Become A Member
Don't be a Communist Salesperson
In a communist country virtually everyone is treated the same.
Unfortunately, many sales reps take the same approach and treat
all of their customers equally. They spend about the same amount
of time with each customer, show them the same products, and
make the same recommendations. However, this approach will not
help you achieve the best possible results because contrary to
popular belief, your customers not all equal.
Here is how you can change your approach to improve your
results.
If you study your territory you will find that you have three
types of customers. A small percentage (roughly 20 percent) of
your customers will account for the majority of your sales and
profits. These customers are your high-revenue, high-profit
accounts; we'll call them your A accounts. You will also have a
group of low revenue, low profit customers (approximately 20- 25
percent). These are your C customers. And, lastly, you will have
a collection of accounts that generate good revenue although not
as much as you would like. These can be classified as B clients.
So, if you look at these categories, where should you invest
your time? For the best results, you need to invest your time
with the small group of high-revenue customers and here's why.
Your low-revenue customers may generate a great deal of your
revenue but they also cost you money in time and margins. Most
customers who fall into this category complain about price, do
not see the value in your products or services, and demand
concessions on a regular basis. As a result, they erode your
margins and profits. They also frequently contact you with
problems and take up your time dealing with small,
inconsequential issues. These calls and situations take you away
from, and prevent you, from investing more time with your
high-profit, high-revenue customers, your A accounts.
It is easy to fall prey to thinking that spending more time with
the large group of customers in the middle (your B customers)
will dramatically affect your revenues. However, the problem
with this thinking is that is the vast majority of these
customers will not buy more from you. A small number, perhaps
twenty percent, do have some high potential. You can determine
which of your accounts fall into this category.
Many sales people fall into the trap of spending time with the
customers they like or with whom they connect. While this
approach may feel good, it is seldom the most effective, and in
today's harsh economic climate, you need to invest your time
with your high-quality customers. Here is what you need do to in
order to achieve this.
Block eighty percent of your selling schedule for the top twenty
percent of your accounts.
"What? Spend most of time with only few of my customers? What
about everyone else?" You see, although your low-revenue,
low-profit customers tend to be more demanding than your A
customers, many of their concerns, problems, or pressing issues
tend to be reactionary. That means they often call you with a
problem that they could solve themselves but they have grown
accustomed to picking up the telephone or sending you an email
every time every time they have a problem. In many cases, you
return their call only to discover that they have resolved the
issue. This not only wastes your time, it takes your attention
away from other high-revenue sales opportunities.
What about your B accounts, you ask? You fit them into the
remaining twenty percent of your schedule which means you will
reduce the frequency of visits to these customers. This may seem
counterproductive but I can tell you that it works.
One of my clients analyzed their sales figures and discovered
that more than 80 percent of their revenues were generated by
fewer than 20 percent of their customers. They strategically
choose to improve their service and visibility with this group
of accounts. They didn't ignore their other customers but they
did reduce contact with them. Not only did their sales increase
but their cost to attain each sale dropped which drove more
profit dollars to the bottom line.
This is not an easy transition for most people to make because
they get trapped into believing that they must service every
account equally. But, if you look at hotels, airlines, and other
businesses, you often find that the top-tier customers receive
preferential treatment. Shouldn't it be the same in your
business?
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps
sales professionals close more deals in any economy. Receive a
FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to
his free newsletter at
www.Fearless- Selling.ca.
Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings
and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at
905- 633-7750 or
Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca .
Our Recommended Franchisors in the
UK are at......
Increase Your Sales
Advertising on Top Business Ideas has proven to be a
great way to increase traffic and sales
for our advertisers.
Click Here
For More Info.
Contact Us
tony@topbusinessideas.com
(UK) 07919 052918