Sitting in the buyer seat becomes the all-time best sales training ground. You will instantly recognize why sales falter as well as fail.
3 Major Errors
#1
Many service providers will cheerfully set a date and time with you to schedule service. You set everything aside to welcome the technician into your home or meet with other types of vendors at a designated spot. But they do not show up on time nor do they call ahead to let you know of their delayed status. You thoughtfully wait a while longer and then attempt to call or text. As patience wears thin, you leave the anticipated meeting behind in order to move forward.
Result: You research Yelp for another similar service that has top ratings.
#2
Have you ever purchased something expensive that did not live up to commonplace standards? Occasionally, we are reminded of the “Friday Afternoon Car” syndrome of long ago. The term was given to those cars poorly assembled due to employees and management wanting to take off early on Friday afternoons. An awful experience of long ago, was that of opening the car door only to find the dashboard, in its entirety, on the floor. Recently, a newly delivered refrigerator spewed off chemical fumes in the freezer compartment while the refrigerator could have served as a room heater.
Result: Not having tested units increased both anger from the client, and unnecessary expense for the suppliers.
#3
A sizable internet service provider would only agree to scheduling a new connection one month out. This translated to two weeks of no internet service for the entrepreneur. If it were not for the extra high speed connection, another provider would have been sought. Installation took 11 hours of the client’s time due to poor coordination of schedules among team members.
Result: The entrepreneur will forewarn colleagues to think twice.
Commonalities
All of these described scenarios center on the extreme lack of customer care. Wasting a client’s time and money is insignificant for some of the giant corporations. Their home office takes care of marketing and branding, so many of the remote offices have a laissez faire attitude. Problems stem from:
- Minimum wage for qualified employees
- Less people on staff than needed
- Reduction in employee loyalty
- Reduced client loyalty
- The end result becomes a “Buyer Beware” mentality.
Solution
As entrepreneurs, it is our duty to observe these indiscretions and vow to do better. We are responsible for our clients, our business and for our families. Therefore, your business depends upon serving clientele well in order to earn client loyalty. Your personal brand depends upon it. The only route is to do your best in every single capacity with which you are involved.
Sales Tips
- Genuinely care for your clients
- When circumstances require you to either arrive late or reschedule, provide notice ahead of time
- Ask for budget upfront to not waste anyone’s time
- Negotiate a reasonable amount to provide the work
- Offer a reasonable timeframe for service or suggest a backup provider
- Test whatever it is you deliver prior to setting high expectations for the client
- Double check with the client after delivery to be certain everything is in order
- Take care of anything not quite right Immediately
- Check in again that satisfaction has been met
- Ask for testimonials and referrals
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