Catch 22 Solutions Blog

Educate Your Customers and Provide Value

By Christopher Thompson
Published Sunday January 18th, 2009 – Union Leader NH Sunday News

There are many roles sales professional play as they interact with customers and navigate through the sales process. There are times when sales people are information gatherers. There are times where they act more as a customer service representative. And there are times when sales people act as a liaison and transfer valuable information between their company and the customer.

The one role sales people play that is especially important is the role of an educator. When you think of the various types of information that must be communicated to a customer, it’s exactly what sales people are.

I have spoken with many sales people who have a perception that their customers don’t care or don’t want to know about certain programs, offers or even information that may be helpful to them in the future. They often feel as though they are inconveniencing their customers when they have information to communicate and would prefer to take the path of least resistance and not say anything at all.

The most recent example I have of a sales person communicating information that I needed as a customer was when I went to buy a new cell phone. After I picked out the phone I wanted, the sales person did a great job explaining the different plans that were available and he took the time to do an extensive review of my cell phone usage. He explained in great detail what each of the plans consisted of. He recommended that I change my plan based on my past history and informed me of several programs that would be a better fit than the plan I was currently on.

Did he have to do that? I guess he was probably trained to but because he did, I ended up spending a little more to get into a program that made the most sense for me. He could have kept me on the same plan and I most likely would have ended up spending more each month. Fortunately, he reviewed my history and suggested a better solution.

This is a simple example of passing along information to customers and letting them make the decision they think is best. The problem always comes when you fail to inform a customer about something you don’t think is important and it comes back to haunt you later.

The way I suggest sales people present this when speaking to their customers is to simply say something to the effect of, "My job is to provide you with all of the information you need to make the best possible decision and your job is to decide what is best for you. I commit to all of my customers that I will inform them of all their options and educate them with what I feel is most important in helping them make the best possible decision. "

Typical Salespeople Rarely Stand Out

By Christopher Thompson
Published Sunday January 11th, 2009 – Union Leader NH Sunday News

The unfortunate reality most sales professionals must come to accept is the bad reputation and negative perception that many people have of them. This challenge is based on the belief that sales people only care about closing sales and will do and say whatever it takes to do just that.
Almost everyone I know has had countless experiences with sales people that turned out to be extremely negative. Their experiences with many sales people were less than desirable and as a result, they were left with a negative view and feeling towards sales people in general.

For those of us who chose selling as a profession, it is extremely challenging to constantly deal with and battle the negative views prospects and customers have of us. For many, it is a challenge they recognize and work to change, but for the savvy and seasoned sales professionals, they have learned that this perception is a glaring opportunity.

I was recently asked what one simple piece of advice I would give to sales professionals if I had the opportunity. The answer is one that I have found to be extremely valuable and tested and proven time and time again. The answer is to picture a typical salesperson and make it your goal to stay as far away from the activities and techniques that people know as those of a “typical salesperson”.
This may sound like a fairly general answer and it is. However, the world of selling has changed and evolved drastically and your prospects and customers have grown to expect sales people to be pushy, focused on themselves and not sensitive to the needs of their customers. If you go about your career in sales doing what the majority do, you will quickly be classified as a “typical salesperson” and your performance will suffer.

Here are a few talking points and examples of what a typical salesperson does as well as some suggestions to help you steer clear from selling habits that your customers despise.

Need Focused Selling
Many sales people have yet to figure out the simple concept of focusing your selling efforts to the needs of your customers. Instead a typical sales person will often go into what I like to call “product dumps” and talk a prospects ear off about their product or service before they have explored the customer’s needs and understood how their product or service can actually meet the needs of their customer.

Listening
Typical salespeople are horrible listeners. They often plow over their prospects and dominate the conversation. Instead of asking questions and listening, they fill the air with claims and discussion about how great they are. Poor listening skills are almost always a sign of a typical salesperson. People buy from people they like and people like to be listened to.

High Pressure Techniques
Many of your customers expect sales people to be overly aggressive and pushy. This perception is often reality, as many sales people rely on high-pressure sales techniques to persuade customers and create a sense of urgency with their buying decision. Unfortunately for them, high-pressure sales techniques are rarely effective and the majority of your customers will see right through them. High-pressure techniques are slowly becoming a thing of the past as tolerance levels for these approaches dwindle.

