| Many professional sales people are engaged in | | | | accept my call in 2 weeks. Well, two weeks |
| relationship selling because this leads to customer | | | | passed, I made the call and he never called back. |
| loyalty. To truly embrace this sales approach | | | | We are now at eight weeks after that promise |
| means that you must put the customers first and | | | | and several additional calls have been made |
| foremost. The question is Do You? | | | | without any responses from him. Do you believe |
| Maybe you are automatically responding to this | | | | that he is fostering customer loyalty? |
| question with an affirmative Of course I do! Yet, | | | | Another customer first behavior is follow up. Any |
| do you really always put the customer first and | | | | promise that you make you take the necessary |
| foremost? To understand this question means | | | | actions from emails to snail mailing articles. Again, |
| that you must look at your behaviors that are | | | | relationship selling's goal is to build customer |
| the outward demonstration of your beliefs | | | | loyalty. |
| reflected through your attitudes. | | | | A third customer first behavior is always helping |
| One customer first behavior is how quickly do | | | | your customers before helping yourself. Maybe it |
| you respond to customer's calls as well as calls | | | | is introducing your customer to another potential |
| from prospects and suspects. Are you selective in | | | | center of influence. Your focus in always on your |
| making those returned calls? Do you have a voice | | | | customer and how you can help them meet their |
| mail that I will get back to you in a few hours and | | | | needs. The focus is not on how many more sales |
| then never return the call or call back two, three | | | | that you make. |
| or four days later? | | | | If you are using relationship selling, them you will |
| Recently, I have had some serious problems with | | | | increase sales especially when you truly |
| my local bank that was acquired by a larger | | | | understand and more importantly practice putting |
| regional bank. I met with the regional Chief | | | | your customers first. By taking such actions, you |
| Executive Officer. He even agreed to read a book | | | | will achieve the ultimate goal of customer loyalty. |
| - Fail Safe Leadership - that I gave him and would | | | | |