20 steps to becoming a “Trusted Partner” of your customer
Why should you become a Trusted Partner of your customer? Because, that is the only way you can do business with him/her. Trust can win you business and keep you in business. Old school techniques in Sales do not pay off anymore. So, things like smooth talking, hard persuasion, piling on the prospect, under-cutting, anti-marketing, pushing your product without knowing whether the prospect has any need for it or not and many others do not work anymore. So, what is essential today is to earn trust and respect.
So, what will help you become a Trusted Partner of your customer?
- Forget targets. Forget Metrics, Deep analysis, Demographics, Your Business Plans, Your KRAs etc. These don’t mean anything without customers to serve.
- Focus on your Customers – past customers, current customers, past prospects [those that didn’t buy from you], current prospects and the target industry that you serve or want to serve.
- Understand them well – their Industry, their challenges, their road maps, their business plans etc.
- Use a Consultative Sales approach.
- Do not be short sighted. Do not focus just on the deal on hand. Instead focus on helping the customer.
- Have an outlook that sets you apart from your competition. Maybe [maybe] your competitor is just focusing on the deal at hand, does not show care and concern for the customer, looks at it as just another transaction, is inhuman etc. Fix these things. You have won the Trust already.
- Use every opportunity to serve them well. You will not get a second chance to make a first impression.
- Share knowledge. Willingly.
- Think that there is a solution to all the problems your customer faces. There is. Go find that solution.
- Be a part of their team. Give your sweat and blood.
- Stake everything you have to solve the customer’s problems.
- Show extreme seriousness when you deal with their problems.
- Have a systematic approach. Let the customer know before hand how you are approaching the problem.
- Break the steps to solve the problem into series of smaller achievable steps. Show progress at every single step.
- Involve your top resources on the job.
- Invite your customers to your office, introduce them to your gems, show how you work, show what level of professionalism, commitment, ethics & love, you and your colleagues have towards work.
- Let your customer see some of your works that are truly remarkable.
- Show you are committed to solving their problems.
- Don’t ever sell.
- Customers are looking for these everywhere – a sales person who delivers on his promises, a product/service that is a fit for them, a product/service that they like and one that is going to increase their profits, a partner who can be trusted and loved. Will you deliver all these and more?
Then, You are that Trusted Partner of your Customers.
Happy Selling !! Err, Happy Partnering !!!