Making the sale has always been the overarching ambition of salespeople. One cannot blame them, especially if their wages are based on a commission or their continued employment depends on volume. That is not to say that salespeople do not delight in the thrill of the chase or competing among each other. The role of a salesperson can either be very narrowly defined or very broad depending on the type of organization however, it mainly involves selling the company's products or services to customers.
Selling or Serving?
Service on the other hand is seen as a job or function where you assist customers with inquires or help them resolve complaints. It does not necessarily involve selling anything. Customer Service Representatives or Agents are normally found in companies with intangible products such as Fast Food Outlets, Banks, Hotels and Airlines. These companies discovered that their customer service personnel were not only effective at delivering value and resolving issues, but they were also good at up-selling and cross-selling.
The Service Advantage
The major difference between salespeople and customer service personnel is that salespeople have to sell to survive. Salespeople still offer a product or service that can resolve a problem for a customer or can add value. In fact, the most effective and successful salespeople are very service oriented. They are not primarily concerned with the numbers on a wall but with how they can best help their customers get what they truly need. The benefits of being more service oriented are customer retention and lead generation. Customers tend to refer their friends and family members to helpful salespeople. If you had a choice between a salesperson who seemed genuine in helping you and another who was just pushing a product, who would you choose?
Everyone Wins
How exactly does a salesperson become more helpful? We can find the answer to that question from customers. Have you ever heard someone describe a "helpful" salesperson? Many words have been used but among the more common ones are knowledgeable, attentive, reliable and caring. There are other things successful salespeople can do to be more customer focused, like being proactive.
Being proactive calls for anticipating the customer's needs, based on what you already know, thereby simplifying the process for them. When customers believe that a salesperson has taken the time to understand them, it creates trust. Once trust is created then the customer spends far less time questioning the salesperson's recommendations. As long as that trust is not broken, or abused, then a mutually beneficial and long term relationship would be established.
Richard Lewis - By Richard Lewis
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