Sometimes, when I tell people that I buy things off the Internet, they are insulted.\u00a0 In fact, sometimes I\u2019m treated like a traitor to the sales profession.\u00a0 \u201cBut Troy,\u201d they say, \u201cAren\u2019t you the one telling us that the Internet is competing with the sales profession?\u00a0 And shouldn\u2019t you be supporting the sales profession?\u201d\u00a0 Yes, I explain, I do tell salespeople that.\u00a0 However, I\u2019m also a customer and a purchaser of items \u2013 and my buying needs and instincts are no different than anyone else\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Salespeople constantly complain that the Internet has made price-shopping easier, that it causes people to buy on price and price alone, etc.\u00a0 Nonsense.\u00a0 What the Internet has done is to make relationships more critical, and at the same time more fragile, than they ever were.\u00a0 In fact, I was reminded of a perfect example last week when I sent flowers to my wife.<\/p>\n
Last February 14, I started my day the way I always start my Valentine\u2019s Days.\u00a0 I picked up my phone and called my florist.\u00a0 I\u2019ve purchased flowers for my wife from this florist for years.\u00a0 Birthdays, Valentine\u2019s Days, anniversaries, just because\u2026you name it.\u00a0 It was a great system.\u00a0 I\u2019d call them, tell them how much I wanted to spend, they had the address and my credit card on file, done and done.\u00a0\u00a0 I was a Loyal Customer.\u00a0 However, last Valentine\u2019s Day, that changed.<\/p>\n
When I called, the woman who answered the phone said in an exasperated tone, \u201cLook, there\u2019s no way we can deliver flowers today!\u00a0 Our deliveries are full.\u00a0 You do realize that it\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day, right?\u201d\u00a0 I replied that, yes, I was aware of what day it was, hence my call.\u00a0 I also said that for the previous seven Valentine\u2019s Days, I\u2019d done exactly the same thing.\u00a0 She said, \u201cWell, I\u2019m sorry but we\u2019re just too busy to add another delivery this year.\u00a0 Maybe a little planning would be in order for next year.\u201d\u00a0 I hung up.<\/p>\n
Now, I\u2019m sure that the woman felt satisfied after the call that she had admonished a silly man who didn\u2019t handle his Valentine\u2019s Day until the last minute (and as you read this, I\u2019m betting that the men are nodding at what I did, and the women are rolling their eyes).\u00a0 I wonder if she\u2019d be as satisfied if she knew that I have purchased flowers three times since then \u2013 from the Internet?<\/p>\n
You see, after that phone call, I logged onto a florists\u2019 website.\u00a0 It said, \u201cOrder by noon for delivery today!\u201d\u00a0 So, I did.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t cheaper than my florist \u2013 but the order was accepted.\u00a0 The computer didn\u2019t give me any attitude.\u00a0 The flowers were received, and generated the smile that I had hoped for.\u00a0 As a customer, my needs and desired result were achieved.\u00a0 And in so doing, I discovered that it\u2019s fairly easy to order on that site \u2013 which I\u2019ve done three times since, including last week.<\/p>\n
Understand this \u2013 your customers will discover the same thing, IF you give them a reason to do so.\u00a0 However, you can avoid this.\u00a0 Here are five good ways to preserve your customer relationships:<\/p>\n
Understand that every contact with your customer can be your last.<\/strong>\u00a0 Think of the current sales environment as turning up the heat on every customer contact.\u00a0 You should have always thought about your competitors hovering over your customer, ready to take them away at a moment\u2019s notice.\u00a0 Today\u2019s environment simply turns up the intensity.\u00a0 If you offend or anger your customer on a sales call, your customer can have a new supplier ready to go via their computer before you can leave their parking lot.<\/p>\n Know that everyone who has customer contact needs to be on the same page.<\/strong>\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe for a moment that the owner of the flower shop would have wanted his customer service person to treat customers in the fashion that the woman treated me; however, he clearly did not communicate to his people how he did want his customers to be treated.\u00a0 Hence, I had a bad experience \u2013 and I\u2019m betting that others have, too.\u00a0 Companies will spend big bucks training and developing salespeople and service people, and yet they fail to recognize that anyone who has contact with the customer can affect the relationship.\u00a0 I once saw the top salesperson in a company lose his best account because the customer\u2019s people couldn\u2019t stand dealing with the delivery person \u2013 and so they found someone with a more pleasant delivery person.<\/p>\n Make every contact positive.\u00a0<\/strong> I\u2019ve spoken a lot about how salespeople must bring value on every call; we can do that by providing ideas, thoughts, knowledge, and expertise to our customers.\u00a0 Over and above this, however, we should work to make our contacts positive.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong; things will happen and customers will get upset.\u00a0 The professional salesperson can find ways to make these contacts end on a positive note.\u00a0 We can give customers reasons to keep doing business with us, even if things go wrong.<\/p>\n Move the ball forward.\u00a0<\/strong> You should be working to advance the relationship and your cause on every sales call.\u00a0 Before each call, establish an objective and ask yourself how you can improve your situation with the buyer on every interaction.\u00a0 Think \u201chigh, wide, and deep\u201d–can you increase your contact base on every sales call?\u00a0 Can you get testimonials or referrals?\u00a0 Can you increase your access?\u00a0 Can you up-sell or cross-sell?<\/p>\n Make it easy.<\/strong>\u00a0 One great way to compete with the Internet is to find ways to make it easy for your customers to buy from you.\u00a0 Remember \u2013 up until Valentine\u2019s Day, that was one of the reasons that I did business with the florist; it was incredibly easy for me to do business.\u00a0 I gave them one piece of data (how much I wanted to spend), and then I knew I could trust their judgment on what to send.\u00a0 That sustained a relationship for a long time.<\/p>\n It is possible, even practical, to build strong customer relationships today, even with the ever-present competition from the Internet.\u00a0 However, to do so, you have to be at least as convenient as the Net to do business with.