Build a Customer-Centric Sales Team

New customers are a tough crowd. You probably won't get another shot if you fumble on that first impression. 

The reality is that most customers care a lot less about finding the perfect product or buying from well-known brands. Seventy-three percent of customers now say the number one thing they consider when deciding where to spend their money is whether they have had a good experience.

Being customer-centric means focusing every aspect of your business on what your customers need and want. This starts from product design and bleeds into marketing campaigns, sales tactics, and the customer success stage.

The 3 "R"s of a Customer-Centric Oriented Salesperson

Sales managers need to make sure that their salesperson understand that customer service means: the degree to which a salesperson and company meet and exceed customer service expectations. To meet or exceed expectations, I recommend that the salesperson demonstrate the 3 "R"s: Responsiveness, Respect & Reliability.

Responsiveness denotes how quickly a salesperson provides customers with products or services related to their expectations.

Respect is the degree to which salesperson demonstrate that they care about their customers. They demonstrate respect by words and deeds, but , of course, deeds are more important. Salespeople who interact with customers the most can easily show respect for them by returning phone calls promptly and by being mindful of their time.

Reliability is the degree to which a salesperson recommends the right product or service to their customers and ensures that it is implemented or installed in the right way.

A successful relationship with a client is a two-way street. To build a truly customer-centric approach, check in with customers before, during, and after the sales process to ensure you're both on the same page. 

A Customer Service Sales Culture Pays for Itself in Goodwill, Loyalty, and Profits

A salesperson who also provides outstanding customer service attracts and keeps more customers, especially when markets are down and customers are more cautious about spending.

Customer-centric selling isn't a complex strategy. 

Talk to your customers. Listen to what they have to say. Adapt processes to meet their challenges. It sounds simple, but most businesses don't put their customers first and forget who they are selling to. 

Creating a customer service sales culture is hard work and time-consuming, but most of the companies that have done so have been successful in attracting and retaining customers (and salespeople), differentiating themselves from their competitors, gaining market share, and increasing profitability. And those things are worth working for.

by Christine Law, Principal Strategic Advisor