Can We Fit This Square Peg Into That Round Hole... Please?
Delighting a customer should be at every stage of the buyers journey, not just after the sale is made.
In this post, I want to discuss delighting your prospect.
I have met with many businesses over the last few years to discuss their business goals, and the one thing I feel is most appreciated by my prospects is that I am listening for what they need, instead of trying to make my solution work for them.
I mean, I do go by "Doc" after all. It is my job to listen, diagnose, and prescribe the right course of action. =)
Every Prospect Is Different
Each company I speak with is at a different stage in their business.
- Some are startups while others have been in business for many years.
- Some have less than $1M in sales per year while others have $20M plus in yearly revenue.
- Some have a determined marketing budget while others wing it.
- Some have a marketing department while others do not.
- Some have been taken advantage of by a previous agency while others have never worked with an agency.
And there are many more differentiators, the combinations are endless. No prospect is the same, so trying to sell them the same off the shelf solution will not be good for anyone involved. It is your job as a salesperson to:
- Solve their problems
- Provide recommendations (even if you are not one of them)
Be Prepared To Walk Away
I have a friend who I was talking to about a solution for his prospect. While the solution was "OK" he knew, and I knew that it was not the right solution at the end of the day.
He was looking for a way to "get the sale" and get the business from this client while the lead was "hot". The thing is, if he had proposed his initial offering, it would not have solved for the customers challenges.
Selling the wrong solution for the wrong reason will only come back to bite both parties on the ass. It's better to take the extra time needed to offer a solution that fits the client needs, not one that just helps you hit your sales goals.
The Customer's Experience Is Formed By Every Interaction You Have Together
While in prospecting mode, if you listen, ask questions and solve their problem it will help you build trust and create a promoter of you and your business, whether you get the job or not. Always aim to exceed your prospects expectations.
While I'm primarily talking about prospecting in this post, exceeding expectations does not stop at the sale, it must continue for the lifetime of your relationship, and in some cases after the relationship ends.
Sadly, so many resources go into finding new business that often times existing customers may feel like they are getting the shaft now that you have their money. It's always easier to get more business from existing customers that you always delight in the way of additional services, or better yet, referrals.
If you strive to always solve for your customer and not for your sales quota, your sales quota will take care of itself.
Until next time,
Doc
