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I Advice - 9 Steps to Building a Profitable Customer Relationship
As we near the end of summer, here is a question I have for you, “Are you using the right form of energy to grow your business?” Are you having trouble growing your small business as fast as you want? Are you making all the right moves and still the business just inches forward? Read this article and see if you are using the right form of energy to grow your small business?Head EnergyMy consulting experiences have taught me there are two types of business energy. I call the first type “head energy”. This is the energy that comes from wanting to do better or more with your small business.You want more profits.You want more customers.You want better marketing.Head energy is very powerful. It can inspire. It can achieve dreams. It can drive you forward.<
In short, the right questions are those that reveal true buying motivations. Mastering the right questions will ensure that you and your client build a strong relationship, wherein you can both succeed - and profit!
To help you close more deals and build lasting profitable customer relationships, try asking some of the following questions during your needs analysis:
1. Identify the intellectual problem with a lead-in question.
What makes you think...?
How do you select...?
What’s most important to you about...?
Where do you see...?
How have you employed...?
What has been your experience with...?
2. Develop an intellectual awareness about this problem.
Can you tell me more about it?
Could you be more specific?
How long have you had this concern?
What have you done to address it?
How did that work out?
3. Identify the specific business impact of this problem.
How has this problem impacted your organization?
If you had to guess, what do you think this problem is costing your department / company / business /
As a business woman have you ever committed any of the 5 most deadly networking mistakes? Often business women commit deadly networking mistakes without even knowing it. These tips point them out and tell you how to correct them the next time you meet some one. Remember we are always networking at work, at church, in the neighborhood and of course at our networking events.1. Mistake #1: Giving someone your business card before they even ask for it or when they really didn’t want it. Note a person may never ask for your business card and you may never need to give it to them in order to effectively network. The process of networking is really about getting to know the other person not knowing what they do or even passing out a business card. A person is more likely to become interested in what you do or how they can help you if the
1. Love what you sell, the company you work for and the customers you serve.
If you are truly passionate about these three things, your willingness to help your customers solve their problems will shine through. Customers will believe your sincerity and be captivated by your excitement. In short - you will be fun to work with. Our studies show that customers prefer to buy from sales people who overtly show that they believe in the products they sell, and the companies they work for. Choose to be honest, open and empathetic to your customers' needs, and you will experience consistent sales growth, build an excellent reputation and become one of the top performers in your field.
2. Be empathetic and compassionate.
Truly care about your customers, and remember that no matter how good an actor you are, faking it simply won't work. Ask questions, take notes and lean in to show that you're engaged in their answers. When you take an interest in people, they remember you - and when people remember you, it's good for business.
3. Add value and give first.
Share your network of contacts with your customers, and don't expect them to give you their business without you giving them something first. I don't mean give away free product in the hopes they will buy more. Instead, give away things that increase your value - like a referral to a partner of yours, a solution to a business problem that you read about or heard from someone else, or even help finding a new dentist!
4. Make eye contact.
This is especially important when you walk into a room full of people. Eye contact is also essential after we get to know people, because it cements our existing relationships and lets them know that we're still interested in their well being. Very few sales people ever look their prospects directly in the eye. By simply smiling and making eye contact, you'll be surprised how much you will set yourself apart.
5. Express your true intent.
Tell customers upfront: "I don't know if there's a fit between what you need and what I have right now, but I'm hoping we can explore that in more detail during this meeting." Or: "I only have your best interests at heart, and I promise to be honest with you throughout our conversation. In the end, I hope that we can mutually decide if there is a reason to move forward. If not, that's fine too, and I hope you'll feel comfortable telling me so." This advice runs counter to 90% of the approaches I see being used in the field today. But then again, maybe that's why only 10% of sales people are top performers. Try it yourself a few times, and you'll be amazed at the response you get.
6. Don't go for the big decision all at once.
In our personal lives, we don't propose to someone on a first date (at least, not usually!). The same is true in our business relationships. So get approval from the customer to move ahead in increasing increments. The first approval might be just to agree to speak openly with each other, as outlined in Tip #5 above. The second could be an agreement on a follow-up call time or meeting date. The third might be gaining agreement on the decision making criteria or a commitment to have the "big boss" present at the demo, followed by an agreement to a "go/no go" decision date. All too often, I see sales people jumping way ahead of their prospect's buying curve. This puts the buyer and seller out of sync. When the sales person is trying to close while the prospect is still evaluating options or determining risk, trust is broken, the prospect feels pushed and the sale comes dangerously close to disappearing.
