Sales numbers and sales processes should be understood and owned by everybody in your organisation. In today’s world if you are not directly in sales you are supporting someone who is. This is why sales really is a team effort.
Rather than being just about a feel good factor and great staff alignment, this has practical applications as well. For instance with the ability for customers (or anyone) to find and connect with anyone in your organisation through many difference channels (i.e. social networks, Google, etc.) the whole business needs to be sales fit.
With anyone being able to contact anyone anywhere anytime it is critical that all your staff understand:
- What your company stands for (in language they and the customers understand)
- What your company sells and how it supports your customers
- How they need to sell and service customers
- That everyone in the business either sells directly or supports someone who sells
If not problems may arise that cause more issues than they are worth. For example imagine a customer, unhappy with a software product they have purchased, finds the name and number of the lead person who developed or designed the software and calls them directly to complain.
What happens here? One of several things could happen. Here are some examples:
1) The Software designer/ developer actively listens to the issues of the customer, empathises with and understands their issues completely, helps the customer resolve their issues in the most effective manner possible, the customer feels heard, understood and able to work in collaboration with the person and the business. In addition the software engineer may take on board the new suggestions and consider them for future upgrades.
or
2) The Software designer/ developer is stunned by the out-of-the-blue call and doesn’t know how to deal with the customer so after some mutterings hangs up on the customer.
or
3) The Software designer/ developer tells the customer they don’t know what they are talking about and gets into an argument with the customer resulting in either the customer or software engineer hanging up.
or
4) The Software designer/ developer tries to help the customer but gets too technical using jargon the customer doesn’t understand leaving the customer feeling more confused and perhaps frustrated or even angry.
This issue and others like it are becoming more common place leading to more customers voicing their disquiet in all sorts of public ways – just think Twitter for example. Customer complaints are no longer residing in the domain of the customer service department anyone can read about them these days – thus leaving businesses brand and reputation exposed to ridicule rightly or wrongly.
How we handle difficult customer situations says a lot about us and our companies.
So how many of the key people in your organisation (read CFO, CEO, Operations Manager, Product Mangers, Distribution Manager, Sales Manager etc.) are skillful at communicating and handling customer enquiries, complaints, and feedback?
How many of them have been specifically trained in communication, customer service and selling skills?
How many of them can model these skills for the rest of your team?
The communications skills training most senior managers would receive is in how to handle the media but I think they would be better served if they were trained in contemporary customer service and selling skills first.
Not handling customer issues, feedback or requests well leads to many of these media issues in the first place, so why not address it at the core? Let’s train everyone in contemporary customer service and selling skills and processes and make sure we all understand how our actions can enhance or detract our company.
We all need to make sure that we have the sales and customer service processes in place that people can follow and apply effectively. All our people need to be trained in the necessary sales and customer service skills so they are in the best position to handle and manage customers calls and ensure that our organisations are well placed to best serve our customers. Even if the customer is wrong about something it’s all in how we handle it that means the difference between a positive and negative experience.
I was taught a valuable lesson early on in my career when I was working in recruitment. The lesson was this: I was told you are going to tell more people they did not get the job than you will tell those who did so make sure that every contact you have with anyone is always done in a constructive and positive manner. Try to be of help no matter what and ensure the person knows you did you best even if the best meant delivering bad news. People will appreciate your honesty and the effort you took to be of service to them.
I would highly recommend that core sales and service competencies be defined and included in everyone’s job and person descriptions and be made a conscious part of all our roles through effective, relevant training and on-the-job coaching support so they become a way of life not just a fad.
So, next time you decide to train your sales staff in selling skills and processes, make sure they are the right selling processes and skills suitable for your business environment and do yourself, your team and your customers a favour by also including all your other staff in the same training. The rewards are great in terms of teamwork, customer satisfaction, staff alignment, customer retention and, of course, better sales results and brand currency.
Remember everybody lives by selling something.
Sue Barrett is Managing Director of BARRETT
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