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In this article, Leading Sales Expert Andy Preston talks about why most companies don’t win customers, they win transactions – and what you can do differently in your business to make sure that doesn’t happen to you!…………
This has been a regular topic of conversation while I’ve been on my speaking tour of the Middle East and Africa over the past few weeks.
If you’re in a business where you want regular business from people, not just one-off ‘transactions’, then making sure people buy from you more than once is critical!
However, most businesses and most salespeople aren’t aware this actually starts at the first transaction.
The best opportunity to generate repeat business is in the first transaction. How you deal with that can massively affect your chance of getting ANY repeat business, let alone lots of it!
Here are 3 tips to help you gain more Customers, rather than just Transactions….
Andy’s Sales Tip No 1 – Make The Process More ‘Human’…..
There has been a big trend over the last few years to ‘dehumanise’ the sales process, and rely on peo
ple buying from you mainly via the internet. Now that’s fine if you have a huge brand like Tesco. Or Walmart. Or Pick and Pay. But not so good if you’re a smaller business.
As a smaller business, the ‘human’ part of the transaction is (or at least, should be!) your competitive advantage! The reason WHY people buy from you and not your competition (even if they are cheaper). They are buying from YOU, just as much as they are buying from your company, if not more!
So why on earth would you seek to ‘dehumanise’ the process? Trying to get people to be ‘loyal’ to a web page, rather than a person? How is that a recipe for driving customer loyalty and long-term business? Here’s a clue. It isn’t!
Andy’s Sales Tip No 2 – Think ‘Customer’, Not ‘Order’
This is something else we need to do. Once we have put more ‘human’ back into the process, we need to start thinking more ‘customer’ than ‘order’.
That means rather than just taking or processing their order, we need to think about what potential future needs they may have for our products or services. Ask questions about the sort of products they buy, and how often. And particular times of year they order (for regular exhibitions, trade shows, promotions for example).
We should be using this opportunity to work out our future contact strategy with this customer. When we should be speaking to them next. What we should be speaking to them about. How we can advise and serve them best, with long-term solutions in mind, not just taking their order.
Without any of that being done, we run the risk of the customer completing the order, and then not speaking to us again, irrespective of whether we try and reach them afterwards – it’s too late!
Andy’s Sales Tip No 3 – Focus On The Customer Experience
What is it really like to buy from you, and your company? Is it easy? Pleasurable? Or do your processes and procedures make it difficult and frustrating?
In my experience, it’s usually the latter. And the less ‘human’ the process is, the more frustrating it can get! Have you ever called a company, only to get an ‘automatic message?’ (press 1 for…..). That’s a great example of what I’m talking about. The ones where you end up screaming ‘just let me speak to a human being!!!’, while bashing the 0 button, in the hope it will shortcut the process!
Most companies have something like that in their order process, that makes customers (and potential customers) frustrated. So what is it in your company? Your accounts process? Your ordering process? Your delivery process?
This is your opportunity to ‘wow’ your customer, To turn this from a ‘transaction’ into a ‘customer’. Maybe even a loyal customer! IF you do this part well enough!
Remember – your delivery/implementation/client visit to your premises is the last link in the process of this particular order. That’s the last thing they will remember. Are they remembering something positive about you, that will make them want to become not just a customer of yours, but a ‘raving fan’ – that tells other people are great you are to deal with and gets you great referrals?
Or is the experience something else, that just encourages them to go somewhere else for their next ‘transaction?’. Think about it.
Follow the tips above and watch your sales soar! I look forward to hearing how you get on…..
(This article is copyright Andy Preston 2004-2016. To copy or syndicate this or any part of this article contact Andy Preston for guidelines).
Andy Preston
Named as one of the World's Top Sales Gurus, Andy creates 'Stand Out Salespeople' worldwide, with his revolutionary 'Stand Out Selling' Sales System. 'Stand Out Selling' helps salespeople stand out from their competition, win more business, and do so at higher prices!
Previously a trained Professional Buyer, then the Top Salesperson in the UK, Andy Preston has now trained more than 160,000 Salespeople, in more than 50 countries, on 6 continents, since 2004!
Andy is best known for his work in 5 specific areas...
1) Prospecting/Cold Calling/Business Development
2) Converting Incoming Sales Leads
3) Becoming The 'Stand Out' Trusted Advisor
4) Standing Out From The Competition
5) Helping Salespeople Close More Deals!
With more testimonials than any other Sales Expert online (320+ on LinkedIn alone), Andy's work is recognised worldwide.
You can contact Andy here for more information, and how he may be able to help you!
Andy's Recent Accolades.......
* The World's Top Recommended Sales Expert
* Ranked UK's Top Sales Trainer - LinkedIn
* #2 In The Top 20 UK Sales Blogs - Lolly.co
* Top Sales Expert - Geniecast
* Top Sales Influencer - WittyParrott
* Top Sales Experts To Follow On Twitter - Evan Carmichael
* 10 Sales Experts Every Salesperson Should Follow On Twitter - Etail Insights
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