Ask This Question, Earn A Customer

Good morning!

I want you to imagine your competition this morning. They’ve been trying desperately to get through to your accounts. Like all of us, their efforts seem futile and most of their phone calls go to voicemail.

Except for today.

Today, they successfully connect with one of your top accounts. Whether it’s a mistake or miracle, a key contact of yours picks up the phone and says, “Hello?”

Think about that transaction. This sales rep might make a low level sales call and ask something like, “Who buys your printing?” or “Are you the person in charge of buying?” and then tries to take the account with lower prices.

But what if they took a different approach?

What if they had done their homework, researched the account, and came up with an idea or proposed a solution to meeting a business need? What then? How would your client respond?

If you’ve done your job, this account has an overall general satisfaction with you as their vendor. You are delivering quality products at a fair price and on time. But if you think that’s enough to keep you in the account, you are sadly mistaken. It takes more. You have to constantly bring them new ideas. You have to stay ahead of them and understand where their company is headed. Without this extra step, you are vulnerable.

So, what I propose you do is ponder this question for each of your top accounts:

“What can I do to win my customers’ business today?”

This is a question I think you should consider each week for each of your best customers. It’s important to recognize your vulnerability, especially if you think, “Oh, they love me.”

You are only as good as the last job you shipped in. The concept of competing sales reps beating the door down is real. The concept of them taking your accounts with better prices is factual. The chance that you could lose this account because they’ve come up with a better solution is truth.

Constantly give your existing customers reasons to continue to buy from you. Propose new ideas and solutions and even if they don’t like them say something like, “I don’t ever want you to think I am taking your business for granted. I want to constantly earn it.”

Get going. While you are taking in this week’s sales tip, the phone of a key contact is ringing.

Every sales challenge you’re facing has been solved by someone else. Find ideas, inspiration, and continuous sales growth through The Sales Vault community. For more information, go to SalesVault.pro. I can be reached at 781-934-7036 or bill@salesvault.pro.