NOT AT YOUR CONVENIENCE – Best Sales and Marketing Ideas #61

101 Best Sales and Marketing Ideas

IDEA 61:

NOT AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

Sometimes sales people fail to achieve they want, not because they fail to assess what would work best for the client , but  more because the best way to sell the product or service is inherently a tad complicated whether an idea works needs to be judged first at the customer end of the telescope. If it work for them, then provided whatever it is cost-effective, then it should usually be made a priority; anything else surely risks diluting effectiveness. Some companies embrace this principle without compromise.

Idea

From Concord Trust Company….

This organization is a major player in the world of financial services, and specializes in advising wealthy clients on their finances. It certainly does not subscribe to the idea that the way selling is done must be convenient for the sales staff. It may not be: so is it. What matters is that the approach is organized to maximum the likelihood of reaching agreement, and doing so in a way that customers find acceptable. Concord Trust finds that manage their finances on a rather ad hoc basis. So it organizes meeting that get the financial adviser and the client round the table together with the client’s accountant, lawyer, or any other professional advisor who can sensibly be involved. Then all the bits of the jigsaw can be considered and discussed together. A question raised by one person may be answered on the spot by someone else, which avoids delays, and a good argument by one participant can be supported by others as the client listens.

This is clearly much more difficult and time –consuming to arrange than just taking the client out to lunch. But it is worth it, in term of both what can be done and client perception. Managing director Henry Feldman described it to Professional Marketing magazine like this: “when professionals do this they immediately transform themselves from railroad managers to transportation professionals in the eyes of their client”. The moral here is clear.

In practice

  • Selling must take place in whatever way achieves the objectives.
  • Resenting the fact that what works best is inconvenient or difficult is not one of the options.
  • Ignoring it allows sales to be lost by default.
  • If things can be made simpler, fine –if not, so be it. But do not knowingly dilute sales effectiveness.

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