Naked Sales Pitch - Listen to the Customer First

When high end markets can't capture the market, they sell harder. But is it necessary to sell harder?

What would happen if a sales representative cared enough about the customer to find out what the customer needed before attempting to put together a sales pitch? What would happen if the salesman actually asked the customer what they needed and listened long enough to hear more than the obligatory contact information about the customer's needs? Would that change the sales method?

Over the past few weeks, I've been on the buying end of several services, most of them specific to new residents of my community. Service industries here in the Denver Metro area don't have a clue how to meet the needs of the customer, and to be honest, they're not asking either.

A few questions that might be helpful:

• How soon is the service required?
• Will you be using all of the service/product immediately?
• Do you need delayed service/product delivery?
• Is there a better time to deliver the product/service?
• Since you're a new user of the product/service, is there a better way to share the user experience with you?
• Do you need multiple copies of directives?
• Will there be more than one person using this product/service?
• Are there any modifications required for accessibility?

The questionnaire I fill out after the fact, for the Television/Internet/Phone company might have been different, had anyone asked me even part of those questions. Beyond that, I'd be a happier customer, had they made an effort to make the service fit my needs rather than a one size fits all rendition, that really doesn't EVER suit anyone.

Service industries get the majority of their clientele from returning customers. Do you need more information to continue being a client? Visit http://brandyourmarket.com for Brand Representation that suits the client and get a complimentary subscription to The Branding Iron.

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