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Quickstart - Salesperson or Customer Advocate Part 2
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Quickstart
Grow a Profitable Consultancy and Still Have Time for a Life
In this issue
Note from Beverley - What Works For Your Clients
One Step Further - Salesperson or Customer Advocate Part 2
Personal Reflections - Busy Busy or Busy Productive?
Note from Beverley
Most consultants have a list of what clients like and dislike about working with consultants, and I thought you may find this article interesting and useful when reviewing what works for you and your client relationships. What Works For Clients
Have a good week.
Beverley
bev@onestepfurther.co.uk
www.onestepfurther.co.uk
+44 (0)1258 817647
One Step Further
At the end of part 1 I left you with the question
So what do your customers want and how can you deliver it for them now and in the future?
Simply - customers want you to solve a problem or fulfil a need for them. In return companies need to provide solutions to problems and find ways of fulfilling their customers' needs and with a better value proposition than their competitors.
As technology becomes more widely available, information on product, price and capability are ever more transparent, which makes it more challenging for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The cliche of "a company's most valuable assets are its people" is never more relevant than in our current business environment.
So what are the consequences of this for you and your sales force?
If your customers want you to solve their problems, there needs to be a way of understanding what those problems are, the impact they are having and what practical, effective solutions you can provide at a cost and within a timeframe that benefits your customer. Suddenly, it's not so easy.
"The salesperson will have to become more competent in the issues that our customers are grappling with. Customers are demanding solutions based on value propositions that bring measurable value to their bottom line." HR Chally
In order for sales people to change the way they relate to customers, companies will need to be clear about exactly what role they expect their sales force to fulfil and what type of customers they want to do business with. This will depend on the type of business, whether it is product or service based, consumer or B2B focused and how customers want to buy.
The traditional role of a salesperson was to communicate the value of their company’s products or services to their customers. However, the availability of this information can be freely obtained through other channels and a sales force used solely for this purpose is no longer adding any value. The sales force of the future needs to create value in a way which their customers will clearly see a differentiation between them and their competitors. So how will companies need to change to meet the new possibilities of gaining and maintaining customer loyalty?
One approach is to adopt the CSAVER model.
C - Customer
S - Segmentation
A - Assessment
V - Value creation
E - Execution
R - Retention
Look out for part 3 in a couple of weeks time to learn more about the CSAVER model.
Personal Reflections
I'm sure like me you don't go more than a day without hearing yourself or someone else say "I'm too busy". I've written before about the word busy and apparently, in Japanese, it literally means, "dead hearted"
Well I prefer my definition. You are busy Because U Say Yes!
What is it about the need to take on more stuff?
What is it that drives sane, intelligent people to take on jobs, roles and responsibilities "because they can"?
What is it that makes us focus on "stuff" rather than what's important?
This busyness causes numerous problems.
Firstly, once those people around you learn that if they want something doing you will do it, they develop a habit and so do you.
Secondly, once you become used to taking on extra jobs, doing other people's work and making "favour doing" a part of your every day life, time no longer becomes your own but driven by the needs of others.
Thirdly by doing "stuff" that you aren't good at, don't enjoy and use as "time wasters" you are not focusing on what you are good at (get paid to do) what you enjoy (fulfils you) and what is important -personally and professionally.
Stephen Covey in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People talks about first things first, important v urgent and start with the end in mind all good tenets to avoid the busy for busy sake mindset.
Be busy doing the right things right and not doing things just Because U Say Yes!
Best Regards
Bev
bev@onestepfurther.co.uk
www.onestepfurther.co.uk
+44 (0)1258 817647 |
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