From a recent email by Jim Meisenheimer:
What are you selling?
How would you answer this question?
I always ask this question during my sales training programs for my corporate clients.
Here's a sample of the responses I typically get:
"I sell dental supplies."
"I sell laboratory supplies."
"I sell (insert the name of your service)."
"I sell medical supplies."
"I sell lumber, doors, and windows."
I think you get the picture. Look, if you're in sales you're probably selling a product or a service. And that's understood!
If you think Starbucks is selling coffee you are mistaken.
If you think Home Depot is only selling products for the home you are mistaken.
What you should be selling are solutions. Solutions to customer problems.
Recently, Starbucks has been expanding rapidly and added sandwiches which changed the aroma of their fabulous coffee and slowed down their overall service. And because of their rapid growth they couldn't keep up with staff training.
The results are in - they just reported their first decrease in customer visits last year. They forgot what they were selling - the upscale coffee experience. Now they are scrambling to win back the customers they lost. Good luck in this down economy.
Home Depot cut back on its in-store experts and service in general which has opened the doors for Lowe's and their explosive growth.
C. Britt Beemer, a retail analyst, says "if you're going to keep customers happy, they have to have a great experience and have it consistently." The picture gets worse when he adds, "I've never seen so many retailers in my life that know less about their customers than they do today."
This is just not about retailers. How well do you know your customers?
How well do you know your customer's customers?
You'd better know your customers pretty well if you want to grow your business during 2008.
How do salespeople get better at what they do?
My best guess is through sales training - every year.
Stupid is as stupid does. Do you really know what that means? I did some research on the Internet and came across this - It means that "An intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid. You are what you do."
Here's an example. When the economy is tight and sales are soft - many sales executives cut back or eliminate sales training.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Jim Meisenheimer
Start Selling More Sales Training
13506 Blythefield Terrace
Phone: (800) 266-1268
Fax: (941) 907-0441 fax
Email: jim@meisenheimer.com
Website: www.meisenheimer.com
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