‘Customer focus’ is a term that
is bandied about by all and sundry in every industry, be they be dealing with a
product or service. In this drive towards customer focus, organisations
specialise in providing choice to customers. Reams of paper and tape reels are
available on research done on the effect of choice on customer behaviour. In a
world of choices, sellers the world over specialise in reeling in customers by
sheer depth of range of products available.
When faced by this vast sea of
choice, what happens to the customer? Is
he happy? I’m sure he is. But is the customer’s
job of choosing the right product easier? Consider this: which is easier – choosing
between two varieties of product or between twenty?
Whatever the product or service
may be – an industrial product, a retail product like a watch, coffee, garments, or
even insurance, in sales the differentiating factor whittles down to relationships with
customers. And who is the point of contact in this relationship? The salesperson.
Never has the salesperson’s role been as
important as now. Unfortunately, in this era of churning jobs and instant gratification,
never has the salesperson been so callous or insensitive of the relationship as
now, the sole focus being of bagging the sale. There are however, some
wonderful exceptions to the above. I consider them enlightened salespersons whose
customers have made purchases with happy and contended feelings.
Consider what this enlightened
salesperson does that proves to be the tipping point that sets him apart from the mediocre:
- He realises that the customer has choice wherever he goes. So it’s not just the range of options that can make or break the sale. It’s the ability to connect with the customer - A connection that enables him to influence the customer’s choice in a way that makes it easier for the customer to make a decision. It’s about influencing choice through trust. A trust that is established only if there is an attitude of genuine customer service, which in turn leads to customer engagement brought about by rapport in conversations.
- He understands that it is not about pushing a customer to make a particular choice – but about engaging in conversation with the customer in order to better understand his needs and presenting the service or product in a way that enables the customer deal with the mind-boggling array of choices. It’s about guiding and enabling the customer deal with the uncertainties of purchase by identifying and presenting the best options to the customer’s requirement. It’s about assisting a customer move from a position of confusion to a position of clarity.
- He goes beyond ‘customer focus’ for the sake of a sale. Through his words and behaviour, he brings an act of service into the customer focus. That which enables a customer experience for himself that the salesperson is genuinely interested in serving him - that he is not merely a figure in the monthly sales target.
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