Fierce Practice #5: Customer Connectivity

PREPARED TO DR: KUSDI RAHARDJO,DEA

PREPARED BY: MOHAMED ZEKRI

Scott always makes me laugh out loud. Her writing is engaging and spiced with humor. She opens this section with an example of a typical company answering servicepress 1 if you want X, press 2 if you want Y, press 3 if you want ZGod forbid you ever actually speak with a real human being! Most companies use well-worn phrases like client focused and client centric that have as much zest and meaning as a tub of butter.

She quotes from The Trusted Advisor by Charles Green, that most companies have the client focus of a vulturethey pay close attention to what the clients are up to, but only in order to figure out the right time to pounce and tear at their flesh. Not a pretty metaphor if youre looking to establish a long-term business relationship with someone. The KEY to client development is EMPATHY for the clientnot your product. Heres a funny conversation that Scott uses: (seller) How are you? (client) Im dying. (seller) Glad to hear it. How much would you like to spend with us today?

You also can do:

Start your conversation by connection. Show your genuinely care about

them. Talk about yourself, your family, vacations et cetera. Or

you can send pictures about your family to your customers so that attach

more connection with your customers. Slow the conversation down, way down. When you are in a

rush to close the deal, accordingly your customers' trust to you is going

down.

Ditch the buzzwords, the jargon. Invite your customers to plan your

conversation sessions. Focus on what your customers want to talk about. Acknowledge mistakes. When you are way

from your customers' goals, admit it is your fault and show your care to fix

it. Meet with customers in person.

the steps in a Mineral Rights conversation are as follows.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE ISSUE. You are essentially asking: "Why are we

talking? What is the most important thing we should be talking about?" The biggest error salespeople make is to suggest products or solutions at this stage or immediately jump to a story about how they solved this exact problem for ABC Company and what a spectacular result they got.

STEP 2: CLARIFY THE ISSUE. Check your assumptions as well as theirs, particularly those that could cause both of you to miss the mark. Assumptions such as

There actually is a problem and a solution. There is only one problem and only one

solution. I understand what the problem is. I have the solution. I've got a solution, and I'm pretty sure you've

got a problem, and even if you don't, the solution is so cool, you should want it.

STEP 3: DETERMINE CURRENT IMPACT. This is where you begin to qualify the

"opportunity." Is this a viable opportunity for your organization, or should you decline? Draw out the customer. What evidence is there that the problem exists? What results is this producing? Is the evidence hard or soft (anecdotal, opinion-based, not measured effectively)? How do you measure this? How is it impacting the organization? Who else is this affecting? How is this affecting you? When you consider everything you just described, what do you feel?

STEP 4: DETERMINE FUTURE IMPACT. Clarify the importance of this issue. Is this truly a priority relative to other problems or initiatives? Will there be sufficient ROI when this is resolved? What systemic implications must be considered? Will solving/achieving this cause even bigger problems elsewhere? Who is committed to solving this problem? Take away the solution and see if the customer cares.

If they fight for it, great. If they don't you just learned there's no opportunity here.

STEP 5: EXAMINE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ISSUE. This topic is rarely explored in conversations

with prospective customers. Asking it will certainly differentiate you from your competition, and though this level of inquiry may seem risky, it will likely send your credibility skyrocketing. It indicates that you're courageous in your search for all of the relevant "truths" that are key to resolving the customer's problem or achieving his or her goals.

STEP 6: DESCRIBE THE IDEAL OUTCOME. So far, the conversation has been focused on the problem, what the problem is costing the organization, and your customer's emotions around the problem. Now it's time to lighten up and clarify ideal outcomes, specific goals, what "winning" would look like, how it would be measured, and what your customer's positive emotions would be if outcomes were achieved.

STEP 7: COMMIT TO ACTION. If there is interest and willingness, on both sides,

to pursue this opportunity, and it's clear that partnering with you will provide more value to your customer than going it alone, it's time to determine mutuality of effort and next steps. Find out what could get in the way. Ask, "How will the decision to stop or move forward be made? Who will be involved in that decision? What do you see as the next most important steps? What might get in the way, and how will we get past that? What's the time frame? When would you like to meet again? Who else should be there?"

STEP 8: OFFER SUGGESTIONS. By now, your customer will be sincerely

interested in hearing your ideas because something invisible and critical has developed-a real connection. You've gained credibility because you've kept the focus on his or her problem and goals, not on your products or services.

Personal Action Plan

1. Make a list of customers who need to hear from you, expanding the list you made earlier in this chapter. Include clients who bring very little revenue to the table.

2. Bring together the best connectors within your organization. 3. If you would like to do something "crazy"

for your customers something above and beyond the normal precedent or protocol make a compelling case to your boss and ask for permission.

4. Be prepared to go off script. Nothing turns customers off more than a scripted presentation loaded with jargon, like "solutions." Don't "present" and don't flatter.

5. Whatever you promise to do for a customer, do it by the time agreed or earlier.

6. Take personal accountability for any missteps you or your organization may have made. No buck passing.

7. Loosen your death grip on pricing, and focus on imbedding. You're in this relationship for the long haul. What little step can you take now?

8. Respectfully challenge a customer's thinking if you are convinced it is wrongheaded or shortsighted. On the other hand, clarify your walk-away point, even with a large customer.

9. Have conversations with your customers in person, if possible, even if it means getting on a plane. When budgets are tight, this is a big ask but one that's well worth it.

10. Finally, remember that you are always building or destroying your reputation and your relationships with your customers.

finally, stop selling! Don't make presentations. Have a conversation of instead. Ditch the buzz words, the jargon, and the PowerPoint deck in favor of a conversation. Work to understand and embrace your customer's agenda. Don't go to the plate swinging for the fences. It's more important to get on base. Once you're there you can open the conversation up to other possibilities. Engage with customers as an equal. Acknowledge mistakes. Meet customers in person. While your product or service may be superior to those of your competitors, your competitive edge is youspecifically, your ability to connect with your customers at a deep level. Be authentic. You already have a face. Yours. Wear it everywhere you go.