Relationship selling through service mkt 173 chap 13

 Follow-up refers to maintaining contact with a customer or prospect in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the product and the satisfaction of the customer... Obtaining new custome

Service and Follow-up for

 Guided by The Golden Rule The Golden Rule:

Prove you truly care with royal service.

Prove what you said in your presentation was the truth.

Take your time to build long-term business

friendships.

Realize that customer satisfaction leads to

customer retention.

Place the customer’s interest before your own.

You can see that ethical service builds true

relationships.

The Importance of Service and Follow-Up

 How does this chapter refer to service?

A As part of a product, such as insurance or

advertising?

B In the context of helping others?

Correct! The answer is “B”

Service Refers To:

B. Helping others

What Is the Difference between Service

and Follow-Up?

 Follow-up refers to maintaining contact with a customer (or prospect) in order to evaluate

the effectiveness of the product and the

satisfaction of the customer

Obtaining new customers and selling more

products to present customers are the ways to increase sales.

It is always easier to sell to a satisfied customer than to an unsatisfied one or a prospect.

The cost of acquiring a new customer is higher than keeping a present customer.

Words of Sales Wisdom and Sales

Proverbs, cont.

 More examples are:

Customer choice between suppliers has never

When Does the Business Relationship

Begin?

After you first sell to someone and they

become a customer

Which of the Following Is the Purpose of

the Sales Call? Is it:

 Solely to make a sale?

 To help someone?

Now You Have it! The Purpose Is to:

 Help someone by:

Solving a problem

Fulfilling a need

Putting the Customer First Requires Salespeople to Have Personal Characteristics That Allow Them to:

 Care for the customer

 Take joy in their work

 Find harmony in the sales relationship

 Have patience in closing the sale

 Be kind to all people

 Have high moral ethics

 Be faithful to their word

 Be fair in the sale

 Be self-controlled in emotions

How Would You Answer these Questions:

 Do these success characteristics describe you?

 Do you have all, or part of them?

 Can you develop the missing ones?

Once Again, Are You:

These Personal Characteristics Are

Important if You Want to:

 Have personal friends

 Have business relationships

Building a Long-Term Business Friendship

 What Is A Business Relationship?

A relationship that revolves around business issues

A business relationship is much like a personal

friendship.

Build a business relationship in much the same

way you build regular friendships.

Building a Long-Term Business Friendship

 Several things happen between people

before they become business friends

1 Self disclosure – sharing a few things about your

client and allowing your client to share a few thing about himself or herself.

2 Acknowledgement – everyone has a desire to be

heard, acknowledged, and understood; take time

to listen to your client

3 Attending – pay attention, or attend your client

Use body language to show you are paying attention.

Building a Long-Term Business Friendship

 Several things happen between people

before they become business friends, cont

4 Talking – the foundation of any good relationship

is good communication; be a good listener, share information, and allow information to be shared.

In a Business Friendship, How Can You:

 Mistreat a person you consider a friend?

 Be uncaring, sad, pushy, impatient, rude, unethical, untruthful, self-centered, and/or emotional?

Building a Long-Term Business Friendship

 Structure for survival – good relationship

needs structure to survive; must be established

at the beginning and reaffirmed to avoid confusion.

 Avoid control and one-ups – do not try to

control your client, do not allow yourself to be controlled

Relationship Marketing and Customer

Retention

 Transaction selling – customer not

contacted again after sale

 Relationship selling – periodically stays in touch After sale, customer contacted:

Satisfied? Future needs?

 Partnering – continually works with

customers Improves sales, operations, and profits

The Product and Its Service Component

 After the sale

 Expectations determine service quality perception (personal needs, past experiences, salesperson information, word-of-mouth)

People Buy the Product Plus What?

 Plus the services (other attributes of the product)

and intangible attributes, including package, color,

and brand, plus the services and even the reputation

of the seller.

