Articles
How to make sure you have a continuous supply
It's time to stop wasting customers
by John GrahamRunning out of customers is far worse than running out of gas. We can always
find a way to get a can of gas. But finding more customers is different.
More and more salespeople are stranded on a dark, desolate road when it comes
to getting more customers.
We’re coming face-to-face with the one word that’s abhorrent to the
business psyche and that’s “limitations.”
The notion customers are in endless supply pervades our thinking. It’s
a belief that’s perhaps best expressed in “cold calling.”
Every day of the week cadres of salespeople are exhorted by sales managers
to “just keep ‘dialing for dollars’” as the way
to get more business.
“Make more calls and write more orders”
are also the words that have driven legislation to restrict cold calling.
To the surprise of many, “don’t call me” lists are growing
far more rapidly than anyone expected, a clear indication that customers
are tired of being hounded, interrupted and pestered at work and at home.
Yet, even as the prospect ranks dwindle, we are relentless in casting customers
aside like empty coffee cups from Starbuck’s.
Much of the blame for the wholesale destruction of customers and prospects rests
at the feet of those who are responsible for marketing and sales operations,
who continue to harbor naïve and long dead “onward and upward forever” attitudes.
They carry the deadly “no limitations”
virus in their minds.
Customers are in short supply is an unavoidable reality. Why does
even Wal-Mart continually look for new sources of customers? Dell dropped “Computer” from
its name as it has branched out into printers, servers and services. The
merchandise mix in today’s Banana Republic stores is a far cry from
what it was just a few years ago. The food processing giants such as Kraft
and General Mills are in a race to rid their products of anything that’s “unhealthy.”
It’s all the same message: customers are in short supply.
Just as we learned to live with other limitations, it behooves anyone in sales
to look at each prospect and every customer as incredibly valuable. The old New
England aphorism––“waste not, want not,”
is as true as ever.
Here are guidelines for breaking free from the noxious notion that there will
always be more than enough customers.
1. Don’t display stupidity. It’s time to think
carefully before bypassing what appears to be the small customer, the one
we decide is “not going anywhere.” Figuring out how to serve all customers
is the real challenge for today’s salesperson, not just trying to
pick off the ripe plums. Anyone can do that. There’s not a salesperson
anywhere who hasn’t made the mistake of assuming that there was no
future spending time on a particular account, only to discover that it
had quickly blossomed into a major customer for a competitor.
Act as if every prospect is important and every customer counts. There’s
nothing worse than wasting a prospect or a customer. Unless executives
and sales reps begin thinking this way, the future may be far less than
rewarding.
We still have time to change our thinking. But it takes a new approach if we
are to reclaim the future, one that respects prospects and customers, no matter
their size.
2. Look for the sales potential in each prospect. This
is an effective way to clear our minds of short-term thinking. The entire
sales process should be aimed at creating a long-term customer relationship.
It’s far more important than merely getting a sale. An ad agency
met with a prospective client only to discover that the potential seemed
rather limited. Nevertheless, it accepted the assignment and within 30
days it was clear that there was an endless supply of work.
No one dares to take chances, so it’s not unusual for a customer to hold
back to evaluate how a supplier is working out before revealing the possibilities.
Just because an accounts starts small doesn’t mean it won’t grow.
Too many sales executives actually defeat themselves long-term by emphasizing
what the sales force should be doing today or this week, leaving little or no
time for discovering customer potential or cultivating longer-term sales objectives
with individual customers.
3. Meet the customer’s needs. It sounds so simple. Isn’t
this what we all do? Not really. We still think that what we want to sell is
what the customer wants to buy. It’s time to clear our heads of such nonsense
and make a point of concentrating on what your customers need to be happy and
satisfied.
A sales manager for an office equipment dealer urges his salespeople to look
around once they are inside a business to see what they are doing. He is sometimes
frustrated because salespeople are so focused on getting the order for a particular
product that they miss the big picture and overlook what may be a substantial
potential for ongoing sales.
Unfortunately, what happens is that we make one sale and then move on to the
next prospect, failing to recognize the possibilities for the account for which
we just won the order. How often do we leave a tremendous amount of business
on the table for others to take for the asking?
4. Stop destructive sales practices. We need to think
about what we’re doing, not just go about it blindly. For example,
does cold calling produce the best results? Is it the most effective use
of our time? The answer is
“no,” even though too many in sales management continue to
press the point with recruits. And when sales are down, the push to cold
call increases.
Cold calling is so irritating, so onerous that it actually destroys customers
in the same way strip mining ravaged the countryside for so many decades.
Worse yet, it shows a company is bankrupt when it comes to effective marketing.
It has nowhere to go except to the telephone. Start thinking about other ways
to generate new business. Never stop thinking like a customer. In fact, take
time to talk to customers and ask them how they would like to be approached.
5. Recognize your value. Every salesperson suffers from
a lack of customer appreciation. It goes with the territory. Ironically,
it’s not always what we see that earn us special appreciation.
A senior sales representative was called in by a client to comment on a proposed
program. When the client outlined the project, the salesperson realized the immense
potential for his company. But he also knew from experience that the project
was flawed and would quickly fail. Without hesitation, he expressed his reservations.
A few days later, he presented a solution that would work for the client, even
though it cut him out of the picture. A few weeks later, the client called a
filled the sales rep’s plate with new business.
Today’s customers are looking for relationships based on results and trust.
With downsized staffs, they count on the added expertise of their vendors.
6. Show appreciation. Too many salespeople never take
the time to express appreciation, to say thank you. Once they have the
order, that’s the end of it. They’re so interested in their
next appointment that they ignore those who have contributed to their success.
How many salespeople take time to write a thank you instead of dashing off an
easy email message? Whenever Paul Marshall, a printing salesman, comes to call,
he brings along a box of delightful pastries. One time, just as he was leaving
for vacation, a customer called. Even though time was short, he made the extra
effort to pick up the pastries. The client didn’t forget his thoughtfulness.
Too often, it’s the next conquest that our attention, while our existing
customers pay the bills. How about 30 days after the transaction? Or six months?
Or a year later? Here’s a good rule: If you remember the sale, the customer
will never forget you.
7. Decide who you want as customers. Don’t just sit back and let
fate decide your destiny. While most salespeople are always on the lookout for
prospects, finding them becomes more a matter of chance than a planned encounter.
A much more professional approach is to be proactive and develop profiles of
those you want as your customers. Make an effort to gather all the information
you can on them. Let them know that they fit the profile of customers you serve
best.
Roll out a program to acquaint these prospects with your expertise. Keep moving
closer to them by gently pull them into your orbit. Once they know you and are
comfortable with your approach, you are in the process of transforming them into
actual customers. When this happens, you will get the orders.
Keeping your pipeline filled with qualified prospects is your sales lifeline.
From it will flow a steady stream of orders. Why? Because when the customer gets
ready to buy, you’ll be there.
If the lure of making the next sale is greater than the desire to meet customer
expectations, we will continue to act as if the reservoir of customers is bottomless.
If, on the other hand, we make a commitment to utilizing our experience and resources
to helping the customer succeed, there will be a steady flow of business.
John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm. He is the author of The New Magnet Marketing and Break the Rules Selling, writes for a variety of business publications, and speaks on business, marketing and sales issues. Contact him at 40 Oval Road, Quincy, MA 02170; 617-328-0069; jgraham@grahamcomm.com.