Michael Simpson
29i – Mastering Your Sales Psyche
Defining and identifying your most profitable customers, as well as understanding which products you have to offer that can be introduced to them to gain a greater share of their spending, is an important and often overlooked growth strategy for Sales Professionals. The art of understanding and responding to high value customers requires a level of confidence, strategy and knowledge that is often ignored by sales professionals. Sometimes we are so eager to chase down that “new sale” that we forget about the ones we already have in our pocket.
This brings into focus two other important areas that are byproducts of customer intelligence management; Customer Relationship Management or CRM and Relationship Marketing. Both are focused on customer retention and loyalty. Sale professionals who understand and use these tools effectively can increase their sales and build a base of long-term customers.
Today, there are numerous software programs designed to help you gather customer intelligence and effectively manage it. ACT, Goldmine, Microsoft CRM are just a few of the robust tools available that allow you to build an effective database of customer intelligence with specific functions created for the sales professional. These functions allow you to access this intelligence and use it to build targeted sales activities that include follow-up, consistent communication, up selling, and opportunity tracking. Keep in mind that these are tools used for your overall success and in no way do they create sales on their own. You see, I have seen too many sales professionals get sidetracked believing that they could automate the entire sales process with technology only to find they were wrong.
I love the integration of technology into the sales profession and I use it daily, but I know that it is a tool and an important ingredient not the only answer for sales success.
Get more killer ideas from my new book “29i Mastering Your Sales Psyche” at www.29ingredients.com
About Michael Simpson
