So, you’ve located the prospect, qualified the lead, made the contact, secured the appointment, made the presentation, presented the proposal, asked for the sale and finally closed the business. You now have a customer; that is someone who has […]
Don’t you just love it when one of your customers places a follow-up order? Or you get that call and the customer says they’d like a repeat of what they had from you before? The great feelings flow through […]
How many customers have you lost in the past year or two? Are you certain of that number? How many have simply stopped buying from you, but you don’t know it? Remember; people don’t stop buying, they just stop […]
Let’s face it, your customers are your business’s most valuable asset. In simple terms, the more they buy, the more money you’ll make. The thing is, about 20% of your customers will generate about 80% of your revenue. So, […]
One of the reasons so many sales people have trouble committing to after sales service and follow up is because they cannot see the return on their investment. Many people feel that once the sale is closed and the […]
Order Taker? Trusted Advisor? Or Cheese Monster? How do your customers view you? From the customer’s point of view there are 4 types of relationships that they have with their suppliers. And if you can progress through each of […]
It is 6 to 7 times harder to convert a new customer than to sell to an existing one. This is exactly why Key Account Management is one of the most important aspects of the sales process and an integral […]
Key Account Managers (KAMs) are the stock-in-trade for many businesses, as they have the responsibility of bringing in much of the business that keeps our business ticking over. What are some of the strategies that KAMs should follow that […]
The building of relationships in business is the biggest common denominator when ascertaining how we can increase our sales with current and new clients. Relationships are the key to building trust and developing sales with clients, as your consistency and […]
Customers often judge us by the quality of the back-up service we offer. If everything goes well before we actually start working with them, they may see fit to buy our products and services. The proof of the pudding will […]
Most buyers we speak to don’t have much time for salespeople. The reason is they still think of them as being slick-talking, time-draining, pressure-inducing parasites who are trying to rip buyers off and get as much profit as possible. We […]
Unless you’re working with customers who are purely in transactional mode, the holy grail of sales is gaining repeat business. Turning a one-time customer into a loyal client increases revenue, profit and probable recommendations exponentially. So, how can you tell […]
We’ve all had them; those customers for whom nothing you ever do is enough, or everything you do is wrong, or you’re blamed for everything that isn’t your fault. A picky customer is usually like that with every situation. It’s […]
When we ask buyers what makes them purchase from particular suppliers, the answers can range from great prices to great value to great people and many others. But some reasons always seem to float to the top of the list, […]
Many salespeople and sales managers that I meet and work with are really excellent at their job. They accentuate the positive nature of what they do, and create reasons for clients to not only do business with them in the […]
Most of us would agree that it costs considerably more to get a new customer than to maintain a loyal one. So, it follows that customer retention must be a major component of an effective marketing strategy and that’s especially […]
When we work with Sales People on our Account Management Training open course we are often impressed by their knowledge, skill-sets and attitudes that drive them to success. So that we can share their successful attributes and maybe model their […]
I received an email last week from Trevor Borrows who is a newly appointed National Sales Manager in charge of a team of Account Managers. Here’s what Trevor asked: “Hi Sean, being a new National Sales Manager I need […]
Key Account Managers (KAM) are the lifeblood of any organisation wanting to grow and develop their network and a loyal client base. Excellence in the role often comes from natural characteristics, but is also forged through building skills that […]
So, what exactly is a Key Account? Think about your own organisation for a moment and what you class as a key account. Is there an easy to follow definition? Does everyone understand what one is? Or are they […]
Gavin Ingham once said “Most salespeople make a sale to a client and then move on to the next one. Most clients think that salespeople only ring them when they want to a) sell something new or b) renew their contracts. […]
Now and again, a new concept is discussed that takes sales into a new dimension. Many are reworks of familiar and rapidly-evolving ideas, and some take sales onto a new plane that deserves contemplation and further development. I’ve been reading […]
Many salespeople we talk to are happy to discuss their sales techniques and what they do right with their clients. The topics often drift onto which customers they love dealing with and which they would sell to the devil himself […]
Most companies agree that loyal customers are the lifeblood of their business. Clients who return continuously to restock or re-purchase make it easy for companies to provide service and back-up because the effort needed to ensure satisfaction is minimal. But […]
If you’re in any kind of sales position, you really want to make buying and using your products easy and profitable. That’s the real reason why people buy them in the first place; to make their lives or their businesses […]
Unfortunately, conflict is an unavoidable aspect of the human condition, and is likely to creep into the conversation any time expectations differ. Conflict can raise stress levels and leave long-lasting effects on employee health, decreasing job satisfaction, and increasing absenteeism […]
Closing is seen as the holy grail of any sales interaction. It gets the order, or at least progresses the sale onto the next level. Securing some form of commitment from someone is a great feeling, as you have proved […]
No matter how well you’ve done your job, there will always be things that are outside of your control. Things that would drive your customer mad. Things that would make them annoyed. And things that simply add up to bad […]
Closing the sale is one thing. However successfully managing the account is yet another level of selling entirely. In particularly, when dealing with large, major or key accounts; after the sale management is where the actual selling begins. The […]
