have a huge advantage over your competitors as you already know what they want in a relationship.
Don’t wait to long to get started nurturing and rebuilding your relationships as time is not on your side.
Remember Groundhog Day and get yourself away from this reoccurring theme!
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Much to be Done
With the holidays quickly approaching there is much to be done. Christmas presents to be bought and wrapped, fudge and cookies to be made and maybe a party or
two to attend.
This is a great time to celebrate our successes over the past year and to be thankful for all the past year has given.
I can think of no better profession to be a part of than that of a Sales Professional and for that I am truly thankful.
But with one year ending and one soon to arrive we must begin setting goals and planning for next year.
Over the past several months I have discussed the importance of planning and setting goals. If you would like to refer back to some past articles, just click here on Goal Setting.
It is my hope that many of you are already setting goals and making plans to reach your goals. I am reminded of the article which we discussed how
“Those that set goals and write them down are 10 times more likely to achieve what they desire than those who don’t set goals.”
I encourage you to spend some time over the next couple of weeks thinking about the things you really want to achieve over the next 12 months. Don’t be afraid to think about goals that will require you to stretch and do things differently than you have in the past. I am asking that you think about:
- Goals that can and will make a difference in you and your families lives.
- Goals that will help build long lasting relationships with customers and co-workers and
- Goals that help you improve or become the person you want to be.
Write your goals down, think about them, then choose 3 to 5 goals you are truly committed to achieving over the next 12 months.
Don’t worry about making your plans to achieve your goals just yet, we will get to that after Christmas.
For now enjoy the holidays, celebrate with your family and friends and begin to think about the successes you want to celebrate next Christmas!
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Tune the World Out and Your Customer In
Just how good are you at staying focused, not letting outside distractions interfere with the task at hand and being fully engaged with those around you?
I think as Sales Professionals most of us think we are pretty good at it. Heck, I’ve always been able to walk, talk and chew gum at the same time. But when it comes to being able to really focus and fully engage on more than one or two things at the same time I’m not quite as good as I thought.
A few months ago at a sales training seminar, we were given a homework assignment that didn’t seem too hard. We were asked during dinner to turn our cell phones off and focus on the person or persons we were talking to and not get distracted with what was going on around us.
Simple huh?
It was not as easy as you would think.
We went to dinner at a popular sports bar and grill. Football and baseball were on all the TV’s. The place was packed and very noisy. We had a group of over 12 people at our table all wanting to talk at the same time. The guy setting across from me was determined to discuss old movies that he considered “classics”. We had been in class all day and I knew I had calls and emails that needed attention. Not to mention tired and ready to go to bed. (I’m getting old and like to go to bed early)
In this atmosphere how could we possibly concentrate on anything?
The next day in class we discussed how hard it was to tune out the distractions and concentrate on what the person we were talking too was really saying and the effort it took to stay involved in the conversation. Especially, if we were not the one driving the conversation or interested in the topic. But I think we all agreed how enjoyable the dinner was and how much we learned just by staying fully engaged in the conversations.
Surprisingly or maybe not so surprising was the thing that most of us found the hardest was not being able to check our cell phones every few minutes as normal.
The purpose of the assignment was to remind us how difficult it is to focus on our Customers with so many distractions constantly going on around us.
How often do you call on a Customer and find you are not focusing on them or what they have to say?
If you are listening, are you fully engaged in the conversation?
Can you “Tune the World Out and Tune Your Customer In?”
So here is your homework assignment for the next few weeks.
Before each sales call:
Turn your cell phone off.
Tune the outside distractions out.
Then:
Focus on your Customer and their needs.
Listen and fully engage in the conversation.
I believe you will quickly see the quality of your sales calls improve and as you become more engaged you will see your Customers become more engaged as well.
This is something called the “Theory of Reciprocity” which is – responding to a positive action with another positive action. I will discuss reciprocity in a future post as I think this is crucial in the sales process.
Please give this assignment your best efforts and let me know how it goes. I can promise you it won’t be easy but with practice and intentionally eliminating outside distractions your sales performance will improve.
