58. Why should you keep personal details about your customers?
Personal information about your customer is like money in the bank. Don't leave this important aspect of your business to chance.
It actually takes less time to stay well organized and to keep good records and files than it does if you are careless. There is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes from being able to find an important piece of information when it is needed.
One of the positive characteristics of a professional sales person is the pride they have in knowing everything about their customers on a personal level.
There has been a lot of money invested in lap top computers for sales people. Yet many of these computers are merely used as order entry devices. There are software programs available for keeping track of customer information, other than simply what they ordered last time. Everyone with a lap top should look into having one of these contact management programs. They can keep track of all the personal information about your customers as well as all the details of their company. When hooked up to your printer you can print 60 envelopes in less than a minute. You can write a letter and "merge" and print 60 individual letters in less than 10 minutes.
A hard copy file is just as important. This gives you a place to keep the information you want to discuss including point of sale, special presentations and information you have collected that pertains specifically to that particular customer.
Information gathering is a big part of every sales person's job. Try making a list of the top twenty most important things you should know about your customers on a personal level. Try to build a personal profile of them so you know how to deal with their personality type.
Selling any type of products without personal customer information and details will produce only average or below average results.
It is always more productive to have a method, to have your path clear. Without thinking and planning ahead it seems that trouble is always waiting for us around every corner. If your sales are not what you think they should be at this point in your career the reason is simple, you have not planned enough.
The first step is to write down your goal; the second step is to break down your goal into a series of day by day steps that will lead to the end you have in mind.
Benjamin Franklin put it this way: "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail".
Comments:
I have never sold a thing to a stranger, I have only sold to friends! The more you learn about your customer and the more they learn about you, the more you will grow your sales with that customer.
David Vize
When I notice in the newspaper where one of my customers is promoted or given some type of recognition I cut it out and deliver it to them with congratulations. Very effective and it is an enjoyable thing to do.
One of my customers had his company featured in an industry magazine so I had it matted and framed for him. It has been on his wall behind his desk for several years and he thanked me for it on a regular basis.
Crocker Smith
Keeping personal details about your company can assist you in showing a potential client how successful your company had become. Our company had a history page in the front of our procedures manual. When I first came to work in 2000 our office was the 14 office in the company in 3 states. As of January 2006 we had grown to 42 offices in 7 states. Now we have over 50 offices. This history page has been used to show our customer how our company has grown.
As well as knowing the personal details about your own company, it is equally important to research each potential customer that you want to sell you product or services too. The more you know about them the better chance you will have on selling your product or service that will best fit there needs, and help them become more profitable.
I had been told in the past by one of our regional VP’s “That knowledge is power”.
Laura Arnett
This is absolutely correct; remembering birthdays, children’s names, things that your clients do in their spare time, are all great ways to take the conversation to a personal level. It is a lot easier to sell to a friend than to someone you know nothing about. On the other hand, you don’t want to be looking at notes when you are talking to a client, digging for the information. So always review your notes and information on the last call you made to them before you make a new call.
Kathie Luttrell
A timely reminder that details count in every relationship. Building a database around the customer’s personal interests does help whenever contact is made. I try to remember the comments about their private lives – “my wife went to Canada to see the grandchildren”. When I speak to them next, I’ll ask them something about the trip/grandchildren.
I’ve lost a lot of sleep because of poor record-keeping in the office, and fully understand the need to be well-organized but it is the combined effort and cooperation of everyone that will make it work.
Paulette Clarke
You should keep personal details about your customers because it shows that you really listen to them and are thoughtful.
Let’s face it, if one of your customers happened to remember that your anniversary or your birthday was coming up you would be pleasantly surprised and tend to favor that person.
Keeping personal details about your customer also helps you to work with them. Especially if they are the person who makes hiring decisions. In staffing it pays to know your customer. Some customers are more rude than others, some demand more out of their employees than others, some like people who are talkative, some hate chatterboxes…its important to keep notes on things like this so that you can adapt your sales approach and your recruiting to fit your various customers’ needs and personalities.
Marquesa Ortega
It definitely feels like you have accomplished something great when you can find that important document. Being organized makes you feel better and more confident in your business and personal life. We have a computer system that allows anyone in the company to log in notes and reminders about each client which portrays that professional image when contacting clients when you say you will.
Gregg Nixon
I think it’s very important to keep personal details. We keep details and notes every time we talk with someone. Not only does it help you keep track of what was said but it also serves as a reminder of what we talked about before. Maybe they had a problem a while back (nothing that you would be able to do but just a problem in general) and you ask how it worked out, they will take notice. It shows you listened and paid attention, and they’ll more than likely pay you the same respect in listening to you.
Matthew Thacker
It is those little details that can make or break the sale. When we find out professional or private details about any of our clients we should us this to help us to make sales. Maybe it’s remembering a birthday, and child or spouses name, or just favorite candy that can help you in the daily communication. People like to be remembered. Those little things that we say or do can make the difference because you are selling to the person not the company.
Christal Cornacchia
"Selling any type of products without an organized plan will produce only average or below average results. Every plan starts with a specific daily objective - a list: What are the things I have to do today?"