What To Do When Customers Contact You by Alan Fairweather

What to do when customers contact you

What to do when Customers Contact You

Copyright ÂŠ 2010 by Alan Fairweather All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form and by any means (including electronically, mechanically, by photocopying or otherwise) without written permission of the publisher.

Published by: Alan Fairweather International 6 Keith Row Edinburgh EH4 3NL Scotland United Kingdom +44 (0) 131 315 2687 alan@themotivationdoctor.com

ÂŠ Alan Fairweather 2010

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What to do when customers contact you

About the Author Alan Fairweather is an International Speaker, Best Selling Author and Sales Growth Expert. For the past seventeen years, he‟s been developing the talents of managers, sales and customer service people, and turning them into consistent top performers. After training as an engineer, he moved into sales and management, holding senior positions in the Electronics, Industrial Supplies, Car Maintenance and Drinks Industry.

He is the author of two books: 'How to be a Motivational Manager' A down-to-earth guide for managers and team leaders. 'How to Manage Difficult People' Proven strategies for dealing with challenging behaviour at work. Alan is a specialist in the Banking, Financial Services, Retail, Real Estate, Telecommunications, and Hospitality Industries. His inspirational and entertaining, seminars are delivered in the UK, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. Alan is very much results driven and is committed to helping businesses find new customers faster, lose fewer customers and win more sales from existing customers. If you want Alan to speak at your Conference or meeting you can check out his website at - www.themotivationdoctor.com And book him on – tellmemore@motivationdoc.com You can also pick up loads of tips and techniques on how to motivate your team at – „Motivation Shots from The Doc‟ You‟ll find it here - http://www.managedifficultpeople.com/wordpress/

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What to do when customers contact you

Contents Contents ................................................................................................................................................. 3 You must take action ............................................................................................................................ 4 Be prepared ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Build a relationship .............................................................................................................................. 5 Take the initiative................................................................................................................................. 5 More initiative....................................................................................................................................... 6 Be totally customer focussed .............................................................................................................. 6 Be helpful ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Ask questions ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Really listen to the customer .............................................................................................................. 7 Keep asking questions ......................................................................................................................... 8 Welcome questions from the customer ............................................................................................ 8 Talk benefits not features ................................................................................................................... 8 Know the competition ......................................................................................................................... 9 Be prepared for objections .................................................................................................................. 9 How to deal with objections ............................................................................................................. 10 Listen attentively ................................................................................................................................ 10 Pause ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Acknowledge it ................................................................................................................................... 10 Ask......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Empathise............................................................................................................................................. 11 Answer .................................................................................................................................................. 12 Reconcile .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Ask for the order ................................................................................................................................. 12

ÂŠ Alan Fairweather 2010

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What to do when customers contact you

You must take action There are many actions you can take to encourage customers or clients to contact your business. This book is about what to do when they contact you. It‟s hard enough to find new customers, so when they contact you or a member of your team, then you‟d better make the most of that interaction. Some customers will contact you to order a product or book your service. However, in reality, the majority of people will contact you for more information. It‟s vitally important to know what to do when they phone for more information, come and see you or ask you to visit them.

You need to convert their interest into a decision to buy.

This is not about pressurising people or manipulating them into dealing with you – it‟s about helping them to make a decision that is beneficial to your both. Here are some steps to take when a potential customer contacts you:

Be prepared Always have all information and materials to hand to answer a customer‟s question. Technical information – prices – product specifications. Be prepared for any question the customer might ask either over the phone or face to face. The customer is unlikely

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What to do when customers contact you

to be impressed by your professionalism if he hears you rummaging around for a price list.

Build a relationship It can be a big challenge to turn a stranger into a customer. However it‟s much easier to turn a stranger into a friend and a friend into a customer. When you first make contact with a potential customer, start to think in terms of making them a – „business friend‟ Get to know them, get interested in them and their business make a friend.

Take the initiative Be prepared to take charge of the call or the meeting. Always confirm what the next step is. If a customer asks – “Do you make this product in blue?” Don‟t just say – “Yes we do.” Say – “Yes we do, would you be interested in seeing a sample or having a demonstration?” If the customer says – “I‟ll think about it and call you back” Say – “Why don‟t I save you a phone call, I‟ll call you back and see what you‟ve decided. When would be a good time to call?” Of course, all of this is said in a really polite, friendly and warm manner.