And don’t forget to always “spit”out your gum before making the sales call!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
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Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Stop Start and Keep
Three questions you need to be asking your Customers – Start Stop and Keep.
- What do we need to stop doing?
- What do we need to start doing?
- What do we need to keep doing?
I first heard this series of questions while listening to “The Sales Playbook Podcast” by Paul Castain. I regularly listen to this podcast and recommend it but be aware he is hard hitting and at times uses colorful language that may be a little offensive to some.
The Stop, Start and Keep series of questions is an effective feedback mechanism that allows others the opportunity to evaluate our efforts. By asking these questions your customers will be able to express their wishes, identify their concerns and let you know their expectations.
Too often, we do things the way we do because “that’s the way we have always done it.” By asking these 3 questions you may quickly realize that some things need to change and some should not.
**Be careful, if you and your organization are not willing to listen to the answers to your questions, don’t ask the questions.**
Be prepared to hear that some of the things you think you do best may be some of the things your customers want you to “stop” doing.
Your customers may also ask you to “start” doing things that may require additional capital or require you to do things differently.
While the “stop” question will be extremely valuable to hear and to understand the changes that may need to be made and it is the “start” question that will provide opportunities in the future it’s the “keep” question that will help you identify your true value to the customer.
If your customers have difficulty identifying things you are doing well and that you need to “keep” doing, you may not have the relationship with them you desire. If they don’t perceive value in what you are currently doing it is obvious change is needed.
On the other hand, you will know you are providing value to your customers if you are doing the things your customers want you to keep doing. You can be assured it will be the things that add value to your customers that they will ask you to “keep” doing.
Remember it’s not what you think you do good or bad, it’s what your Customer thinks that makes the difference.
Asking the question is the key. Don’t be afraid of the answer as you will never know unless you ask.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Are You a Valuable or Viable Salesperson?
A Salesperson that only talk’s about product and price may be a viable resource to their customers but it’s the Sales Professional who provides value by seeking solutions that:
- Decrease the customer’s overall cost
- Increase the customer’s productivity and
- Improves the customer’s buying experience
that will be considered a Trusted Advisor and hopefully a Valued Partner.
Please ask yourself these questions:
Are you providing a “viable” or a “valuable” service to your customers?
Are you providing a service that “only” adequately meets your customers needs? (Viable)
or
Are you providing a service as an Sales Professional that not only meets your customers needs but includes “you” becoming an additional resource for them to use as needed? (Valuable)
Becoming a resource and providing value is the only true way to differentiate yourself from your competition!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
The Rainmaker Series – Over Achievers
This is the last in a series of posts that I have called The Rainmaker Series. It has been my intent to help identify some of the common traits or characteristics that I
believe most Top Sales Producers or as I have referred to them as Rainmakers have that makes them so successful.
The Traits I have Identified so far as “common in Rainmakers”:
- Hard Working
- Goal Clarity
- Emotional Intelligence (People Smarts)
- Great Social Skills
The final trait or characteristic I see in “All” Top Sales Producers is they are “Over Achievers” and are always looking for opportunities to Over-Deliver.
I’m not sure if “Over Achievers” should have been the first trait I mentioned in this series or if last is it’s proper place.
Maybe this is much like the chicken or the egg. (Which came first?)
Is it the desire to over achieve that makes the other characteristics so important for the Top Producer or is it that being a hard worker, having goal clarity, people smarts and great social skills that drives the Rainmaker to be an over achiever?
I will leave that to another discussion but without the desire to over achieve and never willing to settle for “just” being average that makes the difference.
Rainmakers:
- Naturally set their standards higher than others.
- Demonstrate a self-confidence that nothing is to big for them to tackle.
- Set goals for themselves that others would see as not achievable.
- Tenacious in making sure their customers needs are taken care of first. (This at times makes them a pain-in-the-butt to their managers and co-workers.)
- Always doing the little things better than others with the realization that it’s the little things that matter.
If you go back and read any of the previous posts in the Rainmaker Series I think you will see “over achieving” is a common element throughout the series.
Each of the 5 traits and characteristics discussed in this series of posts are common in all of us but Rainmakers and our Top Producers do them better or at least more consistently than others.
Rainmakers know the value of “Over Delivering” and exceeding their Customers expectations and are driven to do what it takes to gain trust and grow sales.
While I have tried to keep the series focused on Sales and Sales Management, these traits are most likely common among any Top Producers no matter the Profession.
If you are the Rainmaker or Top Performer in your company or organization congratulations. I hope you see the traits that I have identified in yourself and you should be very proud of your accomplishments.
If you are not quite where you want to be, please:
- Work on the traits you that are weak.
- Strengthen the characteristics which you are strong.
- And try to exceed others expectations by always working to be the best you can be at anything you do.
Again, the 5 Common Traits and Characteristic in Top Performers and Rainmakers that make them successful are:
- Hard Working
- Goal Clarity
- Emotional Intelligence (People Smarts)
- Great Social Skills
- Over Achievers
I hope you have enjoyed this series of articles. If you missed an article or would to go back and read the series again I have them categorized as “Rainmaker Series”.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
November Tip of the Month – Be Curious
Be Curious and Ask Good Questions!
Being curious, asking questions, and seeking out information is the main way any of us learn anything.
If you remember back to an earlier post “Learn to Sell Like a Kid” I discussed how kids are natural salesmen. It’s their natural curiosity and interest in what’s going on around them that leads them to ask questions, get answers, then ask more questions until they feel they know the answer. Sometimes to the point that they just wear you out. If you know how to explain “how babies are made” to a grandson please let me know.
Maybe it’s easier to think of a curious journalist who always gets the scoop. They are taught to remain curious and to always ask the probing questions to try to find the answers. Only after learning the answers to their questions can they accurately begin to write their story.
Speaking of journalism, remember the 5W’s and 1H. I remember this from Senior English class when asking questions to ask the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How questions.
So why as Account Managers or Sales Professionals are we not always curious about our customers and their business. And why are we reluctant to ask our customers questions that will lead to the answers or solutions we want and need to know?
- Are we sometimes afraid that by asking the questions we will be seen as “prying” to much into their business?
- Or could it be we are afraid if we ask the questions what the answers will be?
- Or possibly worse, we think we know all the answers.
I will suggest that more often than not that by asking good questions you will be seen as someone who really cares about your customer and their business.
Being curious and asking the good hard questions will show that you want to be partner and more than just a supplier.
If you ask a question and get an answer you do not like you should look at this as a bonus. Only when you know the answer can you begin to fix the problem. You may never know until you ask.
By asking good questions you will let your customers know that you care about them and ultimately you will show that you understand their situation and you will help them find the right solutions to their problems.
Lastly, if you ever think you know all the answers then maybe you should go into politics!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of this website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
The Rainmaker Series – Great Social Skills
It probably comes as no surprise that Rainmakers and Top Sales
Performers have excellent social skills.
Ron Willingham in his book “Integrity Selling For The 21st Century” describes social skills as:
The ability to gain rapport, adapt to different personalities and listen for subtle meanings revealed through non-verbal communication.
What I see in Rainmakers is they are simply great communicators especially good in a social or sales environment.
Please don’t mistake a great communicator for having the “gift of gab” or being able to give the most eloquent speech you’ve ever heard. These may be very good skills to have and I certainly admire anyone who is good at public speaking but I believe the ability to be a good communicator has very little to do with the ability to be a talker.
I think Top Performing Salespeople listen more than they talk. They do this by asking very good questions. The questions they ask have a purpose and they listen with intent and without bias to understand what is being said.
They are very good at reading body language and understanding the unspoken, much like how a mother can tell what her baby needs before her child is old enough to speak. This gives the Rainmaker (when needed) the ability to recognize the situation much quicker than others.
The Top Performers can easily adapt to different personality styles and communicate in a way that fits the other person’s style. Maybe a better way to put it is “they don’t force their own personality style on others but try to adjust their style to fit others.” It seems the Top Performers can do this without giving up any of their own identity. (I hope this makes sense.)
