After years, if not decades, of travel for face-to-face communication with customers, many of whom have become friends, I find myself struggling with the reality and challenges many of us now face. Lockdowns. No in-person, face-to-face meetings.
There are travel restrictions imposed by the government or by our companies. Friendship aside, I have to keep my job; and in my sales role, that means selling the products that keep the lights on and my teammates employed at my company.
As a friend and customer told me early on in the pandemic, 'The good news is your competition is not traveling either. The most important thing you can do is keep in touch with your customers.' His comment was so simple and, perhaps due to the consequence of not traveling to see anyone, I may have forgotten how significant this simple act is.
We have to reach out perhaps more proactively than we are typically accustomed to. The venue has changed for our meetings to video conference calls. No matter how odd these video calls may feel these days, they are the closest we can get to physically being in the same room as our customers. It's good to see how our friends are doing. How are they coping? How are their loved ones? What's that hanging on the wall behind them? The calls can be fun too. We are now invited into homes across the state, province, country, and, sometimes, the world. These meetings may bring us closer together. I find myself talking on a more familiar and relatable level with friends and customers. Genuinely concerned about how they and their families are coping these days. It's interesting how I have gotten to know more about my customers on a deeper level, and I am sure this is due to how we have had to change our communication.
I am sure questions have come up for all of us in sales, such as: Where should I focus my energy? What can I do to stay relevant now that my position has changed? How can I continue to contribute?
Think of the customer. Now more than ever, our focus has to be on the customer - not to give them everything they think they want but to provide them with the best customer service experience they have had. Listen to them and own the issue/concern until it is resolved, even if it means you have to get others involved. YOU are still the one that is in contact with the customer. React.
Focus on existing customers and help them meet their needs. Be a solution provider. Going after new customers will not be as fruitful as maintaining and STRENGTHENING the relationships already in place. Our customers need to trust us at this time. Customers trust who they have been working with and those who continue to develop the relationship.
These are interesting and uncertain times. However, we can choose to strengthen our relationships during these times or not. What will you do to make a difference?
Written by Brad Stoeckel, Hatco Dealer Sales Manager.
