Are you wasting your customers’ time? Or adding value every time you call on them?
In this pressurized, multi-tasking world, where your customers are expected to produce
more in less time, they may be growing less eager to meet with you than they were just a year ago. Time is more precious today than ever before, and your customers are feeling the pressure.
Bringing Value
In order for your customers to reliably make time to see you, they need to expect that they will gain some value for the time spent with you. That means that, if you are going to be successful in the world of B2B sales, you’ll need to create a reputation that time spent with you is worth the investment. If over time, you can create that idea in the minds of your customers, you’ll find them generally willing to meet with you when
you call. And in an economy where “too much to do and not enough time to do it” is the prevalent mindset, that reputation is a valuable asset.
The Starting Point
As is always the case, it starts with thoughtfulness and preparation. As we
prepare for a sales call, we so often think about what we want to accomplish and what we want to gain out of the sales call. Very few salespeople ever give any thought to what the customer gets out of it. That’s the starting point.
Here’s a little mental trick to help you: Before every sales call, when you are thinking
about what you want to do, and what tools and materials you’ll need, take a moment and ask “What is the customer going to gain out of this time they spend with me?”