I think maybe the most important of all the social skills is the seeming easy ability to build rapport and trust with others. Rainmakers and Top Sales Performers seem to convey a sense of confidence, trust and clarity of purpose that others easily recognize. Have you had someone walk into a room and without knowing them or saying a word you think this is someone I should get to know or maybe think that looks like someone I could trust?
You may be wondering, why I would have a picture of Mr. Potato Head in this post?
Mr. Potato Head has all the traits needed for excellent social skills:
- 2 ears for listening for the answers to the great questions he asks.
- 2 eyes to help read body language and see what is unspoken.
- Only 1 mouth so talking can’t get in the way of the other senses.
- A personality that gets along with any and everyone.
- When he walks in the room who wouldn’t trust him?
So there you have four or five social skills that I think make our Top Sales Producers so good.
(This is the fourth in a series of posts called “The Rainmaker Series.” This series is an attempt to identify the common traits and characteristics that Top Sales Performers often called Rainmakers seem to possess.)
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Making Cold Calls Just Like the Kids at Halloween
Its Halloween night and I’m trying to finish the last couple of articles
in the Rainmaker Series. In-between trips to the door passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters (my job is to hold the dog back while my wife passes out the candy) I seem to be getting nowhere.
So, I’m remembering how simple and fun Halloween really is for the kids, parents and us candy donors.
All the kids need to do is dress up in their scariest outfit or it seems this year their Super Hero or Fairy Princess Suit, ring some doorbells and get candy.
It may just be us, but the better the outfit and bigger the smile the more candy the kids get.
Is making a sales cold call really much different than getting candy at Halloween?
Sometimes all it takes is getting prepared much like the kids deciding on what they want to be for Halloween, going to the customer’s office full of excitement and just walking to the door and ringing the bell.
You will never know what you might get if you’re willing to go to the door and ask.
Happy Halloween!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
The Rainmaker Series – Emotional Intelligence (People Smarts)
(This is the third in a series of posts called “The Rainmaker Series.” This series is an attempt to identify the common traits and characteristics that Top Sales Performers often called Rainmakers seem to possess.)
When I think of our Top Performing Sales People they all have a high Emotional Intelligence which I call “People Smarts”.
Emotional Intelligence has nothing to do with how intelligent or smart someone is.
So what is Emotional Intelligence or “People Smarts”?
The ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. An individual with high emotional intelligence can accurately recognize and express their own feelings, reflect on them, regulate their own emotions, and even use emotions as a mental input to effectively solve problems. (Daniel Goleman, ” Working with Emotional Intelligence”)
It seems the Top Performers or Rainmakers in any sales organization excel in these abilities:
- Ability to control and express their emotions accurately.
- Ability to recognize and understand others emotions and react accordingly.
- Ability to not let their or others emotions get in the way of good decision making.
- Ability to use emotions as a motivating factor to get their desired results.
While we all have many of these abilities, it is the Rainmakers that seem to have confidence in these abilities and know when and how to use them effectively.
Top Performers can consistently size up a situation, appraise the emotions of themselves and others, and accurately adapt as needed.
This trait is very hard to detect in Sales People with very high levels of Emotional Intelligence or People Smarts because it’s a seamless process that is natural for the Rainmakers.
However, for those with lower levels of Emotional Intelligence (people smarts) it is a common barrier to his or her success.
- They struggle controlling their emotions both good and bad.
- They fail to take into account their customers emotions.
- They let their emotions at times take control of their decision making.
While lack of these skills are very recognizable to others, I find that those with low levels of Emotional Intelligence have a hard time understanding or seeing this weakness in themselves. Without a good understanding of emotions they will put the blame of poor results elsewhere.
Of all the traits that I have identified as being common among our Top Performers in this series, Emotional Intelligence (People Smarts) may be the least understood and the hardest to learn and teach.
Some may call it luck when they discuss the Top Performers seemingly always in the right place at the right time and that may be true but when in happens over and over, year after year, I call it High Emotional Intelligence and Great People Smarts.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
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