I Expect More
When buying something you expect that product to do exactly what it says on the tin
, right? When buying a service, we expect delivery as per our "expectations", right? And on this score, should the person selling the service go over and beyond our expectations, we'll recommend them to everyone we know who's looking for the same service, not true?
So I'm suggesting we take these into consideration with every sale : that means that every customer (potential or otherwise) receives the same level of commitment to delivery... the same level of excellence as would be delivered to our best / largest clients.
The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.- Isaac Asimov
So how does this "Change Constant" translate to the world of sales? It means that instead of offering your normal Off the Shelf (OTS) service or products - you or your company adopts a "Bespoke Serviced" approach to meeting your client's needs.
If, for example, you sell furniture, or rather, beds in particular. You receive a request for a 4-foot high headboard with purple velvet and diamantes on a studded and padded backdrop with tassels on each corner.... Is your response "well, no we don't supply that"... or is it the can-do attitude of "Let me see what I can do, and I'll get back to you"?
In selling there are usually 2 barriers
* Implicit Barrier
* Explicit Barrier
Implicit Barriers will be those that are implicitly implied. Look at ISO 9000 / 9001 - a worldwide recognised document which outlines a family of standards that relate to quality management systems and are designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders, according to Wikipedia. Implicit Barriers will also include the fact that goods received will meet with the Occupational Health and Safety Standards, or that child labour will not have been used in the making of the product.
So here clients will expect their goods to be in perfect working order if bought in store, or delivered on time, if bought online. They expect to be able to return it should it be faulty. These Implicit barriers are tangible and measurable standards that have become the norm at any given time across your chosen industry and amongst your peers. Remember here that an Implicit barrier is set by the market you're trading in, not the company that you're working in.
An Explicit barrier would therefore be your clients intangible expectations. They will expect things to be delivered on time. They will expect to be communicated with at every stage of the sale process.
So if you're able to do even a little bit more than what is expected (i.e. exceeding the barrier) then you'll manage to delight them, and turn them not only into a loyal customer, but even an
evangelist for your company, product or service.
And example would be in communicating with your clients online - it's now the norm to receive an email confirming your order, and a rough estimation of the date you can expect your delivery to be made. You may even expect an email asking you to rate your purchase afterward. If you need to return the product, you expect a confirmation email telling you that the product has now been received and that it'll be refunded to your account.
Going one step further in this instance is sending a text to communicate receiving the product - it creates an air or urgency - and communicates that you think it as urgent to you as it is to your client that they receive their money back. Going the extra mile here could also mean a phone call or email from an "actual person" who takes ownership of the process(with a phone number and email address provided) may not mean your client will phone you each time they want a new product, but will give your product a personality, and create loyalty from your clients.
Making use of up to date technological tools that are commonly used (like communicating by text or MMS / SMS - perhaps sending a picture of the item received) will mean that you become a trendsetter and organic growth is experienced in setting new industry standards.
Essentially, if we remember that we're trading in people - and with people come relationships. To build relationships we build trust and loyalty - and a way we have of developing this is through services and understanding if we've met the needs of our clients.
Quality is an attitude, not a tangible thing. It can be adopted to any product or service being sold - and the effects will be felt positively if adapted to fit your clients needs on a case by case basis.
So give them what they want that they don't say, in that they expect more, more and more again.
by: Ron Salmon
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