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Strategic Selling – Scanning the Customers’ Landscape

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By Leslie Groene

Most of you are sales reps who scan the sales landscape for ways to improve. Here are some tips that will resonate with you!

  1. Learn the Customer:

Every time you’re with a customer, make it a point to learn something personal and professional about them. Don’t allow your time together to be so focused on the immediate business opportunity that you miss out on additional, long-term information. It’s the long-term information you gain that will help you retain the customer, and the longer you have a customer, the more likely they are to refer others to you. When you’re gathering information about the person, look for items that are of common interest to you both. These are the items that will help you propel the business relationship to the next level.

  1. Opening the Sales Call:

Always start off a sales call by covering three things: 1. Gain a clear understanding of the amount of time the call will take. 2. Make sure the customer knows what the objective of the call is. 3. Relate the reason for the current sales call to the previous sales call you had with the person, or to information you may have sent them. Connecting the current sales call to something previous gives the customer the comfort of knowing you remember fully everything that may have already occurred.

  1. Celebrate Your Customer’s Anniversary:

For salespeople who have retained customers for a period of years, it’s special to recognize them and their relationship with you. It’s also a great way for your customers to realize how much you think of them and a great way for you to take the relationship to an even higher level through this personalized type of communication.

  1. Hand-Written Business Cards:

Next time you’re about to give someone your business card; take a moment to personalize it. If you take a moment to jot on the card your cell number, a home phone number, or some other piece of information that is not already on the card, you will suddenly make the person to whom you’re talking feel very special. Chances are the person will never call you on the hand-written phone numbers, but simply writing them on the card gives the person the feeling that you are placing them in high regard compared with others who you meet.

  1. Speak With Your Face:

I’m constantly amazed at the number of times I run across salespeople who clearly don’t believe what they’re saying. It is easy to spot in the person’s face and body language. They take on a whole host of non-verbal clues, ranging from non-expressive smiles with tight lips to eyes that lack any sense of direction. When we’re selling to a customer in person or on the phone, we have to make sure our entire face reflects the enthusiasm and excitement of our words. Why would we expect a person to buy from us if we’re not connected to and excited about what we’re selling?

  1. Open Ended Questions:

Don’t forget to use “umbrella questions” on every sales call. Umbrella questions are questions that work in any selling situation and are designed to provide you with additional information. Examples of umbrella questions include: Why? Tell me more. Share with me another example. Explain further. What are some other examples you could share with me? You get the idea — umbrella questions are ones that get the customer talking more about what they’re looking for. On your next sales call, challenge yourself to ask at least 5 umbrella questions.

  1. Customer’s Goals and Objectives:

Do you know what goals your customers have? Just think how much more effective you could be if you knew the goals of the person to whom you are selling. Find out what their personal and business goals are for the current and upcoming year by asking questions and listening to their answers. In addition, let them know that you have set goals for yourself. Explain your belief that it is essential for you to help your customers achieve their goals in order for you to achieve your own.

 

GroeneLESLIE GROENE is one of the coaching superstars in the world of corporate sales as well as a business development trainer, executive consultant and author. Her background is in the paper and printing industries as a sales rep and sales manager. She helps her clients focus on revenue generation and profit growth. She authored the business strategy book “Picture Yourself & the Life You Want” and is a nationallyrenowned motivational speaker. To purchase her book or contact her please go to www.GroeneConsulting.com. Here is the link to her e-newsletter, http://www. groeneconsulting.com/ Newsletter/2014.12/ Now you can follow Leslie on Twitter @leslielgroene

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