ExpertAnswers
November 2012
Getting Better Customers
With Sam Richter, best-selling author and expert in sales, marketing, and reputation management.
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Every small business wants more customers. But how do you get “good” customers?
These are the kinds of customers that start-ups and famous brands alike have found thanks to Sam Richter.
A best-selling author and expert on sales and marketing, Sam was named one of the nation’s Top 25 Most Influential Sales Leaders in both 2011 and 2012. His most recent best-selling book, Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling, has also won numerous awards, including 2012 Sales Book of the Year from the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals.
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Not everyone is comfortable with the “sales” part of owning a small business. What are some ways to make it less of a necessary evil and perhaps even enjoyable?
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Shift your mindset. Your goals is to make the customer’s life better. So when a customer walks in, ask them about their needs or problems, and talk about ways to improve things. You’re not “selling” then; you’re just asking questions and sharing experiences on how you have helped others in similar situations. You go from salesperson to relevant storyteller.
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Are there specific things “ideal” customers look for in the small businesses they use?
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For whatever reason, many businesspeople assume that that need to be low-price provider. As small business, you have opportunity to be a whole-value provider.
Price is still important, of course, but value typically trumps price. If there’s a relationship with the owner—trust and assurance that you can do the job for them—they may well be willing to pay a little more.
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