Salespeople Who Engage Customers

by Benson Smith and Tony Rutigliano
Excerpted from Discover Your Sales Strengths (Warner Books, 2003)

How do great sales reps create customer engagement? Gallup’s researchers have identified four emotional dimensions that comprise customer engagement. These dimensions begin with Confidence and move on in order to Integrity, Pride, and Passion. Together, these are the building blocks of customer engagement. Without question, high levels of customer engagement represent a tough benchmark to meet. In the various industries we studied, the number of “fully engaged” customers has ranged from the single digits (around 6% to 8%) to as high as 35% to 40%. Contrast that with the 80% of customers reportedly “satisfied” in these same industries.

In order to assess the level of customer engagement, our researchers first undertook a comprehensive research and development effort in which they tested a series of statements that had been used at various times to indicate the emotional “attachment” felt by a customer. The following eight statements turned out to be the best indicators of the important emotional connection between the customer and a company. Take a moment and imagine that you are one of your company’s customers. Fill in your company’s name in the blank and read each statement.

1. [ _________ ] is a name I can always trust.

2. [ _________ ] always delivers on what it promises.

3. [ _________ ] always treats me fairly.

4. If a problem arises, I can always count on [ _________ ] to reach a fair and satisfactory resolution.

5. I feel proud to be a [ _________ ] customer.

6. [ _________ ] always treats me with respect.

7. [ _________ ] is the perfect company for people like me.

8. I can’t imagine a world without [ _________ ].

How many of your customers would strongly agree to all eight statements? You can see why high levels of customer engagement represent a very tough standard to meet, and why it’s much easier to “satisfy” customers than it is to “fully engage” them.

Customers respond to these statements based on their experiences -- experiences with the product (service) and experiences with people. In some businesses, such as the airline industry, customers may deal with many different people every time they purchase a ticket or fly on a plane. Every time there is contact, engagement can be affected for better or worse. In businesses in which customers deal principally with a single salesperson, however, those salespeople have enormous impact on customer engagement. So, in many industries, customers are really saying, “My salesperson is someone I can always trust,” or “My salesperson always delivers on what he or she promises.”

Building customer engagement is not a “sometimes” thing. Notice that the word “always” appears in five of the eight statements. That’s intentional. Our research has shown that trust has to be there all the time or there is no trust. The same is true of respect, confidence, fair treatment, and the other practices implied by these important statements.

Consistency is clearly important in building customer engagement. Every time we have an interaction with a customer, we are either building engagement or eroding it.

Is this simply a matter of liking the salesperson?

Don’t customers really buy, as the old saying goes, from people they like? The answer to that question is a straightforward yes and no! Having your customers like you is a big advantage, but lots of customers are not looking to become best friends with salespeople. Customer engagement relates to the company and its products and services, and not only to the salesperson. Even if your customers “love” you, they still have to feel strongly engaged in what you’re providing if you want some assurance that they will continue to buy.

Sometimes salespeople make the mistake of trying to be too “friendly” with their customers. Chuck told us, “Customers are different from friends. A friendship is a give-and-take relationship. There is no saying that goes ‘Your friend is always right,’ but every customer is all too familiar with the expression ‘The customer is always right.’”

We don’t mean to say that you can’t be friends with your customers -- you certainly can be. You might even be best friends with them, but customer engagement is different from friendship. Customers can be friendly, but they have a whole different set of expectations compared to people who are your friends just for the sake of friendship. Gallup’s research into this area brings some clarity as to how these very special and unique relationships with customers are built.

REALLY COMMIT to Win

“Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.” by Wilfred Peterson.

Let's really be clear on what commitment is... commitment is then putting your whole being, every thought, every desire, and all your creativity into your burning desire. No one can pull you away from your focus on your burning desire, no one can change your mind. Your mind and body are connected with you commitment to achieve your burning desire. In your heart, you know that you will achieve success and therefore, committing fully only makes perfect sense. You are excited while you visualize it, therefore, commit daily more and more as you know you are all the closer to reaching your burning desire. You see success will affecting many facets of your life and it is so exciting.

So how do we REALLY COMMIT to Win?

1. Be clear on what is important to you and I will give you a hint, money is not important. Money only becomes important because it can buy you what is really the most important and most valued in your life.
2. Have a total belief in yourself and take responsibility for your results. It's no one's fault that you are getting or not getting results. You must be responsible! And you must believe that you can do it.
3. Know that there is no way out - this is the only way to reach your goal. Therefore, there is no other way. For example, jumping out of an airplane.. you are fully committed to the jump, there is no other way!
4. Be a student of personal development. You can find personal development products and books everywhere, on and offline. You will find yourself more and more enriched, and will be able to tackle the day to day issues that crop up.
5. Surround yourself with positive influences. Be part of a business mastermind group, for example. And get rid of negative influences, such as TV and media and the "ugly stepsister" or whoever.
6. Be real - yes, anything good takes time. Run the marathon, not the sprint and you will be committed for the long haul.

Go for it! Be committed and win everyday!

Proud member of the mastermind group, the Inner Circle.

Success Culture is the Winner

Let's go against the grain for a moment. Notice how many people want their own blog, want their own business, want to create and recreate a business, so that they can make money. But... what if that system is already created, already proven success that all you have to do is plug in, join the community and do what successful people are already doing.

Coming from a background and drive towards leadership, this thinking actually goes against the grain. It's great to come up with the next best thing, but think for a moment what your day to day will look like. You will have to be creative daily, you will probably be working alone, hoping that this great idea will pay off, and you will probably be lonely, which will lead you to hire a coach to assist your business goals.

If you plug into a system that has already stood the test of time, already made money, has training and marketing materials, then you won't be alone, won't be confused, and most likely, will be making money sooner than if you created your own next best thing!

• Look for the track record.
• Look for simplicity.
• Look for support.
• Look for the success culture.

If you hang out with people who are six figure earners and do what they do, you will receive the same one day - proven over and over. I enjoy masterminding with the inner circle. We have a blast and make money too!