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What to do when customers contact you

More initiative If a customer calls for information - tell him what he wants to know. If you feel it could be beneficial for your business, you could say – “Why don‟t I call and see you with some more information Mr Jones. What time this week would be convenient?” Again – warm - friendly – polite.

Be totally customer focussed Get into the mindset where you are totally focussed on the customer‟s needs. Don‟t fall into the trap of rhyming off all the features and benefits of your product of service. The customer may not be interested in the fact that it comes in a range of colours – has a ten year guarantee and can be delivered within half an hour. He may only be interested to know if it has a „left-handed kafuffle valve!‟

Find out exactly what the customer wants from your product or service.

Be helpful If you don‟t have what the customers is looking for, make a suggestion that will help the customer. Don‟t be too eager to recommend a competitor unless you really can‟t help.

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What to do when customers contact you

Ask questions Ask open questions to gain more information about the customer‟s needs. – “Tell me Mr Smith, what sort of applications will you use this product for?” Ask closed questions to help the customer make a decision – “Can I come round this week and show you this product in action?” By asking questions you show an interest in the customer and in their individual problems.

Really listen to the customer If the customer says – “Tell me more about the services you provide” You say – “I‟d be pleased to - is there any particular service you‟re interested in or is there anything specific you want to achieve?” If the customer says – “Well, I‟m particularly interested in the X, Y and Z service” – only tell him about the X, Y and Z service. Do not ramble on about all the wonderful things your service can do, remember – the customer is only interested in WIIFM (What‟s In It For Me) If through further discussion and questioning you realise that another of your services would be better – then that‟s the time to introduce it.

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What to do when customers contact you

Keep asking questions Bad salespeople talk continuously at the customer. People who‟re good at getting others to buy or commit to a course of action – are good questioners and listeners. Whether you‟re face to face or speaking to the customer on the phone – ask lots of questions relevant to the customer‟s needs. It sends a message to the customer that - you‟re interested in them, and not merely trying to push your product or service.

Welcome questions from the customer Don‟t go on the defensive if the customer asks a difficult question and think – “Why is she asking me questions like that, is she trying to catch me out?” Perhaps you might say – “That‟s a very good question Mrs Brown; to help me give you the best answer would you be willing to give me a bit more background to that question?” This will help you identify what the customers real needs are – their DBM (Dominant Buying Motive)

Talk benefits not features When you talk to the customer about your product or service, always talk about how the customer will benefit. If the customer asks – “How fast does this washing machine spin? Don‟t say – “Very fast – 1500 rpm”

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What to do when customers contact you

Say – “Can I ask why that is important to you Mrs Mc Donald?” If she says – “My tumble drier is so expensive to run and I want the clothes to come out of the washing machine fairly dry.” You say - “This machine spins at 1500 revs per minute which means – your clothes will need less time in your tumble drier so saving you electricity costs. Do you think you‟d like this machine Mrs Mc Donald?”

Know the competition Always be aware of what your competitors are doing and how you compare to them. A customer may say – “I‟m interested in your service but I can‟t understand why it‟s more expensive than the xyz company.” If you know what service the xyz company is offering, then you‟ll be far better placed to deal with the customer‟s question.

Be prepared for objections When you answer a customer‟s enquiry question, they may say – “Oh that‟s too expensive” or “The xyz company can deliver much quicker” or “I wanted one with a left-handed doodle switch.” You won‟t always be able to meet the customer‟s exact requirements but perhaps you might meet most of them. Let‟s say that your product or service meets 95% of the customer‟s requirements. Perhaps they may be willing to settle for that rather than chase around looking for another supplier who can make 100%. And, after all, you are building such a good relationship with the customer – your warm and friendly approach may just clinch the deal. © Alan Fairweather 2010

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What to do when customers contact you

How to deal with objections Listen attentively There is always the temptation to jump in with an answer when the customer raises an objection. It‟s often the case that you‟ve heard the particular objection a thousand times before and you have an answer for it. It‟s far better to listen really well and let the customer know you‟re listening. Lots of eye contact and nods when you‟re face to face and lots of “Uh Hu‟s” when you‟re on the phone. Look and sound like you‟ve never heard this comment before. Let the customer say all they have to say.

