Accessibility: Your Best Sales Tool

By a show of hands, who here has been sold on something by a smooth
talking and impressive salesperson only to find them completely
inaccessible after the sale?

You can all put your hands down.

Now think about it. Why would a salesperson woo you and be your best friend before the sale and not after?

Oh yea, that little thing called commission.

Now let's talk about you and your business. Maybe
you have a team of slick salespeople, and maybe you're filling that
role yourself (along with many others). Let me give you a secret that
will increase sales and keep customers coming back:

Be available.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

If a customer has a question and calls you (as owner or salesperson or whatever) instead of support or customer service, answer the question.

If a customer emails you about anything, including photos of their dog's surgery, respond promptly.

If a customer calls to say he'll be in town, take him to lunch.

Customers who are well cared for stick around. They just want to be
loved, or at least appreciated. After all, they gave you their hard
earned money, didn't they? You'll find when you pay more attention to
your customers you can:

  • Circumvent problems before they occur
  • Make customers want to spend more with you
  • Better understand your customers' needs

So ask yourself if your organization is doing everything it can to
be available to customers. I'm willing to bet you've got room for
improvement. Haven't we all?

About the Author: Susan Payton