Consumer Relations

Successful business owners train their salespeople to develop a foundation of strong customer relationships. Why? As with every other purchase decision, individuals prefer to do business with people they like, with people who seem genuinely interested in them, and with people who really care about their concerns. So unless salespeople are willing to appropriately start and then nurture the customer relationship, customers won’t return and they certainly will not refer their friends.

Some company leaders attempt to educate their sales force about customer relations by using buzzwords such as total quality management, customer satisfaction index, zero defects, client service, etc.

But what does all this really mean to salespeople?

After all, many of the veteran salespeople made it through the ‘80s and ‘90s without all the commotion about quality and service. So why all the fuss now? Is this just another fad, some passing fancy that will come and go like Hula-Hoops, disco dancing or designer jeans? Hardly. A fundamental change is taking place in customer service, and the salespeople who realize this and change with it will be the people who will be successful in 2002 and beyond.

Customers (you may call them clients or patients) are the lifeblood of any small business or professional practice. To thrive, you need not only a steady stream of people who keep coming back for more goods or services but also those people to enthusiastically recommend your business to their friends. To build a loyal following, you must do more