7. Use friendly, warm words.
When you use simple language instead of formal "business speak," people respond better and trust you more. So limit your words to three syllables max. And don't try to impress prospects with your extensive vocabulary, or you may end up just sounding fake.
8. Use people's names.
When it comes to using names, there are just two rules to follow: first, be aware of whether they're more comfortable with first name only or title + last name; second, never overuse their name - this only sounds corny and false. Dale Carnegie once said, "nothing is so beautiful to a person as the sound of their own name." Just use your discretion.
9. Ask the right questions.
Successfully building agreement with your prospects depends on your ability to ask the right questions. What are the right questions? Those that move the prospect from an intellectual position of knowing they have a problem that needs to be solved, to an emotional state of trusting you to solve that problem in a way that will satisfy them.
In short, the right questions are those that reveal true buying motivations. Mastering the right questions will ensure that you and your client build a strong relationship, wherein you can both succeed - and profit!
To help you close more deals and build lasting profitable customer relationships, try asking some of the following questions during your needs analysis:
1. Identify the intellectual problem with a lead-in question.
What makes you think...?
How do you select...?
What’s most important to you about...?
Where do you see...?
How have you employed...?
What has been your experience with...?
2. Develop an intellectual awareness about this problem.
Can you tell me more about it?
Could you be more specific?
How long have you had this concern?
What have you done to address it?
How did that work out?
3. Identify the specific business impact of this problem.
How has this problem impacted your organization?
If you had to guess, what do you think this problem is costing your department / company / business / e
So you’re about to launch something that no-one else has ever done before. How do you go about it? In short, here is what you need to do:1. Don’t rush out a buy a bunch of advertisements.Advertising is the vehicle that is used to maintain an existing brand’s profile and there is a fundamental difference between building a brand and maintaining it. The best and most credible way to launch a new concept is through publicity, not through advertising.2. Do rush out and get yourself a decent publicist.A good publicist will generate media interest. The best way to get media interest is to hire someone who is well connected to the media you want to target. Normally the media are only interested in something genuinely new so if you’re not genuinely new, you might have
3. Add value and give first.
Share your network of contacts with your customers, and don't expect them to give you their business without you giving them something first. I don't mean give away free product in the hopes they will buy more. Instead, give away things that increase your value - like a referral to a partner of yours, a solution to a business problem that you read about or heard from someone else, or even help finding a new dentist!
4. Make eye contact.
This is especially important when you walk into a room full of people. Eye contact is also essential after we get to know people, because it cements our existing relationships and lets them know that we're still interested in their well being. Very few sales people ever look their prospects directly in the eye. By simply smiling and making eye contact, you'll be surprised how much you will set yourself apart.
5. Express your true intent.
Tell customers upfront: "I don't know if there's a fit between what you need and what I have right now, but I'm hoping we can explore that in more detail during this meeting." Or: "I only have your best interests at heart, and I promise to be honest with you throughout our conversation. In the end, I hope that we can mutually decide if there is a reason to move forward. If not, that's fine too, and I hope you'll feel comfortable telling me so." This advice runs counter to 90% of the approaches I see being used in the field today. But then again, maybe that's why only 10% of sales people are top performers. Try it yourself a few times, and you'll be amazed at the response you get.
6. Don't go for the big decision all at once.
In our personal lives, we don't propose to someone on a first date (at least, not usually!). The same is true in our business relationships. So get approval from the customer to move ahead in increasing increments. The first approval might be just to agree to speak openly with each other, as outlined in Tip #5 above. The second could be an agreement on a follow-up call time or meeting date. The third might be gaining agreement on the decision making criteria or a commitment to have the "big boss" present at the demo, followed by an agreement to a "go/no go" decision date. All too often, I see sales people jumping way ahead of their prospect's buying curve. This puts the buyer and seller out of sync. When the sales person is trying to close while the prospect is still evaluating options or determining risk, trust is broken, the prospect feels pushed and the sale comes dangerously close to disappearing.
