Sales

SALES

I am yet to come across a business owner who says, “I have too many sales! I’m earning too much! I don’t know what to do with all this income!”.

The truth is that every business, in varying degrees, has a requirement for sales. Why is it then, that many of us either think we are not salespeople, or maybe we just don’t like sales?

We are all salespeople!

Whether you run a cafe, are CEO of a multi-million-dollar business, or stay at home and raise a family − you are a salesperson. If you don’t think you are, you need to get over it and embrace it! Sales is simply about influencing other people, and we all sell every day, so we may as well be as successful at it as we can.

Why is it that many people respond negatively towards salespeople? Could it be our negative perception has to do with an experience we have had with a salesperson at some point in our lives? Most likely. It could be that the salesperson or people you have dealt with weren’t good at selling, they didn’t connect with you, and they sold at you.

Customer Service and Raving Fans

The secret to an amazing relationship with anyone, be it your spouse, friends, co-workers or, of course, your customers, comes down to one simple sentence:

Find out what they want…and give it to them.

If you truly value the person and the relationship, you should do everything within your power to find out what it is they want and give it to them/do it for them.

Having worked in the customer service industry for over 22 years, I have always had a passion for delivering amazing service. At 14 years old, I was made aware (by a customer, in fact), that customer service is not a process or a procedure, it is a relationship. From 14 years of age it has been my ambition to deliver amazing service to each and every customer, without exception.

When I was a store manager, then area manager, then general manager for a large organisation in my 20s, I made it my goal to equip all my people with relationship skills. In my 30s, I have realised that not only do people need great relational skills to deliver ‘raving fans’ service, they have to be happy in themselves and have a great attitude.

Happy Teams = Happy Customers = Profitable Stores

By ensuring our business has a culture of support, good relationships and fun, our team members enjoy their work. They enjoy coming to work and work becomes more than just a pay cheque for them.

Therefore, to have a culture of amazing service and continually exceeding our customers’ expectations, we need to also have a culture of support, encouragement and enjoyment.

How do we create an environment in our business that achieves ‘raving fans’ service?

1. Employ amazing people – ensure your recruitment, selection and appointment of team members is first-class, and the result will be amazing employees.
2. Employ the right people – not only do you need to employ amazing people, you also need to ensure you hire the right people. It is absolutely crucial that everyone in the team, from managers to team members to head office team members, to sales people all align to your core values, and have a key strength that they bring to the table.

“…the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is one thing above all others: the ability to get and keep enough of the right people.”

~ Jim Collins

3. Deliver amazing products, service and customer experience – many companies spend a fortune on one of these areas, but deliver on all three and you have a recipe for success. Train your team to be empowered to deliver all three.
4. Raise leaders to raise amazing team members – invest in leadership development. By having an amazing leadership team, leading your team members, you can grow your businesses exponentially.
5. Centre everything on your people – your values, vision and mission, your resources and your training.
6. Community focus – build relationships in the community through sponsorships, community support projects and investment of time and resources.
7. Design your products with the consumer in mind – every new company, product or service you offer must have the end user in mind.
8. Be customer focussed, above all.

Value – customers today want VALUE. Every aspect of your marketing and sales plan should be tailored towards value – however, this is driven from a customer satisfaction angle. What is it that we can add value to that would ensure our customer finishes the experience feeling happy?

9. And the final point – every team member is empowered to ensure that every customer finishes the experience feeling happy – no exceptions.

I came across a bunch of customer service statistics, which are excellent. I couldn’t help but list a few of them below.

Source:

http://www.helpscout.net/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/

• 78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience.

Source: American Express Survey 2011

• A typical business hears from 4% of its dissatisfied customers.

Source: Understanding Customers by Ruby Newell-Legner

• It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience.

Source: Understanding Customers by Ruby Newell-Legner

• When customers share their story, they’re not just sharing pain points. They’re actually teaching you how to make your product, service, and business better. Your customer service organisation should be designed to efficiently communicate those issues.

Source: Being Human is Good Business by Kristin Smaby

• According to consumers, customer service agents failed to answer their questions 50% of the time.

Source: Harris Interactive

• 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.

Source: McKinsey

• 80% of companies say they deliver ‘superior’ customer service, and

8% of people think these same companies deliver ‘superior’ customer service.

Source: Lee Resources

• 91% of unhappy customers will not willingly do business with you again.

Source: Lee Resources

• Resolve a complaint in the customer’s favour and they will do business with you again 70% of the time.

Source: Lee Resources

• Employees only ask for the customer’s name 21% of the time.

Source: ContactPoint Client Research