Or, are you too afraid to ask? That’s a bit of a loaded question. A lot of salespeople I know are either too afraid to ask their customers how they are doing, are too afraid of the answer, or see little to no benefit in doing so. Sad on all three counts. So, how would your customers rate you in the following categories (in no particular order)?
- Did they feel at ease with you overall?
- Your product knowledge?
- Your attention to detail?
- Were you timely and responsive to their communications?
- Did you follow-up and follow-through?
- Your listening skills?
- Was the experience fun?
- Were you a man or a woman of your word?
- Were you concerned with their needs or yours?
- Did you ask good questions?
- Did you give them reasons to invest in your product or service, your company, and yourself?
- How did you handle their questions or concerns? Did you even understand them?
- Would they buy from you again?
- Would they refer you to others?
- Did you display a sense of urgency in responding to their needs?
- Were you prompt in all ways and at all times?
- Did you match your product or service to their needs and budget?
- How did you deal with rejection?
- Was your callback schedule appropriate?
- Would they rate you as a true professional?
- Did you disappear after the sale or stick with them?
- Did you follow-up to ensure their satisfaction?
- Was your service what was expected, less than expected, or “above and beyond”?
- Did they feel that they were a part of your team?
- Did you show them ways to increase their revenues?
- Were you able to solve any problems in a timely manner and to their satisfaction?
- If you did not know the answer to a question, did you fake it or admit it and then let your customer know that you would find out and get back with them in a timely manner?
- If something went wrong with fulfilling your customer’s order, did you wait for them to notice and call you or did you proactively call them and alert them to the situation?
- When you screw up, do you admit it and follow-up to correct it or do you try to shift the blame to others?
If you were able to honestly answer positively to all of these questions, you are likely one helluva salesperson! 🙂 If not, these are some good areas to be working on and constantly evaluating. The best way to do that is pretty simple. Ask your customer! They will be shocked. You will be amazed by their answers. New business opportunities will be uncovered. Lost sales may be rescued. Testimonials may be secured. You must always remember this … your perception of yourself means little. Other’s perceptions of you mean a lot.
Thanks for visiting and please feel free to add to this list!
Craig
Related articles
- The Future Of Selling: It’s Social (forbes.com)
- What is it About Salespeople? (psychologytoday.com)
- Salesperson? How Honesty Improves Your Sales! (christianpf.com)
- Sales Survivor: Three Strategies to Help You Meet Revenue Goals Even in the Recession (paceaustralia.wordpress.com)
- Why “Thank You” In Social Media Goes Largely Unnoticed (shegeeks.net)
- Dealing With An Unhappy Customer – The Six Golden Rules (customerthink.com)
