"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." Bill Gates
Often we, as Sales People and Leaders, shy away from conversations that are sometimes difficult. We avoid calling back the angry customer or see the time we spend on an 'after sale' issue as wasting valuable time.
Yet as Gates indicates, these customers (and conversations) represent the greatest source of learning. Remember, these clients chose you and your service once. Often they are seeking someone who will listen - someone that will empathize with their situation.
Why do they call you? Because you have the closest connection to them. You persuaded them that your product/service met their needs. You have the greatest potential to learn from this situation and carry the message back to your organization or to modify your approach for the next sale. Does this mean that you can (or should) try to fix everything and that the client is always right? No. In many cases the client is aware that the ultimate decision on how they get helped is out of your hands but they want to feel that you - their representative - has heard their concerns and can carry them back to your organization. Not only does this represent an opportunity to turn a dis-satisfied client into one that will purchase again, it also allows us to create potential champions in the marketplace.
Selling to a current client is easier than selling to a new client. The reality is that once you have a customer in your portfolio selling to them again is far easier than expending effort to capture a brand new client. Yet in order to get the second sale, we need the client to feel that we care about them and their issues - that we want to help them in solving their business problem. However if we avoid the tough conversations with our clients and not hold them accountable for their contributions to a given problem then getting that second sale will be all the more difficult.
Every interaction with a client represents an opportunity to learn - whether that is learning about their needs for the first sale or the hidden needs that often come out post contract and during implementation. But that covers when the salesperson should get engaged. How should the Leader be reacting and treating this situation?
In actual fact, there is very little difference once a Leader is engaged. They have the opportunity to help the client. However there is one critical piece that sometimes slips. If you, as the Leader engaging with a client make a commitment to do something or look into something for the client be sure that you follow it up and personally close the loop with the customer.
At this point your actions go beyond fixing a situation for the client and into personal credibility with the client. They may not like the solution or answer you bring but it is vital that you communicate with them. This source of learning can change your entire approach to that account and result in a long, prosperous relationship for all parties.
Often we, as Sales People and Leaders, shy away from conversations that are sometimes difficult. We avoid calling back the angry customer or see the time we spend on an 'after sale' issue as wasting valuable time.
Yet as Gates indicates, these customers (and conversations) represent the greatest source of learning. Remember, these clients chose you and your service once. Often they are seeking someone who will listen - someone that will empathize with their situation.
Why do they call you? Because you have the closest connection to them. You persuaded them that your product/service met their needs. You have the greatest potential to learn from this situation and carry the message back to your organization or to modify your approach for the next sale. Does this mean that you can (or should) try to fix everything and that the client is always right? No. In many cases the client is aware that the ultimate decision on how they get helped is out of your hands but they want to feel that you - their representative - has heard their concerns and can carry them back to your organization. Not only does this represent an opportunity to turn a dis-satisfied client into one that will purchase again, it also allows us to create potential champions in the marketplace.
Selling to a current client is easier than selling to a new client. The reality is that once you have a customer in your portfolio selling to them again is far easier than expending effort to capture a brand new client. Yet in order to get the second sale, we need the client to feel that we care about them and their issues - that we want to help them in solving their business problem. However if we avoid the tough conversations with our clients and not hold them accountable for their contributions to a given problem then getting that second sale will be all the more difficult.
Every interaction with a client represents an opportunity to learn - whether that is learning about their needs for the first sale or the hidden needs that often come out post contract and during implementation. But that covers when the salesperson should get engaged. How should the Leader be reacting and treating this situation?
In actual fact, there is very little difference once a Leader is engaged. They have the opportunity to help the client. However there is one critical piece that sometimes slips. If you, as the Leader engaging with a client make a commitment to do something or look into something for the client be sure that you follow it up and personally close the loop with the customer.
At this point your actions go beyond fixing a situation for the client and into personal credibility with the client. They may not like the solution or answer you bring but it is vital that you communicate with them. This source of learning can change your entire approach to that account and result in a long, prosperous relationship for all parties.
Todd Ramsey is a strategist, innovator and leader who focuses on developing leaders within his teams/client's organizations - whether they are at technology, telecommunications, or energy companies. His success is built upon understanding the real issues in a situation and approaching these with integrity, passion, focus, and driving results in a professional manner where the client (internal or external) feels valued and respected.
In addition to consulting on Leadership, Sales, and Renewable Energy/Telecommunications and Technology, Mr. Ramsey is the VP Business Development at IronCloud Networx.
