QUOTATION 77

DALE CARNEGIE ON WHY IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU (TOP TEN ENTRY)

Use this to remind you of the importance of establishing good lines of communication with your customers.

Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) wrote the bestselling management book of all time, How to Win Friends and Influence People. The book has been described as the salesperson’s bible. But the book is about much more than just sales. It’s concerned with how to build and maintain relationships which is the foundation of all good business practices.

You can close more business in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you.

Dale Carnegie

We all love to talk about ourselves, our triumphs and problems. Is it any wonder that we like people who are willing to listen?

WHAT TO DO

  • You have two ears and one mouth. Therefore, spend twice as much time listening to your customers than talking at them. This will improve your relationship with them and your sales will increase.
  • Let your customer set the agenda. Encourage them to talk about their business, your products and products from other suppliers. If you’re really lucky, they will tell you what they wish you made. This will help you to identify their true needs and may lead to the alteration of existing products or the development of new ones.
  • Remember, you’ll never learn anything new when you do the talking. All new knowledge is obtained by listening. So learn to listen actively. Don’t sit there thinking about what you are going to say when the other person stops talking. Listen, then ask questions about what they said and/or seek further information or clarification. This will show that you are interested in what they have to say.
  • Stay in contact with your customers. Communicate with them regularly, even when you’re not trying to sell them something. Who knows, they may mention a problem that you might be able to help them with and, bingo, an unexpected sale is made to a grateful customer. Use email, phone, newsletters, personal visits and social events to develop your relationship.
  • Build trust. Always keep your word. Don’t renege on a deal or a promise, even if it means you lose money. Give your best customers your best deals, don’t exploit them.
  • Be frank with customers. If there is a problem, tell them as soon as you know about it. If you can’t answer a question don’t bluff. Tell them you don’t know but you’ll find out and get back to them.
  • Don’t become defensive when customers become critical. See it as an opportunity to rebuild good relations by sorting out any problem to their satisfaction.
  • Recognise customer loyalty by offering a range of rewards, including discounts, better payment terms and special deals.
  • Build up a profile for each customer and spot developing trends.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

  • How often do I speak to/visit my customers?
  • Do I always ensure that my customers get the best deals going or do I give those to new customers?
..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset