At times, sales representatives are stereotyped as only concerned with the end result, the sale, and not the client’s decision-making journey. The best sales people take their client’s wants and needs and provide them with the product or service that best accommodates those needs.
MultiView partners with more than 2,100 trade associations and offers a variety of product lines to meet client’s needs. The most successful sales representatives listen to their client’s needs, respond with several options, assist in the purchase process and are available to assistpost-sale.
Sales exist in a lifecycle – pre sale, during sale, and post-sale. The best sales reps recognize this and see the importance of giving a consistent positive experience for customers throughout the journey.
Ultimately, sales people seek to create brand advocates– clients who will proudly and boldly carry the banner of their company, and recommend them to friends.
Below are some best practices for being a better sales rep through managing a customers’ experience throughout the sales process:
Listen
“Building good rapport means listening” according to Director of Recruitment, Dave Utorka. “Sales reps have to maintain the value of service to the customer, exceeding their expectations.”
The end goal of a client meeting should not be to make a sale, but to connect the client with their best solution. It might not be the product offered by one’s company, (gasp) however the client will most likely respect an honest assessment. In return for sincerity, when there is a need for one’s product in the future, the client will most likely return.
“At the end of the day, a good salesperson is a problem solver – they are in the business of solving a client’s problems.”
Clear, concise communication
Be sure to present the client with their options in a simple and concise format – minimizing extraneous text. Consider highlighting the benefits and features of the products you discussed in the clearest way possible, as if you were presenting “cliff notes.” It is a great idea to be mindful of an email’s length, organization and format, given clients may scan through as many as 100 emails a day. They may not have the time to spend a half hour combing through a message. As a best practice, in closing the email ask for a time to follow up to finalize and call back on time.
Facilitate the purchase
Try to make the purchase process as easy and stress-free for the client as possible by helping them understand the payment procedures. Great sales reps also consider going the extra mile to help their clients obtain special payment terms, if necessary. Before ending any call, it is a best practice to make sure that the next steps in the purchase process (delivery, estimated time, etc.) are crystal-clear for clients.
Pay attention to the follow-up
Sales is about building relationships. The most enduring and rewarding client relationships are developed post-sale. Once the client haspurchased, it is a great idea to make sure the product or service is meeting their needs. If something is wrong, sales reps should make sure the problem is fixed immediately. Given sales representatives are the face of the customerservice to the client, they should make sure to promptly communicate with clients, whether their issue is resolved or not. Check in periodically to find out if the client has any new products and services they would like. Developing a relationship on the grounds of trust, responsiveness, and product/serviceresults with clients is a sure way to gain repeat business.
Listening to Customers Yields Success: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanhall/2013/05/17/listening-to-customers-yields-success/
MultiView Blog 
Leave a comment