Your First Reaction
Whenever I discuss the typical salesperson, I always refer to whatever your first reaction is in a selling situation. As an example, if a prospect asked why they should do business with your company, your first reaction is likely to go into all of the features and benefits of your company and its products and services. This is also what your customers expect you to do. Instead of going into a pitch about your company, try taking a step back and instead direct the dialogue towards your customer’s needs. A good rule to follow is to always do the complete opposite of what your first reaction is in a selling situation. This alone will help separate you from the typical salesperson and you will stand out in the minds of your prospects and customers.

Disaster In Driveway Ends Happily

By Christopher Thompson
Published Sunday January 4th, 2009 – Union Leader NH Sunday News

I think most consumers would agree that good customer service and companies going above and beyond to make their customers happy are a thing of the past. For reasons I have yet to figure out, many companies go about servicing their customers as if they don’t care about their business. I have found the feeling to be overwhelmingly mutual with many people I talk to. Consumers have grown to expect poor service and the impact of this trend in business has caused many companies to lose customers and most importantly, lose their reputation as a company that is easy to do business with.
Of course, there are always exceptions. There are companies out there who continue to put their customers first and do whatever it takes to make decisions that are best for their customers. They recognize the obvious fact that without customers, they have nothing. What a concept!

The example I’d like to share this week is a result of a poor decision I made when I backed out of my driveway and forgot that my wife’s car was parked behind me. Not only did I forget her car was parked behind me, I failed to look behind me as I was backing up. Several friends and family members who learned of this story also reminded me of the backup camera that displays a live video on a screen on my dashboard when I am backing up. I guess I forgot about that too.

By now you have figured out that my wife’s car and my car sustained some damage and required some professional body work to bring them back to their original state. Having limited experience with auto body companies, I asked my insurance company for a referral to a body shop with whom they have had good experiences in the past. As I did not feel like spending time searching the state for reputable auto body companies, I gladly accepted their recommendation and brought my car down to get an estimate.

The examples of customer service excellence were glaring within the first ten seconds I walked into their shop. The first thing I noticed was the owner’s office was right next to the customer waiting area. When the door was open, the owner could see the entire lobby and desks where employees interacted with customers. I also noticed the walls were decorated with the numerous awards and industry recognition the owner and his shop had earned over the years. It immediately gave me a feeling of peace of mind, knowing true professionals were handling my car and the owner of the company clearly had a good pulse on what was happening with every customer.

As I approached the reception desk, the woman who handled all of the scheduling was probably one of the most outgoing and personable people I have met in a long time. She immediately pulled out a folder with all of my information and had everything she needed to get me in and out of the shop as quickly as possible. Knowing the situation I was in was very inconvenient and a bit stressful; she did an amazing job making me feel at ease. She thanked me for choosing her company and proceeded to get the necessary paperwork ready. The best part about it was that my involvement was minimal. She took
care of everything from dealing with the insurance company, to calling the rental car company to arrange a time that was convenient for me to come back. They even coordinated having the rental car dropped off at the auto body shop in order to minimize the work I had to do.

The next example of service excellence occurred when my wife brought her car to the shop to get an estimate and at the same time drop off her damaged car and pick up the rental car. As they did with me, the auto body shop had coordinated the rental car to be dropped off and waiting. Our youngest daughter accompanied Mom to the shop and it turns out, it was the morning of her birthday. As the scheduling coordinator did with me, she struck up a conversation with my wife and learned it was our daughter’s birthday. The scheduling coordinator got up, gathered all of the employees and together they came to the customer waiting area for a group rendition of happy birthday to my daughter. They then gave her a moose stuffed animal, which proudly displayed a t-shirt with the auto body’s name on it. My daughter carried around the moose for days.

The final example of going the extra mile the auto body shop displayed occurred when I picked up my car. Keep in mind, they made one minor repair to the rear fender. My car had been professionally detailed and there wasn’t a spec of dust to be found anywhere on the inside or outside of the car. Talk about leaving your customer with positive thoughts!

I could go on and on about this company and the numerous examples of service excellence, but I only have so much space. Let me wrap things up with details of what every company can learn from this story.

You’ll notice that everything this auto body shop did was relatively inexpensive and surely didn’t require any massive effort. With the exception of the stuffed animal they gave to my daughter, there was nothing of value exchanged. Instead, the company has chosen to make an aggressive effort to ensure every customer who walks through their door leaves with a positive impression and has the best possible experience. It was obvious to me that every employee had the same mindset and was aware of the company’s goal. This in its simplest form is the major differentiator between companies who have a loyal customer base and those companies who consistently lose customers to the competition. I personally never thought an auto body shop would have a need or desire to master the art of customer experience, but clearly the team at Prestige Auto Body in Manchester has done just that.