Anyone can do them.  Few will.

Set yourself apart by implementing them today!

1. Be Easy:  How easy is it for your customers to do business with you and your company?  In today’s time condensed-24 hour available-busy environment, customers have a much lower tolerance for difficulty in their lives.   
   • Be easy to get hold of:  Answer your phone.  Call people back quicker than they expect.  Reply quickly to pertinent emails.  Delete the rest.  Zero out your in-box so the important emails aren’t lost.  Handle them once and get them into folders or deleted. 
   • Be easy to order from:  If the company phone system is not easy to use, fix the system or bridge the gap until it is easy to put in orders.  By bridging the gap, I mean taking the orders on your cell.  If that’s not feasible, figure out your own communication method to make it easier for customers to place an order, track its progress if needed or know when it will arrive.
   • Administration – Accounting Systems! This is a big issue in Ag.  We have very difficult accounting systems, which makes it hard for customers to understand their bill or statement.  We also have complicated financing programs in many cases: pre-pay’s, early order, early delivery, zero % financing, but only on certain products.  The list goes on.  If your customers are confused, get trained on how to understand your admin programs or gain access to the system that allows you to understand them.  This can become a huge trust area if not handled correctly.  You should be able to walk a person through any administrative issue that occurs. 
   • “That’s Not my job”, I hear you saying.  Guess what, you are correct.  However, it is your job if no one else is solving your customer’s problems.  I agree that someone in the company should create an invoice or a monthly statement that is easy to read.  But, until they do, fill in and get the job done.
2. The Vital Few vs. the Minor Many:  One of the most important decisions you make every single day as a salesperson is where to go and who to call on.  Do you focus on the Vital Few or the Minor Many?  The Vital Few are the 20% of the 80/20 principle.  Focus on them for deciding on allocating your time, financial investments, and how to structure your business operations.  Afterall, they are the significant part of your business.  The Minor Many are great customers and we enjoy doing business with them.  However, their total revenue does not justify spending your time or your company resources on their business.  If you are a salesperson, this means spending time on sales calls with them.

Coming Soon! 

Join me next time as we tackle the next two Fast and Furious ways to sell more…better.

• The 10 people at your funeral:  
• The Arsonist vs. the Firefighter:
• Sales Gratitude: