The Impact of Sales Growth: Words Your Clients Would Use to Describe Your Salespeople.

"The problems in describing a person are essentially problems of knowing a person."

Donald Antrim

The above-mentioned quote accurately describes someone who relies heavily on having a deep understanding of who they are. Why? Because this creates the pathway for them to get know others on a deeper, more meaningful level. 

Follow along with me on this one... When describing someone, you're not just listing out their physical attributes or their surface level characteristics; you're trying to convey their personality, beliefs, values, experiences, and intricacies. 

To do so, requires a level of insight and familiarity with someone that goes way beyond mere observation.

Understanding someone involves digging into their thoughts, emotions, motivations, and history. It involves recognizing their nuances and unique qualities. Without this deep understanding, describing them accurately becomes challenging.

People... This does have a sales twist here in a moment.

In essence, to describe someone effectively, you must truly know them, not just on a surface level, but in a deeper, more heartfelt sense.

Whether you're a CEO, a senior level executive, the president of your company or even a sales leader, a few questions for you...

• How well do your salespeople know their clients and how well do your clients know your salespeople?
• How would your clients describe your salespeople?
• What words would they use?

Your clients hold the keys to your success and profitability. 

Your clients, along with their needs are constantly changing. It's up to your salespeople to gain a thorough understanding of how to help them.

At this very moment, would you have your finger on the pulse in regards to how well your team is keeping up with what they need?

Answer me this one, how would your clients best describe the experience they're receiving from your salespeople?

Do I have you thinking? Come on, I'm waiting for the words. What would they be?

• Are they personalizing the level of service? How would you know?
• Are they in consistent contact? How would you know?
• Are they listening to your clients? How would you know?

Marinate on this one for a moment...

In this highly competitive business world, how the heck are your salespeople standing out with your most precious asset, your clients?

I'm asking you to dig in deep on this one... When was the last time someone on your sales team spoke from the heart and with curious intent asked, what words would you use to describe the support and value we've being provided to you?

H. Ross Perot sums it up nicely,

“Spend a lot of time talking to customers face-to-face. You’d be amazed at how many companies don’t listen to their customers.”

What you learn from your clients creates the pathway to increased revenue and profitability opportunities.

Therefore, are you committed?

Are you willing to do what is necessary?

Then, let's get started down the road towards increased profitability and sales growth.

CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH SALESPEOPLE MATTER

“What we really need is a mindset shift that will make us relevant to today’s consumers, a mindset shift from telling to selling to building relationships.”

Jim Stengel

Meaningful relationships with your clients create long-term, consistent and sustainable profitability.

Mirror moment time:

• How well do your salespeople really understand what your top clients want?
• How well do they really understand what they desire?
• How well do they really know them?

Gut check time, isn't it?

Now, I would like for you to think about some of your top client's, got it? Think about how much they mean to you and your company.

Next... What would it mean to you, your salespeople and your company if you lost any of your top clients?

Your clients, their happiness, their contentment, and the inspirational experiences you provide them are the single most important factor towards your long-term success. 

Therefore, the more successful your salespeople become in understanding and building meaningful relationships with your client's, the more successful you will become. 

Real relationships drive real revenue.

In a post-trust world, no wonder many (yes some of your clients) are skeptical about what your salespeople say, how they say it, why they say it and when they say it.

Again, I ask, how well do your salespeople know their clients?

How would they describe the relational knowledge they have about their clients?

Relationships or lack thereof, all have a direct impact on sales growth.

CLIENT PERCEPTION, IT'S THEIR REALITY

According to SurveySparrow, "Customer experience has overtaken price and product as the key brand differentiator in 2024."

In very simplistic terms, customer experience refers to the overall perception and feeling customers have about their interactions with a company.

So... When it comes to your client's experiences and their perception of your salespeople, this soon becomes their reality.

I believe that cold doses of candid feedback are necessary to grow. 

Feedback from your clients become the vitamins and minerals salespeople need to sustain meaningful and healthy relationships.

Why am I pointing all of this out? 

There might just be a monumental gap between what your clients think of your salespeople versus what your salespeople are sharing with you.

Client perception and how well your salespeople are interacting with them, just might be the key to unlocking exponential sales growth.

At this very moment, as you're reading this... 

• How many of you understand the massive impact this has to you? 
• How many of your clients see your salespeople as being available, helpful and insightful?
• How many of your clients think of your salespeople as being heartfelt, caring and trustworthy?

Building meaningful relationships, it's not just a light switch you turn on then off. It's the emotional connection, the human connection and the heartfelt connection your salespeople make with each one of them.

Trust me on this one... salespeople who struggle to truly connect with their clients, soon create disconnection and we know what happens when this occurs, don't we?

THE RIGHT CONVERSATIONS DRIVE THE RIGHT RESULTS

Thomas Leonard once said,

"All problems exist in the absence of a good conversation."

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines conversation as an,

Oral exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas.

Soak in this quote for a moment... 

"We had talk enough but no conversation; there was nothing discussed."

Samuel Johnson

Are your salespeople talking at your clients or engaged in conversation with your clients?

What types of conversations are your salespeople having?

Unfortunately, many in sales have reduced relationship and trust-building to back-and-forth questions and answers via email, phone, or text. 

While prompt and succinct communication helps nurture a relationship, it’s the deeper conversations that uncover a client’s real, unstated, and their secretive needs.

• How many of your salespeople are having meaningful conversations with their clients outside of the selling process? Would you know?
• How many new relationships are being developed inside your client base right now by your salespeople? Would you know?

Look in the mirror and ask yourself... 

Do my salespeople have the mental and emotional fortitude to have a meaningful conversation with our clients or are they avoiding these conversations because they're scared too?

How well are your salespeople making your clients feel before, during and after doing business with them?

• What words would they use to describe how your salespeople make them feel?
• What words would they use to describe how your salespeople care about them?
• What words would they use to describe how much they trust your salespeople?

Meaningful and credible relationships matter. This is built through consistent, caring and collaborative conversations.

Your clients should be able to share without hesitation the words they would use to describe your salespeople. If not, then you all have some work to do.

This my friends has a 100% direct correlation to your sales growth, your revenues and most of all your profits.

Originally published on Larry Levine's LinkedIn.