3 Important Shifts Affecting the Salesperson and the Selling Process
This post was contributed by Leslie Groene, Groene Consulting, and instructor of several new online Sales Courses available in Printing Industries of America’s Integrated Learning Center.
It’s no secret that the role of a salesperson has changed. The Internet provides your customers with an infinite number of options making it impossible to compete on price alone. Customers are 57% through their buying process before they seek engagement with suppliers. Your customers expect more; to seal the deal, they want top-notch customer service and value-added benefits.
Shift 1: Salesperson to Consultant
You want your sales team to grow your existing customer base, acquire new ones, and/or win back those customers you may have lost. To do this, salespeople must build relationships and become a solutions provider, asking, “How can I become a part of their team as a consultant? How can I give them more leverage and success with their clients?”
The sad truth is, there’s a lot of poor customer service out there. What did you do the last time you had a negative experience with a company? Many salespeople just aren’t aware of how their attitudes affect customers. Here’s a look at how customers respond to poor service from sales consultant, Leslie Groene:
- 96% of unhappy customers do not complain, they just stop doing business with you.
- 91% of those who don't complain will share the negative story with at least 9 other people, 13% will tell more than 20 other people about their experience.
- The average unhappy customer will remember the incident for 23 years.
- The happy customer will talk about the pleasant experience for 18 months.
- For every complaint heard, the average company has 25 other customers with the same problem.
Like a consultant, salespeople need to focus on improving their client’s business performance, which means they need to have the understanding and have experience to help their clients solve problems. They’re not selling a product or service; instead they’re selling value.
