While most businesses have people who are tasked with selling the company’s products and services, in reality, every single person in your organization can influence a sale.
Every time a customer or prospect has an interaction with someone on your staff, they are forming an opinion about your business or adding to their existing impression.
If the person answering the phone is abrupt or impatient, the existing or potential customer may get the idea that they are a burden or a nuisance. People want to feel like their business is valued and someone who is courteous and respectful on the phone conveys the message that you do care about your customers.
What about your drivers? Something as simple as the way they are dressed can give the customer the impression about how you run your fleet. A driver dressed in a sloppy manner can make a customer wonder how careful that driver is with the load they are delivering.
Don't forget the truck itself. It is a rolling billboard for your company. What kind of impression does your equipment send? Are your trucks washed on a regular basis? Is damage repaired in a timely manner so trucks with cracked side skirts are not driving around for weeks or months on end?
Think of your employees and your equipment as Brand Ambassadors. They have the potential to leave a good or bad impression with everyone they come in contact with.
Managers need to take responsibility for seeing that everyone in the organization understands exactly how they can help or hurt the organization. Everyone wants to be part of a winning organization so help people understand the critical role they play in keeping existing customers happy and presenting a positive image of the company to potential customers.
Of course, management must model the proper way to interact with customers as well so it’s important to provide some training to your front-line employees.
A good way to do that is through role-playing activities. Set up some scenarios for your employees so they can practice things like dealing with upset or irate customers, making a good first impression, etc.
Ultimately your sales staff is responsible for selling your services, but the rest of the people in your organization can make their jobs easier simply by being aware that every customer touch point is a chance to make a good impression and solidify that customer’s loyalty.
