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Lydia Ramsey's Six Secret Sales Weapons
If you are involved in sales, and who
isn't, you know the terms, techniques and tips for attracting
potential customers, creating
the desire to buy, gaining trust, closing the deal and maintaining
relationship.
Each step in the process is critical to the desired outcome:
productive and profitable customer relationships.
Acquiring a new customer costs more than five times as much as
keeping an existing customer. Research validates the data, but good
old common sense tells you this is true.
While you or your manager is spending time teaching salesmanship,
one topic frequently overlooked is business etiquette, an array of
skills that can set you and your product or services apart from your
competition.
I refer to business etiquette as your "secret sales
weapon" because it is not included in most sales training and
because it can be the one element that distinguishes you from your
competition. A number of ways to use your secret weapon are:
1. Begin before you leave home. Start your day by dressing for the
activities on your calendar. If they range from business casual to
business professional, you need a change of clothing along the way.
It is always easier to take off rather than add on. For both men and
women, wearing a jacket
takes business dress up a notch. Removing it allows you to blend
in to a relaxed environment. Dress in a professional manner that
meets your customers' expectations.
2. Prepare for the inevitable first impression. Each day is filled
with first impressions that will last forever in the memory of those
you meet. There is never a day that you can let down your guard
regarding your attire, your grooming or your attitude. You have no
idea whom you will meet, where
and when. Don't spoil an opportunity.
3. Practice listening skills. Successful sales people are adept at
conversation. They love to talk. Many forget that being a good
conversationalist means being a good listener as well. Paying
attention to what your customers have to say allows you to understand
their needs and gives you the
advantage for closing the sale and continuing the relationship.
4. Learn how your customers prefer to communicate. The best way to
do this is to ask, "How do you want me to contact you?"
Some like e-mail; others opt for the phone; and a surprising number
of people favor good old-fashioned face-to-face interaction. What
works for you may turn off your customer?
5. Follow up. After your arranged meeting or chance encounter,
reconnect with your customer. Your responsiveness will not only help
seal the deal, but insure a continuing relationship. A short phone
call or brief e-mail is an immediate affirmation of your agreement.
The handwritten thank you note
that you send afterwards requires little time, but takes the
relationship to a different level.
6. Offer service after the sale. Check to see if your customer is
happy with your product or service. If there is the slightest hint of
dissatisfaction, handle it immediately without excuse. Letting
customers know that their satisfaction is your highest priority will
have them coming back again
and again. Not only that, a contented customer will spread the
word almost as fast as the unhappy customer.
Using business etiquette skills as your secret sales weapon won't
cost you a dime. Your only expenditure is the time it will take to
listen and learn about your customers, to honor their preferences and
to follow up with courtesy and respect.
© Lydia Ramsey. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted so
long as article and by-line are published intact and with all links
made live.
 
About the
Author  Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services visit her web site at http://www.mannersthatsell.com
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