Three Keys To Attracting And Retaining Customers Or Clients

By Virden J. Thornton

     By carefully studying the attributes and techniques used by suc­cessful sales representatives from a cross-section of industries and professions, you can determine what it really takes to sell your products or services, maintain high quality customer or client relationships, and upgrade your organization's present base of business. Once you really understand the motivation and methods used by top sales professionals, you will be in a better position to consistently generate more sales for your firm or company.

    Findings from the daily sales activities at The Selling Edge^®, Inc., and extensive research by others into successful sales promotions, have identified three underlying attributes or success factors that assist top sales professionals in building and maintaining a profitable customer or client base. As you set out to attract new business and increase the profitability of those customers or clients you presently serve, these three factors must become the foundation on which you build every promotional activity.

I. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

     Developing effective and consistent two-way communication skills is the first component in establishing and maintaining a selling edge and developing long-term customer or client relation­ships. It is accomplished through practice and constant exchange of thoughts, feelings, and reactions with those customers, clients or prospects who have a distinct need and ability to acquire the products or services that you provide.

       A prospect's or customer's thoughts and feelings can easily be discerned by talking to him--asking open-ended questions and really listening to what he has to say about his family, background, employment, goals, hobbies, and interests. Then you can use what you have learned to create a long-term, mutually profitable working relationship.

II. ACHIEVEMENT DRIVE

     The right attitude--a strong, overpowering will to succeed (success motivation) is the second key to achieving consistent sales. Studies show that top sales people from every field of endeavor have more desire to achieve than the vast majority of their peers. They also gain personal satisfaction in helping other people make sound buying decisions. This gives them the energy, stamina, enthusiasm, and compelling motivation to attain the edge that produces higher rates of sales and high quality customer service levels. 

     To success­fully sell your products or services, you need to develop a strong desire to succeed. Our research reveals that success motivation can be learned and heightened with a positive attitude about yourself, your products, and services through creative mental imagery, and by developing specific, written sales and promotional goals.

III. DAILY PLANNING AND PERSONAL MANAGEMENT

“The mere possession of selling techniques does little to insure success. It is the person's attitude and work habits that are important.”

                                                                    Dr. Richard H. Buskirk

                                                                                      Associate Professor of Marketing

                                                                                      University of Colorado

     The third concept to be mastered, if you are to achieve success in selling, lies in your ability to schedule your time wisely and work effectively during the periods you allocate to your sales promotional activities. Major studies have conclusively demonstrated that sales profession­als are successful not because of any special or unique selling techniques they use or a sales personality, but they succeed because of the positive disciplined approach they bring to their work.

     You can take a detailed look at each of the three key components to see what it really takes to attain The Selling Edge^®, mastered by today's top sales professionals by reading the other articles in this series or participating in a workshop or personal coaching program outlined on this site (See http://TheSellingEdge.com/personalCoaching.htm).                

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge^®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Pilot, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publications, Inc. Menlo Park, California. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. To obtain a substantial discount on two of Virden's new manuals, 101 Sales Myths and Organizing For Sales Success, just click on either of the titles above.

Note: You can contact Virden at virden@TheSellingEdge.com. You can also see an expan- ded biography at http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/bio.htm.

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