About a month ago, I asked a question about guest bloggers on the Independent Consultants Support Group on LinkedIn. Paul Kaerger commented in the discussion which led to an off-line conversation and the guest post below. He wondered if it would be appropriate for this blog. Would you answer his question in the comment section? Why is it appropriate?
A few years ago, I worked for an outsourcing business that had a very successful track record in retaining its clients. Its clients were blue-chip companies, the contracts were multi-year deals worth several millions pounds.
One of the things they taught me, was that we are all salesmen. That approach contributed to the success of the company.
Did that mean we all tried to sell, to find new clients, to close deals? From the receptionist to the MD?
Of course not.
What they meant was:
In every dealing with the client, we were to be professional. If we promised something we were to deliver it. If they called, we were to answer the phone and make sure their enquiry was dealt with.
We were to listen out for opportunities. If the client mentioned an IT related problem or an area that wasn’t working in their business, we were to pass that information up to the account managers.
We were to constantly look for ways to deliver better value to our clients. If that meant we found a way to reduce the amount of money they spent with us on a specific service, then that is what we would do, because, in the end, the bigger picture was the multi-million pound deal and not the £10,000 saving on hosting we passed on.
We were to listen out for opportunities. If the client mentioned an IT related problem or an area that wasn’t working in their business, we were to pass that information up to the account managers.
We were to constantly look for ways to deliver better value to our clients. If that meant we found a way to reduce the amount of money they spent with us on a specific service, then that is what we would do, because, in the end, the bigger picture was the multi-million pound deal and not the £10,000 saving on hosting we passed on.
So, ask yourself. Is everyone in your business focusing their attentions on delivering great service to your clients? Do they make it their mission to treat your clients with respect and professionalism? Do they always listen to your clients to identify new ways in which you can help them? Do they ensure they always deliver the best value service to your clients?
If they don’t, it is not just a case of telling them. You and they may need help understanding what great service means or you might have to put the case to your staff of the need to change.
I have seen many instances where people get so caught up in their own processes and troubles that they lose that important focus. Maybe this is where you need someone to come in and look at ways to really impress your clients. Whatever the case, business owners have to be ready to tackle this and get people on board and willing to “wow” their customers.
If you liked this article, you can read more of Paul’s articles here. Enjoy and don’t forget to comment before you leave.
RainMakers & Sales Rock Stars 
Businesses only exist by adding value to our customers. They get to define what things they value.No matter what business we think we’re in, if someone in our company discovers a problem that a customer has that we can solve- we jump in. We want to be as valuable to them as we can- irreplaceble is even better. If they’re having trouble changing light bulbs, we’ll send a crew over to change light bulbs. Everyone in the organization should be watching for customers problems we can solve. Ps. Truck drivers seem to know more about what’s going on at customers than ceo’s