May 2002 Track Selling Times Integrity Pays
Integrity Pays:
"What is Wrong With the Hard Sell Approach?"
by Dan Kallestad
|
Dan Kallestad is president of Chino, California based Sentry Technologies, Inc. The company specializes in grain management and provides farmers with its patented Sentry PAC (programmed aeration controller), which prevents grain from spoiling. For more information, please call (800) 227-2279 or write to Sentry Technologies, Inc., 15710 El Prado Road, Chino, CA, 91710.
The old "Hard Sell" approach is prevalent in sales, and it just does not work well. There is no customer service with this approach, and the client resents this. You may succeed in getting the buying decision from the client using this method, but without providing the client any assistance in using your product well, your client relationship will be strained.
I learned the Track Selling SystemTM years ago and still practice what I learned. The Hard Sell is just a short cut to doing your job. Salespeople using this technique are taking the easy way out. These people think it is a waste of time to provide follow up and customer service. They only want the sale, at any cost. I believe the fundamental issue with those practicing the Hard Sell method lies within those salespeople. Set the culture of your company to discourage this method, and remove the ones who continue using this approach. Reinforce this priority through proper sales training. This will prevent the bad practices of a few salespeople from bringing down your company. It is more effective to use persuasion to help the client make decisions, even if the best decision means not buying your product.
Quality customer service is the lifeline of any organization. There is no customer service with the Hard Sell approach. We generate a lot of our business through repeat clients. Our clients continue to work with us because our product is good, and our customer service is good. We work hard at providing quality customer service and making our clients' needs a top priority. Most clients know how to reach the salesperson who sold them the product or service, but do they know who to contact for customer service? One way we ensure this is by using a toll-free (800) telephone number. We have kept the same telephone number for 20 years. Our clients always know how to reach us when they have service questions or problems.
Our product is very technical. It takes two years of full time work to become proficient on our product, whether you are in customer service, repairs, or sales. Again, training is the key. We do not send someone out in the field with only 30 days of experience.
I believe you always put the client first. Our attitude is that we are always on our client's side and our clients are never a problem. Your clients are out there alone and need assistance to do the tasks. When your clients know that their needs are the top priority, they will continue to use your product.
Points to Remember:
- Eliminate the "Hard Sell" approach from your organization, and require proper customer service training of all of your employees.
- Ensure that your clients know exactly how to reach you and your company for service questions.
- Create the attitude within your company or organization that the clients' needs are the top priority.
Back to May 2002 Track Selling Times Menu