Here Are Several Expected Services

 Product has no defects

 Price is fair

 Product is available when and where needed

 Correct, honest advertising

 Transaction handled correctly, quickly,

professionally – the first time

 Warranty honored

Excellent Customer Service and Satisfaction Require Technology

 Technology and automation is often required

to provide excellent service

Turn Follow-up and Service Into a Sale

 Convert follow-up and

service situations into

sales

 Follow-up and service help

satisfy the needs of

customers

Account Penetration is a Secret to Success

 Account penetration – the ability to work and

contact people throughout the account discussing

your products - knowledge of key personnel and their situation

 Determined by:

Total and major-brand sales growth in an account

Distribution of the number of products in a product line, including sizes used or merchandized

Level of cooperation obtained

Your reputation as the authority on your type of

Service Can Keep Your Customers

 Concentrate on improving your account

penetration

 Contact new accounts frequently on a regular schedule

 Handle customer’s complaints promptly

 Always do what you say you will do

 Provide service as you would to royalty

 Show your appreciation (pg 427)

Customer Satisfaction and Retention

 Customer satisfaction

 Feelings towards purchase

 Customer retention – if satisfied, they will buy again

Exhibit 13-4: Customer Retention Occurs When the Buyer is Satisfied with Purchases Over Time

Exhibit 13-5: Sales Come From Present and New Customers

 Salespeople are constantly

involved in follow-up and

service in addition to

planning future sales calls to

customers; they also spend

time prospecting

You Lose a Customer–Keep on Trucking

 To win back a customer:

Visit and investigate

Increasing Your Customer’s Sales

Have present customers buy more of a product

than they currently use

Have present customers buy the same products to use for different purposes

Increasing Your Customer’s Sales, cont…

 To increase sales with a customer:

 Develop an account penetration program

 Examine your distribution

 Keep merchandise in the warehouse and on the shelf

 Fight for shelf space/face and shelf positioning

 Assist the product’s users

 Assist the reseller's salespeople

 Demonstrate your willingness to help

 Obtain customer support

Returned Goods Make You a Hero

 Cheerfully return merchandise following the company’s returned goods policies

 It is in your best interest to return faulty

merchandise

Handle Complaints Fairly

 Customers may be dissatisfied with products for any number of reasons

 “The customer is always right.”

 Occasionally a dishonest customer may

require you and your company not to honor a request

 Customers should get the benefit of the

doubt

 Take care of your customers

The Author of Your Textbook Feels the

Customer is Not Always Right

Is he correct?

Is the Customer Always Right?

“Always” is the key word in the phrase.

How Does One Know What is Right or

Wrong in a Business Setting?

 What can you use to make a morally ethical decision when dealing with a customer?

Company guidelines

Legal laws

What the boss says

What else?

Dress in Your Armor

 You need to be prepared to meet a few unethical and dishonest people

They may ask you to do something unethical and/or dishonest.

What is Meant by “Dress in Your Armor”?

 Armor is something that will protect you, but from what?

You need protection from a person who is

unethical and/or dishonest with you, such as:

 A customer or prospect

 A competitor

 A co-worker

 Your boss

Your Armor Consists of:

 Speaking the truth

 Doing what is right

 Readiness to discuss what is ethical

 Trusting you know what is right, honest, and ethical

Build a Professional Reputation

 Be truthful and follow through on what you tell the customer

 Maintain an intimate knowledge of your firm, its products, and your industry

 Speak well of others

 Keep customer information confidential

 Be active in community affairs – make your

community a better place

 Think of yourself as a professional and always act accordingly

 Provide service “above and beyond the call of duty.”

Exhibit 13-9: A Super Sales Success

Secret

Do’s and Don’ts for Business Salespeople

 A survey of purchasing agents showed the most

important traits that purchasing agents found in their top business sales people:

The Path to Sales Success: Seek, Knock,

Ask, Serve

 Seek customers to serve and you will find

them

 Knock and people will open their doors

 Provide service after the sale and customers will buy again

 Selling requires the three F’s:

Faith

Focus

Summary of Major Selling Issues

customers and selling more to present

customers.

prospects.

can provide a high level of customer service.

penetration.

Summary of Major Selling Issues, cont…

 Always strive to help your customers to get

the best use from products you have sold

them or to help them increase the resale value

of these products

 Today’s professional salesperson is oriented toward service