When I was in international trade, there were complex processes involved in picking up shipments.   For example,  when a shipment arrived from Thailand or Europe, it meant that someone must to arrive at a port of exit at an appropriate time, board the vessel or airplane that arrived in the United States, clear customs, receive the shipment and deliver it promptly to the customer. Customers didn’t care about how complicated the process was.  They were only interested in that we were committed to service in terms of time and price. 

Prospects and customers seem to have shorter attention spans every year. If a video or website doesn’t catch the user in a few seconds, they’re gone. Likewise, when a customer checks out a product or service; we need to hook them quickly.

I like going to state or county fairs. Part of the experience I enjoy, is to check out sales booths. Those that caught a person’s attention quickly tended to have customers.  However, when it took people several moments to figure out the product or service; it caused folks to pass by.

In sales management 101, we learn that we have a responsibility to know our customers. A follow-up question is do our customers know us? The principle to remember is that people prefer to buy from somebody they know rather than from a stranger.

There is a difference between relational selling and processing an order.  To adopt relational selling means you take steps to make sure your customers know you and your company personally. When I work with clients with sagging sales, I help them examine why customers have left their business. Frequently, we find that it’s the regular customers who have departed. Our job is to understand why and create a strategy to keep current customers, create new customers, and reconnect with lost clients. 

Here are some ways to reconnect.

I used to pick up my mail next door to a carpet store.  One day I saw the sign in the window:  Bigalow Carpet Sale. The problem was that the sign had hung in the window for years. Even if I wanted to buy carpet, the sign did nothing to motivate me to purchase from their store.  Clearly, the lower price would be available any time in the future.

When we decide to discount goods or services, our offer is more effective when we give the customer a reason to act urgently and order now. We may use words like “on sale for a limited time only.” When we give the customer a reason to act quickly, the credibility of our sale offers increase.

Retail stores will discount seasonal goods. This sends a message to customers that the store will receive no more winter coats.  It says that now is the time to purchase before they’re all gone. Another example might be, “Buy now because raw material prices will increase, and future product will reflect these higher prices”.

When working with customers, one way to guide them to decide to purchase your product or service is to incorporate the word, you, into your pitch.  It is a pointed and personal way to help your customer put themselves into the picture.

I was working with a company selling high end backyard hardscapes such as swimming pools, outdoor kitchens and hot tubs. Part of my coaching was to encourage salespersons to incorporate the word you aggressively into their presentations. For example:  Would you like to see your kids, or grandkids, playing in this pool? Do you believe this outdoor kitchen would allow you to entertain in your backyard? Do you see yourself soaking in the hot tub after a hard day at work?