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sometimes, when I tell people that I buy things off the Internet, they are insulted.\u00a0 In fact, sometimes I\u2019m treated like a traitor to the sales profession.\u00a0 \u201cBut Troy,\u201d they say, \u201cAren\u2019t you the one telling us that the Internet is competing with the sales profession?\u00a0 And shouldn\u2019t you be supporting the sales profession?\u201d\u00a0 Yes, I explain, I do tell salespeople that.\u00a0 However, I\u2019m also a customer and a purchaser of items \u2013 and my buying needs and instincts are no different than anyone else\u2019s. Salespeople constantly complain that the Internet has made price-shopping easier, that it causes people to buy on price and price alone, etc.\u00a0 Nonsense.\u00a0 What the Internet has done is to make relationships more critical, and at the same time more fragile, than they ever were.\u00a0 In fact, I was reminded of a perfect example last week when I sent flowers to my wife. Last February 14, I started my day the way I always start my Valentine\u2019s Days.\u00a0 I picked up my phone and called my florist.\u00a0 I\u2019ve purchased flowers for my wife from this florist for years.\u00a0 Birthdays, Valentine\u2019s Days, anniversaries, just because\u2026you name it.\u00a0 It was a great system.\u00a0 I\u2019d call them, tell them how much I wanted to spend, they had the address and my credit card on file, done and done.\u00a0\u00a0 I was a Loyal Customer.\u00a0 However, last Valentine\u2019s Day, that changed. When I called, the woman who answered the phone said in an exasperated tone, \u201cLook, there\u2019s no way we can deliver flowers today!\u00a0 Our deliveries are full.\u00a0 You do realize that it\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day, right?\u201d\u00a0 I replied that, yes, I was aware of what day it was, hence my call.\u00a0 I also said that for the previous seven Valentine\u2019s Days, I\u2019d done exactly the same thing.\u00a0 She said, \u201cWell, I\u2019m sorry but we\u2019re just too busy to add another delivery this year.\u00a0 Maybe a little planning would be in order for next year.\u201d\u00a0 I hung up. Now, I\u2019m sure that the woman felt satisfied after the call that she had admonished a silly man who didn\u2019t handle his Valentine\u2019s Day until the last minute (and as you read this, I\u2019m betting that the men are nodding at what I did, and the women are rolling their eyes).\u00a0 I wonder if she\u2019d be as satisfied if she knew that I have purchased flowers three times since then \u2013 from the Internet? You see, after that phone call, I logged onto a florists\u2019 website.\u00a0 It said, \u201cOrder by noon for delivery today!\u201d\u00a0 So, I did.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t cheaper than my florist \u2013 but the order was accepted.\u00a0 The computer didn\u2019t give me any attitude.\u00a0 The flowers were received, and generated the smile that I had hoped for.\u00a0 As a customer, my needs and desired result were achieved.\u00a0 And in so doing, I discovered that it\u2019s fairly easy to order on that site \u2013 which I\u2019ve done three times since, including last week. Understand this \u2013 your customers will discover the same thing, IF you give them a reason to do so.\u00a0 However, you can avoid this.\u00a0 Here are five good ways to preserve your customer relationships: Understand that every contact with your customer can be your last.\u00a0 Think of the current sales environment as turning up the heat on every customer contact.\u00a0 You should have always thought about your competitors hovering over your customer, ready to take them away at a moment\u2019s notice.\u00a0 Today\u2019s environment simply turns up the intensity.\u00a0 If you offend or anger your customer on a sales call, your customer can have a new supplier ready to go via their computer before you can leave their parking lot. Know that everyone who has customer contact needs to be on the same page.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe for a moment that the owner of the flower shop would have wanted his customer service person to treat customers in the fashion that the woman treated me; however, he clearly did not communicate to his people how he did want his customers to be treated.\u00a0 Hence, I had a bad experience \u2013 and I\u2019m betting that others have, too.\u00a0 Companies will spend big bucks training and developing salespeople and service people, and yet they fail to recognize that anyone who has contact with the customer can affect the relationship.\u00a0 I once saw the top salesperson in a company lose his best account because the customer\u2019s people couldn\u2019t stand dealing with the delivery person \u2013 and so they found someone with a more pleasant delivery person. Make every contact positive.\u00a0 I\u2019ve spoken a lot about how salespeople must bring value on every call; we can do that by providing ideas, thoughts, knowledge, and expertise to our customers.\u00a0 Over and above this, however, we should work to make our contacts positive.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong; things will happen and customers will get upset.\u00a0 The professional salesperson can find ways to make these contacts end on a positive note.\u00a0 We can give customers reasons to keep doing business with us, even if things go wrong. Move the ball forward.\u00a0 You should be working to advance the relationship and your cause on every sales call.\u00a0 Before each call, establish an objective and ask yourself how you can improve your situation with the buyer on every interaction.\u00a0 Think \u201chigh, wide, and deep\u201d–can you increase your contact base on every sales call?\u00a0 Can you get testimonials or referrals?\u00a0 Can you increase your access?\u00a0 Can you up-sell or cross-sell? Make it easy.\u00a0 One great way to compete with the Internet is to find ways to make it easy for your customers to buy from you.\u00a0 Remember \u2013 up until Valentine\u2019s Day, that was one of the reasons that I did business with the florist; it was incredibly easy for me to do business.\u00a0 I gave them one piece of data (how much I wanted to spend), and then I knew I could trust their judgment on what to send.\u00a0 That sustained a relationship for a long time. It is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1649,1814,1866],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9061"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9063,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9061\/revisions\/9063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}