MAKE YOUR CUSTOMER IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY – Best Sales and Marketing Ideas #24

101 Best Sales and Marketing Ideas

IDEA 24:

MAKE YOUR CUSTOMER IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

For anyone selling, and certainly for a full –time sales person, sales productivity is vital. Only when you are face to face with a customer or prospect will you produce business, yet there is so much more to be done. Tasks ranging from administration to travelling (and details like finding somewhere to park) take up time and, if unchecked, reduce your productivity.

Idea

From a financial adviser based in the City of London …

I regularly receive telephone calls from financial advisers (don’t we all?), and one sticks very much in my mind. He was interesting and personable, and I listened for longer than I might have done with someone less good. I already had an adviser I was happy with, however, and did not want to pursue matters with him. But I did ask him what would happen next should I be interested. “You come and see me”, he said. This surprised me. Most such people cannot wait to come to my home or office, so I queried it. “Don’t you mean you come and see me?” When he confirmed that I must visit him, I explained my interest, and asked him why he used this tactic.

He explained that first; he was concerned to maximize his productivity. “I spend time on the telephone and I spend time with prospects and clients,” he said, “but I spend no time travelling, parking or sitting in other people’s reception areas”. Second, he was concerned to identify the best prospects. “Only those with real interest will take the time and trouble to visit me”. In addition, he found that the tactic differentiated him for other advisers. “Even before I meet people they have an impression of me that helps me. They are intrigued and interested, and arrive prepared to listen”, he commented.

He added that it was partly because he was based in central London and dealing with clients within easy reaches of his office that this system worked well for him. He had been top sales person in the company three year running. Of course, some prospects will have no truck with this, but enough liked it to make his approach effective – and his productivity, and thus his sales results, high.

In practice

  • Never fear trying radically different ideas (although you may sensibly test them first).
  • Assisting customers’ productivity always goes down well, but keeps tight control of your productivity too.

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