Dare to Lead

Sales books come and go. You know the kind I'm talking about, books supposedly written by high profile sales icons who basically all say the same things. Most of us have gotten through that stage in our careers and have had enough experience to know the rights and wrongs of selling. That isn't to say that we cannot always benefit from new ideas, but most of the so-called "new ideas" espoused by the self-important gurus aren't really "new" but repackaged old ideas that most of us know about already from our own experience.

However, there is a book "Book of Excellence," written by a seasoned furniture salesman, Byrd Baggett, that contains a number of sales ideas about how to treat customers...no matter what you are selling. The book has been on my desk at home for a number of years and when I need a lift I return to Baggett's homilies for inspiration. After all, selling is all about the needs of the customer and Baggett understands how to make a customer feel special. Let me share a few of his thoughts with you. Actually there are 236 of them but I don't have the space to share all of them with you.

For starters, Baggett makes it clear that "Customer satisfaction is an art" and it is if done properly. Then he goes on to tell us to "Outhustle your competition." In other words, go the extra mile each time to satisfy your customers' needs.

Here's one you don't hear too often: "Never justify a problem. Fix it instead." In other words, use your creativity and ingenuity when confronting problems.How about this one, "If possible, return all phone calls within one hour." He's right! One of the biggest complaints I still hear is, "It takes him days to call me back." Never but never fail to return a customers' call immediately. It can be the difference between failure and success. Finally, "Follow up,follow up, follow up." Failure to follow up a call is like taking a cruise on the Titanic.

Baggett ends his book with this admonition: "However, while there is much talk about customer service, so little is actually delivered that many people are startled when a business treats them well. Satisfied customers don't just happen. They are the result of truly BELIEVING that happy customers are the crucial ingredient of success."

The selling profession will always remain the same; taking care of customers will always be the goal of the Best of the Best.

Regards,

Chuck