Oh how our world has changed. Back then , we sat in our nice cars, picked up the phone every now & then & waited for the orders to come in. Good customer service was not in fashion, we didn’t need to be nice to them. Sales were good so there was no need to make a ‘real effort’ to get our product out the door. Now the customer is not spending so we need to change our tactics. Or our costs have to to be shaved (again) & we are being asked, those of us that are in contact in any shape or form with customers to start ‘selling’ . Its the time of ‘lean’ selling – selling as much as you can at minimal cost.
A big change for most of us. A big learning experience for most of us if we can embrace the change.
We’ve got to talk to customers, win them over, influence them, sell to them!! Convince them that they need our product vs the competition. And we need to find their least path of resistance whilst doing all of that. Well that’s what the experts say.
This type of selling I am used to & I like. I am not an aggressive seller, never was. I was never the gal who would kill for the sale . I was the one who was building the pipeline , the leads for the future by building the relationships, getting to know my customers. Then , yes , if there was a big push for the year end or some attractive incentive for that quarter, then I had the relationship to be able to say ‘Hey, John, any chance we could get that order signed by end of next month. Why? Well that big trip is on (or my manager is pushing us to get all orders in before year end) & I would love to have your order in, it will help me.” Sometimes it worked , sometimes it didn’t. But trying is important & for me , honesty is the best policy & usually works. Whats your policies for reaching those targets or getting what you want from your customer?
This type of selling for me has always enabled me to meet my targets & make it more enjoyable. Isn’t that what we all want , the seller & the customer. In particular for the customer, obviously. As we want them to come back again & again or we will need them in the future to sell the updated version, new product or complimentary products.
Jo Brennan has 15 years international experience in Senior management roles in sales, marketing & people management, working in software, hardware, retail & recruitment sectors. Read more...
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Order takers to Order makers
Oh how our world has changed. Back then , we sat in our nice cars, picked up the phone every now & then & waited for the orders to come in. Good customer service was not in fashion, we didn’t need to be nice to them. Sales were good so there was no need to make a ‘real effort’ to get our product out the door. Now the customer is not spending so we need to change our tactics. Or our costs have to to be shaved (again) & we are being asked, those of us that are in contact in any shape or form with customers to start ‘selling’ . Its the time of ‘lean’ selling – selling as much as you can at minimal cost.
A big change for most of us. A big learning experience for most of us if we can embrace the change.
We’ve got to talk to customers, win them over, influence them, sell to them!! Convince them that they need our product vs the competition. And we need to find their least path of resistance whilst doing all of that. Well that’s what the experts say.
This type of selling I am used to & I like. I am not an aggressive seller, never was. I was never the gal who would kill for the sale . I was the one who was building the pipeline , the leads for the future by building the relationships, getting to know my customers. Then , yes , if there was a big push for the year end or some attractive incentive for that quarter, then I had the relationship to be able to say ‘Hey, John, any chance we could get that order signed by end of next month. Why? Well that big trip is on (or my manager is pushing us to get all orders in before year end) & I would love to have your order in, it will help me.” Sometimes it worked , sometimes it didn’t. But trying is important & for me , honesty is the best policy & usually works. Whats your policies for reaching those targets or getting what you want from your customer?
This type of selling for me has always enabled me to meet my targets & make it more enjoyable. Isn’t that what we all want , the seller & the customer. In particular for the customer, obviously. As we want them to come back again & again or we will need them in the future to sell the updated version, new product or complimentary products.