It’selection time and your customers are voting
I wish I had a dollarfor every salesperson who bragged to me about how GREAT theirrelationships are with their customers, and then lost a sale becausethey weren’t the lowest price or lowest bid.
I would be amulti-millionaire.
Every time yourcustomers buy from you, they’re telling you, “You win. We electedyou vendor and we’re voting with our dollars, our money.” Is thatsweet or what? Real sweet. Unless you don’t win.
It’s a double loss.You lose, and the competition is celebrating. Reality bites.
Most of your customershave more than one vendor selling them the same product. Some haveseveral. So you may have a customer, but not all their business. Alltheir wallet. It’s even referred to as “wallet share.”
Voting decisions arebased on either history or trust or both.
Those decisions areformulated from the following criteria:
Ease of doingbusiness
Belief in product
Perceived value ofproduct
Reliability ofproduct (quality x use)
Durability ofproduct
Reputation ofproduct
On-timedelivery exactly when I need it, where I need it
Correctness oforder
Correctness ofbilling
Ease of return
Ease of orderadd on
Ease of orderchange
Friendliness ofpeople
Performancecomparison of product
Customer’sbelief in company
Customer’sbelief in salesperson
Response toservice needs
Response ofsalesperson
Trustworthiness oftotal package
And you thought it wasprice.
No, price is only theissue in the absence of value.
FIND THE VOTINGISSUES: Those are issues that cause decisions to be made. And ifthose voting issues are more important than the decision not to buythe item, the vote will be made to purchase the item. And money willfollow.
As a salesperson, Ihave given you the issues of consideration when someone isconsidering a new purchase from you. I recommend you work theseelements into your presentation in a way that answers concerns beforethey arrive.
Each time you answer aconcern, you build credibility. Build enough credibility and theprospect will feel secure enough, and believe and trust you enough,to buy.
NOTE: The list above isnot applicable in all buying situations. Your job is to determinewhich of them fits your situation, and then create a winning strategyaround them. None of these purchasing issues or concerns are complex– but when answered and addressed properly, they will lead to afavorable, value-based decision.
NOTE WELL: Sometimesyou’re dealing with procurement or purchasing and price is THEissue. Your job in sales is to build relationships with decisionmakers in any department BUT these.
NOTE VERY WELL: Thismay be a reorder (better known as a sales, service, value reportcard). From the time of your first sale, your report card begins.The next order will depend on the following key elements:
1. Was your product orservice delivered on time?
2. Were all of yourpromises kept?
3. Were service oraccounting issues resolved favorably?
4. Did you follow upafter the service?
5. Is it easy to findanyone in your company (at any time)?
6. Did you stay incontact with the customer on a regular basis in between sales withsome kind of value message?
6.5 How accessible andresponsive were you?
I have just barragedyou with facts and questions. Many are uncomfortable. But none are sochallenging that they can’t be answered in a belief building way.
When a customer decidesto buy from you. When they decide that for whatever reason, you arechosen, they vote with their money. And there is only one way tocount that vote — tally up your bank account.
If you want more ideasabout purchasing strategies and why there’s a smarter way to getthe customers vote, go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re afirst-time visitor, and enter the word VOTE in the GitBit box.
