Much of a sales organization's success depends on what happens after the sale. That's the valuable role of Account Management, taking care of the customer once they have closed. These posts will help you succeed.
How well do your salespeople know today’s customers?
Think of your biggest customers and prospects and ask yourself these questions:
The answers to these questions may give an indication of how well you’re responding to changing behaviors in customers and prospects.
The key to getting around gatekeepers to make a sale is to understand their motivations.
Here are six main reasons gatekeepers block access to decision makers:
Some salespeople are convinced that the most important part of a sales call is the opening. “The first 60 seconds make or break the sale,” they seem to think.
Research shows no correlation between openings and success, except in small sales. The first few seconds are critical if the sales presentations are based on a single call. But in B2B sales, prospects may overlook a poor start if they think a salesperson can solve a problem for them.
Ever order a sandwich because your friend or spouse did, and it just sounded good? That simple act could be the best lesson you’ve ever had in why customers buy — and how you can get them to buy more.
Companies sink dollars and resources into surveys, gathering data and analyzing all of it. They measure every touch point and ask customers what they think after nearly every transaction.
Yet, most companies overlook the single most important influence on any customer’s buying decision: observing what other customers actually do.
We’ve long talked about the influence word-of-mouth, reviews and social media have on customers and their decisions. But seeing other people — strangers and friends alike — use and like a product has a huge impact on buying decisions.
Online reviews are more than a pat on the back or a testament to your customer experience. They can have a serious impact on the bottom line, new research found.
Positive feedback actually causes increased demand, and in turn, higher prices.
Even if your existing customers are as loyal and fanatical as football fans, you still need to win new customers all the time. Here are five unique and proven ways to do it:
The customer sales cycle isn’t what it used to be. Online searches let customers learn much more about you before — or if — a salesperson ever enters the scene.
That’s why just about every part of the customer experience needs to be outstanding or unique: You never know when someone will decide it’s time to become a customer.
Try these proven ways to bring in new customers:
The life force of sales is a strong pipeline that’s flowing with prospective customers. Without a pipeline of prospects, it’s difficult to have long-term growth or proper short-term results. Creating one is a two-step process.
It involves:
Everyone can benefit from applying creativity.
Start by defining the problem you want to solve. This is your creative challenge, and it expresses where you want to end up. Like the picture of a finished jigsaw puzzle, the creative challenge will help you develop new ideas and improve existing ones.
The customer service function has long been dubbed a “cost center.” With so many opportunities to help increase sales, that should be no more.
Companies are increasingly building business plans that include a sales function within the service arena. The best part: Many realize success. Some service departments have helped their companies boost revenue by 35%, according to a McKinsey & Company study.
How? McKinsey has identified some common factors in the profitable customer service departments. They include:
Those skilled at the art of customer negotiations have a wide range of behavioral profiles and are flexible in their approach.
But there are 13 beliefs they have in common:
