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How well do you know your customers?
So many salespeople are so busy "selling" that they don't invest
the time to really get to know their customers. Are you one of
them?
I'm not talking about knowing the
names of the customer's children or remembering that one
customer coaches his daughter's soccer team and another is an
avid golfer. I'm talking about knowing specifically what
motivated your customers to do business with you in the first
place and what motivates them to continue to do business with
you.
If you don't know - you'd better
find out. Your best customers are at the top of your
competitors' prospect lists. And, your competitors are looking
for any opportunity to get a foothold if you're not paying
attention.
So, before you do any strategic
planning for growing your territory or expanding your customer
base, schedule time to meet with your customers and review the
relationships. The meetings can be informal: to thank them for
their business and explore ways to better serve them.
Prepare appropriate questions to
explore your customer's view of the relationship. At the
conclusion of your meetings, you should be able to answer the
following questions about your customers:
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Why do they buy from you?
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What value are they receiving that
they can't obtain from one or more of your competitors?
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What do they believe you and your
company do particularly well?
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What, if anything, would they like
to see you improve on?
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What do they tell your competitors
who come knocking on their doors attempting to displace you?
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What would cause them to jump ship
and begin doing business with one of your competitors?
The answers to the questions will
not only provide you with a plan for managing the accounts, but
also help you shape a prospecting strategy for new accounts.
After all, what is important to your existing customers is
likely to be just as important to prospective customers, as
well.
© Sandler
Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
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