Search CompleteMarkets

‘It Ain't Easy Being A Customer Anymore!'
‘IT AIN'T EASY BEING A CUSTOMER ANYMORE!' by Mike Manes The good news about being a “poor old Cajun boy” (I've been criticized for using this term to describe myself; forgive me — this is part of my life's experience, my culture) is that most people's expectations of us are low. I'm given latitude by the Politically Correct Police because I'm, you know, a “hick.” This latitude lets me write in unvarnished terms, based on personal experiences and observations of the marketplace. What follows is my best effort to provide insight as a customer into the problems with service today, as well as my suggestions as a consultant on ways to return to the good old days when the “customer was king.” You'll find the first lesson of this article in this disclaimer. Please note the words “forgive me” a few ...78 I purchased a blazer from Larry. Eight years and 25 pounds later, I was wearing that blazer at my son's basketball game. Larry approached me and whispered quietly in my ear, “Mike, we've had a lot of problems with that brand of blazer. Over time, the material shrinks.” Larry offered to take the coat in, have it altered (he knew me and my clothes well enough to “eyeball” the right adjustments) , and return it to me two days later at no charge since the material was faulty. I agreed and he did. I can't remember some of the things I did yesterday, but 20 years later I still remember this experience and Larry remains on my all time Top 10 List of service personnel. Did he owe me an alteration after eight years and 25 pounds? No. Did he provide an alteration anyway? Yes. Did he break the rules? Yes. Did he exceed my expectations and create a positive experience for me? Absolutely! What are you doing to exceed the expectations of those who buy service? Michael G. Manes can be reached at Square One Consulting, 625 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560, (225) 939-5944 (Cell), e-mail squareoneconsult[email protected]t, or visit www.squareoneconsulting.com.

Don't Let Your Sales Career Get Caught In The Net
The growth of the Internet poses a threat to the need for sales people. In this article, John Graham offers six guidelines that sales professionals can use to survive, and thrive, in a Web-based business environment. Salespeople have every reason to be frightened. More companies view the Internet as a way to get closer to customers and eliminate the cost of maintaining a sales force. For example, one r...s I can. I only have a couple of years to go.' 'Customers want to talk to a human being. Selling is about relationships.' The facts suggest that many sales positions are in jeopardy. Besides convenience, the Internet gives consumers access to a bigger inventory of products. Visit a camera store or a car dealership, and you'll find that the selection is limited by what the manager wants to sell. On the Web, customers have control over choice. When it comes to buying a home, how many can you visit in one afternoon? Are you shown only the homes that the real estate agent wants you to see? The Web gives you the power to tour many properties while sitting comfortably in front of your computer. When we see where technology is headed, what's the future for real estate sales agents, for example? It's not surprising that online merchants generate greater customer loyalty. According to Forrester Research, in five out of six product categories, consumers are more likely to repurchase from online merchants than from traditional retailers. The Internet market for business-to-business sales may be bigger than for consumer sales. This may seem like a bleak picture for a sales career. For those who deny the impact of the Internet, the future is indeed frightening. However, salespeople who become valuable to their companies and customers will do well. Here are a few suggestions for dealing with the impact of the Internet on your sales career: AVOID A COMMODITY MENTALITY A commodity mentality is the belief that what you sell is no better or worse than anyone else's product and there's no inherent value in doing business with you. With this mentality, the only way to differentiate yourself is by is offering the lowest price. Sanitone has successfully differentiated its clothing care products in the dry-cleaning and shirt-laundering business. The company is so successful that it limits the number of customers it will serve in an area and charges more than competitors. The company proves its claim that Sanitone-processed shirts are cleaner and brighter. What others sell as a commodity, Sanitone has transformed into a brand. GET ON THE CUSTOMER'S SIDE OF THE TABLE - AND STAY THERE The worst mistake is to let customers believe they're being sold. An executive I know visited a jewelry store nearby to buy gifts for his wife. 'I've shopped there for years, but this time I had the feeling I was getting a sales pitch,' he said. What had changed? Not the jewelry store. His Internet experience made him aware that as the customer, he was now is now in charge of the sale. He resented anything that sounded like a sales pitch. To succeed, salespeople must be on the customer's side 100% even when it means recommending a competitor's product or service to meet a specific need. Anything less destroys a salesperson's credibility. BE KNOWN FOR WHAT YOU KNOW Customers will stay if you bring a level of expertise that they aren't getting elsewhere. Another person I know spent time on the Web researching LCD projectors. After making his selection, he called a dealer he had bought products from over the years. The salesperson asked him a series of questions, such as, 'What size room will it be used in? What material will you be projecting? How far will the projector be from the screen?' After getting all the answers, the salesperson recommended another projector from the same manufacturer. The salesperson's knowledge tilted the balance. Customers, particularly business-to-business buyers, want support from knowledgeable people. The goal is to be perceived as a buyer's resource. MAKE SURE YOUR WEB SITE IS CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY Survey your customers to find out how your Web site can best serve their needs. Ask them the key questions, such as 'What will make it convenient, efficient, and easy for them to do business with you?' In the name of speed and accuracy, electronic ordering systems are now the standard. RECOGNIZE WHY MOST SALES ARE LOST There are all kinds of explanations for a lost sale. Most are just excuses: 'They didn't have the money.' 'The guy's brother-in-law sells insurance.' 'She was just a tire kicker with no intention of buying.' Most sales are lost because the salesperson gives up too soon. Whether it's 30 days or two years after the latest contact, the customer makes a buying decision with someone else. And every salesperson wonders why it happened that way. Buyers today don't make quick decisions unless they're responding to a crisis. They buy when they're ready, and most of them are getting ready by doing their research on the Web. Dropping prospects too quickly is what costs the most sales. To keep in touch with prospects, successful salespeople live with their notebook computers and contact management programs. BE VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT WHO YOU WORK FOR The problems that salespeople face today are not all of their own making. If your sales manager or employer doesn't grasp what's happening in the marketplace or doesn't appreciate the role of technology, move on. You may have to look for a company that respects customer cultivation and knowledge-based selling and values salespeople who are committed to their customers. In an e-commerce economy, you'll excel in the marketplace if you recognize that today's customers are smarter. They're more interested in getting information they can use than in listening to a sales pitch.