June 21, 2012

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2.     Talk to the right people.

Many times it’s hard to conquer step one because you haven’t solidified who your target audience really is. It is one of the most important steps you can take in business.

And once you’ve identified the primary decision maker or purchaser, you’ll spend less valuable time talking to people who aren’t qualified to tell you yes. Most importantly, you won’t make the mistake of trying to convince someone about your company’s offering that doesn’t meet your criteria.

In other words, don’t be so thirsty for a sale that you’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, only to discover there’s no water, yet you’ll drink the sand instead.

3.     Let your product and service speak for itself – then amplify it.

It’s important to sell and ship great products (and services) but it’s also important for you to amplify your message about your offering to the right consumers. This means that your website, marketing collateral and advertising should speak so succinctly to who you’re target is that there’s no confusion.

As a customer, I shouldn’t have to ask, “Are they talking to me?” I should know it immediately. And when I know, I won’t beleaguer you with:

“Well so and so offers this and that …” and “I just don’t know.”

At times you or your sales and support teams may be confronted with these types of questions. The best way to preclude them is to be clear (in all consumer facing touch points) about your value proposition, why you’re different and who you’re talking to.

Don’t waste your sales, customer service and operational teams’ efforts insisting that they push square pegs in round holes. If you do a good job communicating who you are, what you do and why you do it from the onset you’ll save time, money and energy.

4.     Create principles and stick to them.

This goes without saying, but if you find yourself dealing with a rude, unethical customer — do both of you a service and let them go. If you don’t know and communicate your company’s value, don’t expect others to. Like the old adage says, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

To take these steps a bit further, it may be wise to gain a better understanding of your customer acquisition costs and compare them to the resources or intangible headaches they may cause your team. There is a better way to do business and it starts with refinements in the areas mentioned above.

What are some tips and tactics that have worked well for your company, when it comes to customer satisfaction? Let me know in the comments section below.

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Photo Credit: GQ Italia

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