Guest Post: Closing the Customer Value Disconnect

Hands down there is nothing more frustrating than to have manufacturing or operations make a mistake on the very first customer order or interaction. Despite the effort and investment to attract a new client, it only takes a minor error to completely destroy the customers experience and erase and positive impressions they might have had. In business, individuals in marketing or selling have an outward focus placed on identifying and capitalizing on that which the customer values. Those in operations or manufacturing however have an inward focus centered on productivity and efficiency. Explained another way, the responsibility of Sales is to attract and close new customers while Operations delivers the customer’s product or service as fast and efficiently as possible, minimizing costs along the way. These opposing viewpoints result in what I call the Customer Value Disconnect, or C.V.D. for short. Fortunately to close the C.V.D. gap is not as difficult as you might think and is somewhat counterintuitive to conventional thinking. The key is in shifting Operational perspectives around what it is that customers value. There are a few critical questions that can support diminishing C.V.D. and bring about a broader perspective on what it means to satisfy customers. Here are the three most critical:

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The Importance of Business Reviews

Are you properly using business reviews to your advantage? They’re great tools for businesses and salespeople yet they’re often used the wrong way or simply not used at all. Business reviews should be conducted at least once a year, or up to four times a year depending on how important the client is to you. Here are a few things to keep in mind when working with a client during a business review.

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Stepping Up Your Game

The best salespeople are constantly looking for ways to improve. They are not staying static for extended periods of time because, let’s face it, if you’re not moving forward - you’re moving backwards! There’s almost nothing better than reaching (or exceeding) all of your sales goals for the year. A certain feeling of accomplishment is natural, and should be embraced! However, will you be satisfied if your numbers stay the same next year? Are you doing anything to improve upon your past accomplishments? The answer for many salespeople is no. They often work hard to create temporary success and soon after end up in a worse situation than they were before because they allow temporary accomplishments to hinder their work ethic. Here are two things you can do to improve upon your current success:

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The Power of Alignment

As the world changes at an increasingly rapid rate, the sales industry has no choice but to adapt and change as well. If you've been in sales long enough, you may remember a time when feature and benefit selling was a great way to create success with your sales endeavors. However, in today’s market, feature and benefit selling is more or less dead. In fact, buyers are engaging in the sales process much earlier than ever before. They may not even know it, but what matters most to your customers in this day and age is alignment. Let’s discuss a few different types of alignment that will help turn prospects into customers.

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