Taking care of customers now may pay off later Your Sales Spine By Bill Bartlett Business has gone through tumultuous times for the past 18 months. The highs have not been as dramatic and the lows have plummeted to greater depths than we have ever witnessed. For the past quarter, however, I have observed behavior that makes me feel that small business is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and happily there’s no oncoming train. That light represents business recovery and a return to a new kind of normalcy.       This new feeling has given hope that a turnaround is taking place. We must realize that our customers are beginning to experience a new confidence in their future, even though they are still mindful of the need to be cautious and monitor their expenses. This is the perfect time to review our customer base and reconnect with those who may have drifted from their regular purchasing pattern with us.       About 45 days ago, I began to make phone calls to all of my customers to inquire about the health of their business. I genuinely wanted to know if their strategy of cutting expenses and staying lean helped them prosper or at least survive in this economy. By the way, these calls weren’t disguised as sales calls; they were merely meant to reconnect to determine whether I could be of service in their recovery. I asked questions about their business such as, “Are you experiencing any signs of progress that say you’re heading in the right direction?” “What are you going to do differently in the future to ensure business growth?” After asking these questions and a few more, I would invariably receive the following comment, “I can’t afford to use your services right now as times are still tight.” My next statement stopped them in their tracks, “I would like to help you, free of charge, as I value you as a client.” With no strings attached, I have offered to train, consult and coach any of my clients, for free, if they cannot legitimately afford my services.       You see, I believe they will return to the business strength they previously enjoyed and I don’t want them to turn to my competitor when that happens. It is important for them to recognize that I place a high regard on my relationship with them and want to help when times are tough. I had no expectations of a monetary gain and genuinely wanted to demonstrate a sincere desire to help. Many of them have taken advantage of my offer to service them for free or at a greatly reduced fee. For me, strong clients mean an equally solid future for my business. As an aside, many whom I help will view this as an IOU for future business but I view it as an IOU that will never be cashed.          Now is the time to go above and beyond the service levels that your customers expect in order to provide the value-added extras they will remember once the economy rebounds. Most successful businesses are re-tooling in one or all of three critical areas: their business strategy for growth, the performance evaluation of their people and the “way they do business.” 1. As the economy recovers and business begins to settle into more predictable patterns, all businesses are reviewing their business strategy for the future. Strategic initiatives for business growth, spending and expenses and making large purchases stand out as a few areas that fall under scrutiny. It is critical to know how they will impact the purchase of your products and services. You must show your prospects and clients that working with you will actually help them achieve their new strategy. 2. Business executives and owners will be assessing their people, looking for greater productivity and a stronger bottom line. Make sure you can link your product or services to improved productivity from their staff and greater profit from your “customer’s customer.” 3. Your customers have begun to analyze their processes...the way they do business. This will have a dramatic adverse impact on you if you are not user-friendly. It’s time to ensure that your staff commits to continuously looking for ways to make doing business with you more efficient and effective. Can you provide a form of continuous education that makes it easier to use your product instead of their resorting to the competition?  What value-added services can you deliver that will elevate you above the competition?       Finally, the number one reason why customers leave us is that they feel unappreciated. Make sure that you spend as much time analyzing ways to help your current customers grow as you do looking for new customers. It pays incredible dividends.      Go conquer your worlds. Bill Bartlett is the president and owner of Corporate Strategies & Solutions, Inc., a Sandler Training Center. He is a certified Sandler trainer and business growth expert, and has been training and coaching presidents, managers and sales people for more than 15 years. Contact him at 630-778-1500 or via e-mail to bbartlett@sandler.com.

Posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 (Archive on Tuesday, July 07, 2009) Posted by jstoltz  Contributed by jstoltz

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