Your Customer Service can be Your Winning Sales Strategy
Customer service and sales are quite often viewed as completely separate business strategies.
This is understandable, as customer service is mostly ‘customer retention’ focused, and sales is ‘customer acquisition’ focused.
Customer Service and Sales — Two Very Close Relatives
Regardless of these differences, the two are very close relatives. For instance, if service is perceived as sporadic or low quality, this can potentially backfire on the sales process.
The benefits of quality customer service to a business cannot be underestimated. Benefits can range from increase in revenue, lower risk of business failure, increased efficiency, reduced costs attached with new customer acquisition and more.
Customer Service Impact on Customer Experience
While focus must be placed on sales training — customer experience, if consistent, creates a ripple effect on your business.
When customers receive quality services from a company, they take that experience with them and publicise it within their social network.
Sales reps can use testimonials from satisfied customers in their sales pitch. This has proven many times to be very effective in sales.
It’s without a doubt much easier and cheaper to sell to satisfied existing customers than a new prospect.
Sales Training for Customer Service
Sales training is undeniably important and it should be all-encompassing.
Head of Global Enablement at Oracle, Roderick Jefferson, suggests sales enablement (which includes sales training) should act as a hub that interacts with all parts of the organisation including sales, marketing, HR, call centre training, etc.
Mark Johnson, a Customer Loyalty Specialist makes an interesting connection between emotions and customers loyalty. He explains that:
“Customers may not always remember everything about your brand but they will cling to the select few moments that made them feel strongly in one way or another… Whether it’s a surprising reward that triggers a happy response, or a poor customer service experience that left them feeling undervalued.”
Mark Johnson, Customer Loyalty Specialist
Three Ways to use Your Customer Service as a Sales Strategy:
1. Manage your customer’s expectation
This is the first step to achieving customer loyalty.
The worst thing a business can do is promise one thing and then offer a contradictory solution or timeline.
Don’t allow your sales people get carried away in the sales process and promise what you know you cannot deliver just to close a lead. Remember:
Customer Expectations + execution = Customer Satisfaction.
2. Use customer reviews and testimonials as promotional material
- Add testimonials and customer reviews in your promotional materials (website, social media, etc).
- Highlight the reviews that particularly talks about the features and benefits of the product or service.
- If possible, include actual video testimonials.
Customer reviews and testimonials are two of the most powerful ways of boosting the selling points of your brand, and showing off your customer service.
3. Use the push vs. pull method to stop selling and help people buy
With the vast wealth of choices and information available online, customers don’t want to be pushed into a sale any more, they want to be pulled in by what is beneficial to them.
So it’s crucial your sales people are also learning about what motivates a customer’s buying decision.
KONA Group runs a complete sales training package that includes sales management training, customer service training, call centre solution, and more.
Call 1300 611 288 or email: info@kona.com.au to discuss how KONA Group can improve your sales results.
