Perception Is Reality: You Are What Your Customers Say You Are!

When’s the last time you’ve asked one of your clients what they thought of you?

I’m deeply concerned that many in sales have taken their clients for granted. They’ve failed at building, nurturing and growing their relationships. Building relationships with your clients is not a light switch you turn on, then off. It’s the emotional connection, the human connection and the heartfelt connection you make with each and every one of them.

Think about this the next time you have a conversation with one of your clients.

No matter how excellent you think you are, your success depends first and foremost upon how good you are in your customers’ minds when responding to their ever-changing needs.

John Mackey (CEO, Whole Foods) nails it, “For us, our most important stakeholder is not our stockholders, it is our customers. We’re in business to serve the needs and desires of our core customer base.”

Unfortunately, there’s rampant mistrust for many in sales, no matter what industry.

A stereotypical mindset runs rampant within our society and in business. Relationship and promise bridges have crumbled as moments of being let down are all too fresh in their mind.

This stark reality places a damper on ‘sales professionals’ who place their clients on a pedestal, placing their needs above their very own. They are faced with widespread prejudice that must be overcome.

Here’s the cold hard truth, your customer’s mindset does impact you. You must realize what you say, what you do and how you approach problems will have immediate and direct impact on your success.

The one thing that counts is what your customers think of you. You are what your customers say you are!

Change Their Mindset

If you want to be viewed as being ‘great,’ if you want to be viewed as a true ‘sales professional,’ then learn to become a servant. Stop selling and start serving. Start being a leader of yourself and lead with your heart!

Many of you may find it exhausting, many of you may find it stressful but those sales professionals who lead with their heart and seek to serve their clients, change how they’re perceived immediately.

Adopting a servant led mindset takes a conscious effort by learning and committing to develop self effectiveness in areas such as:

• Listening
• Empathy
• Stewardship
• Building
• Community
• Foresight

Think about stewardship with your clients. Make the commitment to grow relationships not for sales’ sake but to genuinely and with a sincere heart build a great community of clients.

Develop A New Mindset

Change your mindset to change their perception.

Truly get to know your clients, take the sales hat off, roll up your sleeves and engage in healthy conversations.

• Are you having meaningful discussions with your clients outside of the selling process?
• How many relationships are you developing and nourishing?

Develop a sincere desire and demonstrate you’re interested in your client’s world and what motivates them.

I’m curious…when was the last time you had a conversation with one of your customers that didn’t involve trying to sell them something?

Serving Mindset

You serve as the liaison between your customer, your company and the products and services you provide. Learn to serve with each and every client. Lead with your heart.

• A servant has a sincere, genuine and authentic desire to serve
• A servant is all in and digs in deep
• A servant is focused on serving the needs of the person sitting right in front of them.

A servant gives a rip!

We all have an opportunity to serve. I can’t think of a greater return on investment.

A Servants mindset:

• I want to please you
• I want to make you feel special
• I want you to know I love having you as a customer
• Making you happy is not my job, it is my purpose!

Listening Mindset

Listen with the intent to learn and without an agenda. It’s not about you, your wants or needs, it’s about them. Too many come to the sales table with knives, forks and their own agenda.

Stop thinking about your quotas and commissions.

Ditch the hidden agenda and leave it back at the office. Sincerely focus on your customer and how what you sell can best serve their hopes, dreams and goals.

Zig Ziglar said it best, “You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want.”

Sales professionals seek to understand the needs, concerns, desires, issues, challenges and listen with curious intent.

An amateur sales rep sells products, a professional sells a solution to the clients’ problems.

Appreciative Mindset

How your customers feel about you and their willingness to continue doing business with you are closely related. In their eyes, it’s all about them. If they feel valued and are treated with care and attention, aren’t they more likely to become loyal?

A major factor in the customer experience is customer appreciation. How are you surprising and delighting your customers throughout the year?

Appreciation takes practice, consistency and the true understanding of people.

Meaningful and credible relationships do matter. Integrating the use of SendOutCards is hands down how you ratchet up relationship building and appreciation. This is how you create an emotional, one-on-one connection and a memorable experience. I guarantee a personalized card that tugs on one’s heartstrings will never be thrown away.

Send a card for free to one of your customers…

I promise you’ll create loyal customers and provide a memorable experience worth talking about.

It’s Your Responsibility

It’s your responsibility to understand what your clients say about you! As a sales professional who’s focused on long-term success, your main responsibility is to profitably serve your clients.

By learning to change their perception of you, you will slowly but surely, eliminate the negative perception of salespeople.

Approach each client with the utmost of integrity. Remember, be authentic, be real, be genuine and, most of all, sell from the heart!