It’s Not Just About Salesmanship
Of course your numbers matter. But customers have a lot of options these days—from choosing a competitor to buying directly online. So you have to go above and beyond the traditional sales best practices. You need to be personal, real and approachable with your customers and your community.
A Little Humanity Goes a Long Way
The same way you don’t like to be on the phone with an automated voice, your customers don’t want to feel like they are dealing with a robot when making a deal. So be more human than salesman whenever you get the chance. Here are three tips:
- Create “Social Capital”
- Be Human
- Invest in Your Community
1. Social Capital is Good as Gold – A good handshake still goes a long way in creating strong customer relationships. So does a traditional thank-you card or email. Building true goodwill with your customers will have them coming back for more, time and time again. So work to collect as much social capital as you can.
2. Be Human—Not Emotional – Being human should be a no brainer, but many salespeople forget the basics. Be honest. Own up to your mistakes. If you screw something up, simply ask for forgiveness. That being said, you can be human without being overly emotional. Don’t whine. Don’t complain. Never let a customer know if you feel hurt by a lost sale. Always stay warm and professional, even when the stakes are high.
3. Become Part of Your Community – As a professional in your community, work to build as much community goodwill as possible. Tip well when you take clients or customers to lunch. Join some local organizations. Put some of your profits back into the community whenever you can. When locals respect you, they will respect your business too.
Customer loyalty matters and the extra steps you take to build strong relationships will impact your bottom line. Don’t forget the sales best practices, but add in the human element any chance you get.
