.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
I get a ton of e-mails asking to solve sales dilemmas. Here are a few that may relate to your job, your life and, most important, your sales thought process right now:

I don’t have a problem finding new customers. It’s keeping my current customers that I struggle with. What’s the best way to make customers feel appreciated, so they come back again and again? – Steven

Steven, think about the companies that you buy from more than once. They have accessibility both online and on the phone. They have reliability to get you what you want when you want it. They have perceived value in both their products and their services. And as a bonus, they have friendly people to serve you. These are the elements that make me want to spend my money.

About 10 years ago, you published the book “Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless.” Have the dynamics of generating loyalty changed with the deepened role of the Internet in sales and communication? – Nick

Nick, the only thing that’s happened to loyalty over the past decade is that the importance of it has finally come to the forefront. I love companies that brag that they have a 98 percent satisfaction rate among customers, yet for one reason or another they lose 15 percent of their customer base annually. Because the Internet is always available and getting easier to use by the day, it has generated increased loyalty among shoppers and more viral word of mouth because Web communities, bloggers and Google have created a new awareness.

How do you recommend that I sell to a company that’s “weathering the tough economy?” I’m a young company, and I’m trying to close that crucial first sale. My product is an advertising/marketing solution, especially advertising for credit card companies. As you know, advertising is one of the first places that companies scale back their spending (even though tough times are the best time to ramp up advertising). My selling proposition is NOT for companies to increase advertising spending. In fact my proposition is that my product will decrease advertising spending and augment the effectiveness of their other advertising efforts. – Jeromy

Jeromy, stop using the word advertising. Nobody wants to advertise, but everybody wants what advertising does. Focus on words like “increased sales,” “increased traffic” and “increased profit.” The key to your sale lies in the customers’ ability to see what is in it for them and act accordingly.

What would cause you to “fire” a customer? – Dan

My first disclaimer is: I’ve never done it. I have, however, fired internal customers. I would fire customers for failure to keep promises, failure to act in an ethical manner, not telling me the truth, creating unreasonable demands or not allowing us to make a profit.

But I wouldn’t just fire them; I would sit down with the highest-ranking officer in the company and talk openly and honestly, about what our challenges are. I would say that I can’t continue to do business under these circumstances.

If there were no ability or desire to change the situation, then I would try to find another source for them – the competitor I hate the most.

If I sell office equipment, what examples would I provide in my speech to pose an interest while preventing them from running away? – Colleen

Colleen, when you give a speech to a civic group, never speak about what YOU do. Speak about what THEY do as it relates to you. If you sell office equipment, then your job is to talk about office morale and office productivity – something the audience will relate to and makes them think of you as an expert, want to see you again and want to buy from you.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2009 Jeffrey H. Gitomer