Posts from — December 2007

“Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better.”
— Ken Blanchard (from Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service)

So why is customer service so important? Because outstanding customer service builds loyalty and customer retention, and will improve your bottom line.

The Three Zones of Customer Satisfaction

The backbone of your customer service strategy and culture consists of three zones, which are listed below. In this article we will focus on the Service Expectations Zone, with emphasis on ensuring that your customer’s expectations are being met and the importance of doing a better job than your competition.  Read more...

You will encounter clients who are more afraid of not having the benefits of your product than they are excited about having them. It’s important that you learn to recognize the difference early in your presentation.

An example would be if you offer manufacturing equipment that will put the client on the leading edge of the industry and ahead of their next closest competitor. There’s a certain amount of fear about the competition closing in and possibly taking over their position in the market. That fear may be the biggest motivator they have when considering the decision and it’s something you should address.  Read more...

Did you ever buy anything from someone you didn’t trust? In all likelihood, probably not.

Trust is an important issue when it comes to selling. It doesn’t matter what you sell or to whom. It makes no difference if you sell business-to-consumer, B2B, or in a retail setting. Trust is the foundation of virtually every sale.  Read more...

Sales people are always looking for a way to differentiate themselves to win an account. Few use one of the most powerful tools in their bag, the right reference.

You have been chasing this account for six months and feeling optimistic as the buying process is coming to a conclusion. The sale is between you and two other firms. The competition is fierce, but you feel you are ahead. At 11am, the Procurement Agent asks for three references to be provided to her by the end of the day.  Read more...

Effective sales compensation is critical to the success of any go-to-market strategy. Yet the design and management of sales compensation is rarely easy. After all, determining how people are paid is a sensitive matter which can become increasingly complicated when reconciling the disparate needs of key stakeholders in Sales, Finance, HR, and Marketing.

To better manage this complexity and to keep the discussions constructive, consider the four cornerstones of effective sales compensation.

#1 — Alignment with Corporate Objectives  Read more...