Thursday, September 6, 2012

EXCUSE DU JOUR


Over the next 8 weeks a lot of work needs to be done. Starting on November 25th, the natural excuse “I am waiting until after the first of the year” becomes the “EASY” excuse. (And blow off)

Today the “I am waiting until after the elections” is the EXCUSE DU JOUR and we need to put up with that for another 60+days.

The facts are this, business goes on! Today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year business goes on! There will always be an EXCUSE DU JOUR that we are dealing with. Our job is to find a way to negate the excuse and work with our customers to assure they have what they need when they need it.

So if we know the customer needs our product and service, and the customer knows they need our product or service, then why is it the customer resists and gives us an excuse? The answer is easy, YOU AS THE SALES REP IN MANY CASES HAVEN’T SHOWN THE CUSTOMER THE VALUE OF YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE!

Today the market demands Value, the customer demands value, and the sales rep is responsible for bring the value to the table. This is a task that most reps do very well during the initial sale. The rep makes a great presentation and the customer see’s the true value of owning the product or service.

VALUE isn’t a sometimes thing! Value is an ALL THE TIME thing. A rep needs to build the value of their product or service every time they contact the customer. Just because they customer saw the value at the onset of the relationship doesn’t mean they continue to see it. Many of you have customers that you have been selling for decades, it may have been 10 or 20 years ago that you last really showed the value of what you sell. The customer has been buying based on your relationship and sooner or later, in today’s market, that relationship will no longer make for a good business decision.

When I say every time, I mean EVERY TIME. It is a no brainer to build value on the initial sale, and most reps will continue to build value when the return for a “SALES CALL”. A good rep will build value at every step of the way. If you send a thank you note build value. If you leave a voice mail, build value. If you send a holiday card, build value.

One of the best examples I have seen was a rep that sent me a birthday card. The card was very simple in appearance and when I opened it there were only a few words. It said:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORIN! THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WILL TRY AND GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR CELEBRATION, YOU KNOW THAT MY ___________ WON’T BE ONE OF THEM. (The product I was buying was in the blank)

Every one of us could make a statement like this about or product or service. Imagine the impact it could have if we did it to not just the occasional customer, but EVERY customer EVERY time we had contact with them.

To use the CREED of the USPS.

NEITHER ELECTIONS NOR HOLIDAYS NOR THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY WILL KEEP ME FROM BUYING (INSERT YOUR NAME HERE) PRODUCTS OR SERVICES!

Lorin
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