Sales: How to Refresh Your Relationship

How do you think you are doing? Do your customers like you? Why do they keep using your service or business? Or why do they leave? Are you afraid to ask? Do you think that if you ask, you’ll get an ear-full?

Ask for Feedback

Keeping your customers happy requires good communication and feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers how you are doing. You may find out some very valuable information—like why they keep using your services or products, or that they are unhappy with something that you need to fix ASAP.

What Should You Ask?

Here are a few questions to ask good customers:

• How did your company originally select us as a supplier? (This reinforces their decision.)
• What do you like best about dealing with us?
• If you could change anything to improve our relationship, what would it be? (Fix the problems immediately!)
• How can our company increase marketshare? (Good customers are eager to help and like to be asked for advice.)
• How does our company stack up against the competition? (You need to know this.)
• What other products or services should we provide? (Create a pre-sold condition.)
• If you were the CEO of our company, how would you go about holding on to good customers like yourself? (They’ll tell you.)

Keep ’em Talking

Did you notice? These are all open ended questions designed to get and keep the customer talking. Remember, your role as a salesperson is to ask good questions and listen to the answers. Make sure the customer is talking more than you are.

To learn more, see Chapter 22 in Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling. For even more sales help, join our FREE Sales Club! “See” you next week.

Good selling!
Don Crawford & Lois Carter Crawford

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