Making the case for customer-focused selling and customer service

Everybody sells. But not everybody who sells is proficient at it. In fact, many who sell don’t think of themselves as salespeople. Some people even believe that selling is beneath their ethics and that selling, or at least the selling process, is uncomfortable, unnatural and potentially sleazy. This view of selling is based in the worst examples of pushy, unethical, sell-it-at-any-cost salespeople. 

Although plenty of examples of “bad” selling still exist, the methods employed by thoughtful, successful, professional salespeople today work in direct opposition to the outdated methods employed by those “sales dinosaurs.” The old method focused on the needs of the salesperson and his or her employer. For many years, customers allowed this to be the default method of selling and customer service. 

But customers have become more sophisticated and demanding.  Today their focus is on addressing strategic level problems in a manner that will make them more productive and more profitable. Customers are focusing on their needs and wants more now than ever. They expect vendors to focus on providing solutions to their problems. Customers now lead with the question “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM). 

What customer-centric means

Professional salespeople understand that selling and the selling process should be customer-centric. They know that:

• The sales process should revolve around the customer’s highest level needs and wants; that their focus should be on solving the customer’s most pressing problems.

• Establishing rapport early in the sales process, building a trusting relationship, then delivering results will benefit their customers far more than stereotypical feature dumping.

• Learning what their prospects and customers truly need and want will help them provide maximum value in the solutions they offer.

• Extending their relationship well beyond the initial sale will reap benefits for the customer and the salesperson alike.

• Asking their customers probing, meaningful questions, and then listening carefully to the answers, will help achieve the results they want for their customers and themselves. 

While professional salespeople recognize all of these things, many lack the skills or experience to put customer-centric selling techniques into practice. And many non-traditional salespeople–small business people, consultants, professionals, sole proprietors, customer service representatives and membership organization staff and volunteers–fall short of delivering a truly customer-focused problem solving sales process and high-level customer service (despite their good intentions and best efforts). In addition to disliking the process as they have experienced it, they just don’t know how to deliver high-level service. Their expertise lies elsewhere. 

Training – that’s the ticket

Like professional athletes, who continuously receive feedback regarding their performance and instruction on how to improve upon it, sales professionals recognize the need for ongoing training and coaching. They and their employers regularly purchase training, coaching and books to help them achieve their always-escalating sales goals.

Sales pros maintain a positive attitude. They know their products or services inside out. They keep themselves up to date with the latest thinking and best practices for delivering an exceptional experience to their customers; while at the same time meeting their customers’ strategic needs. 

Non-traditional salespeople, in contrast, are typically unaware of the sales and customer service methods most likely to result in increased sales, profitability and customer loyalty. In fact, many of them don’t even understand that they are an integral part of the sales process. Those who do understand this reality are open to learning effective methods of providing customer-focused sales and customer service and to providing the requisite training to their employees. They realize they must focus on meeting – even exceeding – customer expectations. So how do they do that? 

Outstanding customer service – feel the love

First, by recognizing that customer service is “job one” for everybody in every business. Delivering outstanding customer service and support and nurturing customer relationships must take top priority. 

Take every opportunity to illustrate how each employee affects sales, profitability and customer loyalty. Each job, or position, within your business influences whether customers will remain loyal. Each employee, whether or not they have direct contact with customers, contributes to your customers’ overall experience. 

This means that the people who contribute to your customers’ experience of your organization include, to name just a few:

• Those who keep up the appearance of your building and offices,

• Your service people and receptionist,

• The people who design your invoices and invoicing procedure, your marketing

materials, signage, and Web site,

• The crew that keeps your company vehicles cleaned and free of dents. 

Choices made by human resources about hiring practices, training, compensation and employee retention all reflect your company’s philosophy on how to relate to people and on your commitment to providing the resources necessary for employees to deliver the best possible experience to customers. And the decisions you and your executive management team make to learn about your customers, to use customer-friendly means of communication and service delivery, to consider the impact of your policy decisions on your customers’ experience, and most importantly, to commit to a customer-centric philosophy in everything you do, directly affect the quality of your relationship with your customers. 

Second, spread the word and stress the importance of keeping your customers’ satisfaction “top of mind” throughout your organization. And train everyone in your organization, from receptionist through executive management, how to think from the customers’ point of view. 

Teach your employees to ask your customers questions and to apply what they learn from their answers. Consider the impact of policies and decisions on your customers before establishing and implementing them. Adopt a philosophy of considering the customer’s perspective in day-to-day operations. Everything you do should support this customer-centric philosophy. 

On the front lines

Notwithstanding my emphasis on making a great customer experience a company-wide responsibility, let me be clear that your employees who have direct customer contact have an opportunity to make the biggest contribution to increasing sales, profitability and customer loyalty. Salespeople are an obvious example here. 

But others in your organization may represent the greatest opportunity to make a positive impression on your customers. They may also represent the greatest challenge in overcoming the status quo. Sadly, many people who are front line customer service representatives (CSRs), even if they have a different title, (for example, bank tellers, insurance agency CSRs, call center operators and hotel front desk auditors - and their supervisors and managers) believe they know what good customer service is. But often their ideas of what makes good customer service are founded in dated thinking reinforced by daily routine. 

Answering phones courteously and directing calls and inquiries promptly, returning calls timely and responding to questions with accurate information are all part of what constitutes good customer service. But they’re just the beginning – just the basics. 

Truly memorable customer service is realized when CSRs add value to their interaction with the customer. They do that by getting to the bottom of whatever it is that matters most to their customer, by asking questions, by listening effectively and by solving their customer’s problem. By going the extra mile – beyond what your competitors offer for customer service – you’re making it easy for your customers to do business with you. You’re positioning yourself as a trusted, strategic partner with your customer. You’re effectively locking out your competition. And you’re fostering customer loyalty. 

What’s next?

There’s another very important step in keeping customers loyal – follow up. We’ll talk about what happens after the sale in another article. Stay tuned. 

Achieving this high-level customer service, by asking good questions, solving problems by applying what is learned through your customer’s answers and proactively following up after the sale, will result in increased sales, profitability and customer loyalty. That said, it makes complete sense to promote customer-centric, customer-friendly practices throughout your organization. 

After all, everybody sells.