When the economy slows down, smart salespeople do everything they can to keep their current customers happy. Here are some tips:
Make them trust you. Honor your commitments. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Follow through and follow up.
Anticipate problems and defuse them in advance. What’s the best way to do that? Stay in touch and make sure you understand your customers’ concerns.
Act as a resource. Go beyond your interest in making the sale or earning a commission. Let customers know you’re ready and willing to offer your assistance, advice, ideas and support.
Serve as their ambassador. If you don’t represent and relay your customers’ needs and wants to your organization, who will?
Be creative. Break the rules, push the edges, refuse to accept the status quo. Keep customers’ ever-changing needs in mind and look for ways to satisfy them.
Make yourself available when things are going well and when they aren’t. Don’t duck and cover—be there for the worst as well as the best.
Become a student. Find out about customers’ business, goals, objectives, frustrations, needs and desires. Learn about their industries, their competitors and trends that affect them.
Create a team spirit. Make sure customers know you and your organization are working together with them.
