There are many who believe that selling means persuading someone to buy something. If the individual wants what is being sold, that just makes the persuasion a little easier. The 'seller' still wrestles them to the ground like a cowboy fighting cattle at branding time: wrestle them, brand them, and declare victory.
I was recently in an auto parts store and was watching the sales interaction. As the clerk approached the waiting client he asked, “How can I help you?” The customer told him what was broken and hoped the counter person would help him fix the problem.
With the first customer, the service man had the auto part and asked some questions about the installation and how he was paying for the part. Then, he went and got the part from inventory.
As second customer asked for a part and the service man said, “No, I don’t have the part." He then asked if the customer needed it immediately or if he could order it in. He even suggested another shop where it might be available immediately. The second customer was not in a rush and agreed to come back in two days when the part would be in stock.
The question is, is that service man a sales person?
"No" many would think. Real salespeople go out and talk people into buying things. They call on people. They ask for appointments. They get dressed up in coats and ties, carry briefcases, and practice their presentations until they are perfect.
But what is wrong with what the counter man did? As a frontline employee he completed a sale and left a second opportunity in a great place to make a sale. Customer care professionals are ideally suited to inform and interact with clients to begin the sales process by finding what, if anything, was broken and getting at least some initial suggestions of how their product or service may help.
Looking back at the counter man, I begin to think he was in fact a really good salesperson. He just didn't think of himself that way. He found out what the customer wanted and solved the problem.
Unfortunately, outside of this simple transaction many customer care professionals avoid anything that resembles selling. Even complex customer care interactions can be a funnel to the sales process if frontline employees are given a system and tools to start the process.
The fact is that frontline employees don't need to fear sales integrations. Rather they just need to be prepared for them. Most of the time it's a matter of tweaking what they are already doing. Customer service is a natural introduction to up-selling, cross-selling, and client relationships but only when frontline employees know how to handle them productively.
 Free Report: 7 Ways Your Customer Service Team Can Increase Revenues
There is a hidden sales force within your company right now...but where can you find this hidden sales force? In the customer service department. There’s only one problem: they don’t think of themselves as salespeople and are often simply reactive, rather than proactive. |