Pause Just for a couple of seconds. It lets the customer know that you‟re considering and evaluating what they‟ve said. It also gives you time to think and formulate your reply.

Acknowledge it When a customer raises an objection say something like – “That‟s a good point Mr Smith” or “I can understand why you say that” or “I can see where you‟re coming from.” If you say any of this - then you have to mean it, otherwise the customer will know you‟re not being sincere. It‟s often the case that the customer will raise an objection because they don‟t fully understand the benefits of the product or service.

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What to do when customers contact you

Ask Clarify with the customer, exactly what they mean when they raise an objection. It‟s often the case that customers don‟t say what they mean. A customer may say – “That product is too expensive for my needs” So you would say – “What exactly are your needs Mr Smith?” By establishing Mr Smith‟s exact needs, you may be able to justify the costs by showing how your product satisfies his needs. However, it may be the case that Mr Smith is right and either you sell him a less expensive product or overcome his resistance by introducing other factors such as – „immediate delivery‟ – „a free back up service‟ – „a ten year guarantee.‟ - Anything that you can think of to swing the deal and outweigh the cost concern.

Sometimes a customer might say – “It‟s too expensive” When you probe for more information they say – “It‟s not so much that it‟s too expensive, I think it‟s just too big for my needs.” So, in this situation it‟s not the price that‟s the problem, it‟s the size – sell him a smaller one or justify the increased size.

Empathise It may be appropriate to empathise with the customer‟s objection. You could say something like – “I can see why you think that „s expensive” or “I see what you mean about this being too big” or “I can appreciate that you need this done quicker” © Alan Fairweather 2010

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What to do when customers contact you

Again – this has to be a genuine response. It lets the customer know that you‟re on their side and that you care about their situation.

Answer If you believe that you can out weigh the objection – answer the customer using the features and benefits of your product or service. You could say something like – “I understand your concern about the cost Mr Smith. As you pointed out earlier - you need a product that won‟t let you down. This product has a fail safe device that means you‟ll never be let down and it‟ll save you approximately $120 over the next year.”

Reconcile You will need to check that whatever you propose satisfies the customer - “Does that sound okay to you Mr Smith?” or “Does that look like it‟ll meet your needs?”

Ask for the order

If you don‟t ask you don‟t get

In sales jargon, this is known as “closing the sale” It‟s the point in the discussion where you ask the customer a question that decides what happens next. It might be asking for an order or it may just be seeking permission to move to the next stage.

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What to do when customers contact you

Questions you would ask could be: “Shall I go ahead and get this sent out to you?” “Can we go ahead with this?” “Can I process your order?” “How many of these do you want?” “When do you want delivery?” “Can I organise a demonstration?” “Can I arrange an appointment for our specialist to call?”

If a customer says “No” to any of these, then you‟ve missed something. You need to go through the objection handling process again and find out what the concerns are.

Many people are frightened to ask the closing question because they don‟t like the feeling of rejection that comes from the word “No.” Some people also get concerned that they might be seen as pressurising the customer. However, if a customer has contacted you by phone or come to see you, then they‟re indicating an interest in your product or service. Therefore, you must ask them what they want to do next. If they say “No” or offer objections, then you now have a process for handling them. You don‟t want the situation where a customer goes off the phone or walks away from your premises without committing to some form of action or telling you the reason why not. © Alan Fairweather 2010

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What to do when customers contact you

Some customers just want you to ask them to make a decision. I‟ve dilly-dallied over many a product or service that I‟ve been interested in. I just needed someone to encourage me to go ahead.

Having built good rapport with the customer - the asking for the order or some other form of commitment will come very easily.

You now know what to do when customers to come to you – when they do - make sure you take every opportunity to maximise your business with them. It‟s out there for you to do so Build relationships – Give great service – Get paid.

I wish you every success in your business and if you have any questions or any points you want to make please email me at: askalan@themotivationdoctor.com