7. Use friendly, warm words.
When you use simple language instead of formal "business speak," people respond better and trust you more. So limit your words to three syllables max. And don't try to impress prospects with your extensive vocabulary, or you may end up just sounding fake.
8. Use people's names.
When it comes to using names, there are just two rules to follow: first, be aware of whether they're more comfortable with first name only or title + last name; second, never overuse their name - this only sounds corny and false. Dale Carnegie once said, "nothing is so beautiful to a person as the sound of their own name." Just use your discretion.
9. Ask the right questions.
Successfully building agreement with your prospects depends on your ability to ask the right questions. What are the right questions? Those that move the prospect from an intellectual position of knowing they have a problem that needs to be solved, to an emotional state of trusting you to solve that problem in a way that will satisfy them.
In short, the right questions are those that reveal true buying motivations. Mastering the right questions will ensure that you and your client build a strong relationship, wherein you can both succeed - and profit!
To help you close more deals and build lasting profitable customer relationships, try asking some of the following questions during your needs analysis:
1. Identify the intellectual problem with a lead-in question.
What makes you think...?
How do you select...?
What’s most important to you about...?
Where do you see...?
How have you employed...?
What has been your experience with...?
2. Develop an intellectual awareness about this problem.
Can you tell me more about it?
Could you be more specific?
How long have you had this concern?
What have you done to address it?
How did that work out?
3. Identify the specific business impact of this problem.
How has this problem impacted your organization?
If you had to guess, what do you think this problem is costing your department / company / business /
If there is one area of call centre activity which has been hit harder than other sectors of the call centre industry then it must be B2C telemarketing. In 2004, CM-Insight’s Mike Havard predicted the death of the cold call within 5 years unless companies changed their actions. Despite the doom and gloom over the last few years, we are now starting to see the resurgence of outbound. However, it has now transformed and is smaller and cleverer. Prospects are targeted more accurately, the agents speaking to them are more professional and the message being delivered is far more in tune with the individual needs. We examine the chequered history of B2C outbound and look at what it holds for the future.Of course, some of the UK’s more professional companies did change their course but some went even further down the road to self-de
6. Don't go for the big decision all at once.
In our personal lives, we don't propose to someone on a first date (at least, not usually!). The same is true in our business relationships. So get approval from the customer to move ahead in increasing increments. The first approval might be just to agree to speak openly with each other, as outlined in Tip #5 above. The second could be an agreement on a follow-up call time or meeting date. The third might be gaining agreement on the decision making criteria or a commitment to have the "big boss" present at the demo, followed by an agreement to a "go/no go" decision date. All too often, I see sales people jumping way ahead of their prospect's buying curve. This puts the buyer and seller out of sync. When the sales person is trying to close while the prospect is still evaluating options or determining risk, trust is broken, the prospect feels pushed and the sale comes dangerously close to disappearing.
7. Use friendly, warm words.
When you use simple language instead of formal "business speak," people respond better and trust you more. So limit your words to three syllables max. And don't try to impress prospects with your extensive vocabulary, or you may end up just sounding fake.
8. Use people's names.
When it comes to using names, there are just two rules to follow: first, be aware of whether they're more comfortable with first name only or title + last name; second, never overuse their name - this only sounds corny and false. Dale Carnegie once said, "nothing is so beautiful to a person as the sound of their own name." Just use your discretion.
9. Ask the right questions.
Successfully building agreement with your prospects depends on your ability to ask the right questions. What are the right questions? Those that move the prospect from an intellectual position of knowing they have a problem that needs to be solved, to an emotional state of trusting you to solve that problem in a way that will satisfy them.
In short, the right questions are those that reveal true buying motivations. Mastering the right questions will ensure that you and your client build a strong relationship, wherein you can both succeed - and profit!
To help you close more deals and build lasting profitable customer relationships, try asking some of the following questions during your needs analysis:
1. Identify the intellectual problem with a lead-in question.
What makes you think...?
How do you select...?
What’s most important to you about...?
Where do you see...?
How have you employed...?
What has been your experience with...?
2. Develop an intellectual awareness about this problem.
Can you tell me more about it?
Could you be more specific?
How long have you had this concern?
What have you done to address it?
How did that work out?
3. Identify the specific business impact of this problem.
How has this problem impacted your organization?
If you had to guess, what do you think this problem is costing your department / company / business /
Marketing is what we do that puts us in a position to make a sale. Good marketing makes selling easier. Bad marketing may make selling impossible.We market to strangers so some of them will raise their hand with at least potential interest in what we have on offer.We market to our clients and customers in order to move them up to the next level of products or services.Most of us put a lot of time, money, and effort into marketing. For must of us it is the key activity we use to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.But when we don't deliver on the promises we make in our marketing we unleash the deadly 3/33 viruses on ourselves.The 3/33 virus will destroy the marketing we have done in the past and it will make it very difficult to successfully market - at least to some prospects - in the future.
7. Use friendly, warm words.
When you use simple language instead of formal "business speak," people respond better and trust you more. So limit your words to three syllables max. And don't try to impress prospects with your extensive vocabulary, or you may end up just sounding fake.
8. Use people's names.
When it comes to using names, there are just two rules to follow: first, be aware of whether they're more comfortable with first name only or title + last name; second, never overuse their name - this only sounds corny and false. Dale Carnegie once said, "nothing is so beautiful to a person as the sound of their own name." Just use your discretion.
9. Ask the right questions.
Successfully building agreement with your prospects depends on your ability to ask the right questions. What are the right questions? Those that move the prospect from an intellectual position of knowing they have a problem that needs to be solved, to an emotional state of trusting you to solve that problem in a way that will satisfy them.
In short, the right questions are those that reveal true buying motivations. Mastering the right questions will ensure that you and your client build a strong relationship, wherein you can both succeed - and profit!
To help you close more deals and build lasting profitable customer relationships, try asking some of the following questions during your needs analysis:
1. Identify the intellectual problem with a lead-in question.
What makes you think...?
How do you select...?
What’s most important to you about...?
Where do you see...?
How have you employed...?
What has been your experience with...?
2. Develop an intellectual awareness about this problem.
Can you tell me more about it?
Could you be more specific?
How long have you had this concern?
What have you done to address it?
How did that work out?
3. Identify the specific business impact of this problem.
How has this problem impacted your organization?
If you had to guess, what do you think this problem is costing your department / company / business /
When I submit a book manuscript to my editor, I hope she uses up an entire red Sharpie marking up my draft.Because I want to know what sucks.Sure, it hurts. But I’ll take hurting over sucking any day.Also, notice I said to find out “what” sucks, not “who sucks.”Don’t take it personally.It’s not the author who sucks; it’s the writing that sucks.It’s not the speaker who sucks; it’s the delivery that sucks.Therefore, it’s not about you. It’s about the work.So, plain and simple: you need to find out what sucks.Take it as free advice to help you improve. Sure, it’s harder to ask people to point out the negatives. But this is the only way you’re going to get better.HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT SUCKS1. Pick the right person. Not everyone possesses the candor to tel
In short, the right questions are those that reveal true buying motivations. Mastering the right questions will ensure that you and your client build a strong relationship, wherein you can both succeed - and profit!
To help you close more deals and build lasting profitable customer relationships, try asking some of the following questions during your needs analysis:
1. Identify the intellectual problem with a lead-in question.
What makes you think...?
How do you select...?
What’s most important to you about...?
Where do you see...?
How have you employed...?
What has been your experience with...?
2. Develop an intellectual awareness about this problem.
Can you tell me more about it?
Could you be more specific?
How long have you had this concern?
What have you done to address it?
How did that work out?
3. Identify the specific business impact of this problem.
How has this problem impacted your organization?
If you had to guess, what do you think this problem is costing your department / company / business / etc?
What will happen if this problem continues?
4. Get emotional! Identify the specific personal impact of this problem.
What impact does this problem have on your job / your staff?
How important is this to you personally?
What will happen if you don't find a solution to this problem?
Why is it so important?
Remember: your success is directly determined by the way you are perceived, and the amount of effort you put into your career. Changing any of those variables will have a huge impact on whether you succeed or fail.
After all, in good times or in bad, the type of sales person you choose to be is 100% up to you.
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