When it comes to earning a customer’s respect, the LEAST important item is:
- Find customers for your customer. This is not to say that your customers won’t appreciate it if you drum up some business for them. In fact, they’ll be grateful, but that kind of service isn’t expected and therefore isn’t really tied up with respect, per se.
By contrast, the other six items are absolutely crucial:
- Put the customer’s interests first. If you’re not doing this, customers will know that you’re just out for yourself. They may still buy from you, but they’ll never really respect you as a peer.
- Honor the customer’s time limits. Customer, just like everyone else, are busy people. If you don’t respect their time, they’re not going to see you as worthy of respect in return.
- Always fulfill your commitments. No customer is going to trust a sales rep who can’t transform words into action. You must deliver what you say you’ll deliver. No exceptions!
- Understand the customer’s business. If you can’t be bothered to know what the customer is doing, then you’re not respecting the customer. That lack will be returned, in spades.
- Add value from the first meeting. Customers expect MORE from sales reps than from other business colleagues. You have to provide value, up front, or they’ll write you off as useless.
- Dress appropriately for the customer. It’s a little like dating. Wearing appropriate garb communicates that you value the relationship enough to take extra pains.
READERS: Do you agree?
