Nov 15 2007 8:59AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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I met today with a sales manager in California … you should have been there.  We talked about a lot of things … but mostly about his customers.  In particular, we talked about “customer perceptions”.  What customers thought about his company … and “why” they “thought what they thought”.

Customers are fast learners.  It doesn’t take much to get them to like you … and it doesn’t take much to get them to feel just the opposite.  Matter of fact, with today’s customers … “love” depends on you.  And it depends on what you can “prove” and what you can’t.  In other words, does your proof support your claims?

“Claims” Versus “Proof”

Today’s customer’s, more than ever before, needs proof.  And I can’t blame them.  With so many people fighting for their attention … they’re overloaded … overstressed … and overwhelmed.  And that causes them to “believe less” and “doubt more”.  Let me show you what I mean. 

Have you ever thought about the difference between “what you say” and “what you do”?  If you haven’t … you should.  And that’s because that “what you do” is almost always more important than “what you say” … at least as far as your customer is concerned. It all boils down to a single rule:

Everything that touches a customer is the result of a process.

Which really means that, “Everything your customer experiences … is the result of your process”.  That’s right.  Your customer’s experience is the result of your sales process.  Which leads to a very important question … especially when it comes to today’s customer.

Does your sales process support your claims?

Think about it.  It might be worth the time. We all claim we’re in it for our customers … and it’s all about the customer.  But is it?  Does your selling process support your claims.
Food for thought.