Is your organization relevant?
Intuit’s founder, Scott Cook, reminds us, “A brand is no longer what we tell consumers it is, it is what consumers tell each other it is.” Stories of your company culture, your leadership style and the quality of your sales organization are being passed around from customer to customer. Whether you like it or not, you’ve been branded. Customers are sharing stories around the campfire about their experience with you and your organization. Have some noticed that you talk too much or have difficulty listening? Are they saying, “it is all about you,” and they feel forgotten?
Do you know how you are perceived? And is your organization relevant?
Most marketing teams undervalue the role of an elite sales organization in advancing the image of their brand. World-class sales organizations are an essential part of any brand experience. In fact, they are the catalyst to creating your first brand impression. However, the data shows that most sales organizations are not creating unforgettable customer experiences. What is missing is a singular, seamless message. This message must be a creation drawing on the best of your sales, marketing and design insights. Also, you must openly and fearlessly co-develop solutions, products and promotions with your retail partners.
What’s the problem?
According to Harvard University’s David Collis, “most executives cannot articulate the objective, scope and advantage of their business in a simple statement.” In fact, 43% of managers cannot clearly state their own business strategy. If you don’t understand your own strategy, your level of execution will fall, and so will your relevance.
How do you show up with your customers?
Here is a clue. Ask yourself how you perform against the following 10 insights:
According to Impact Communications, 70% of people make purchasing decisions to solve problems. Thirty percent make decisions to gain something. Have you created a curious organization that uncovers and solves hidden problems that the customer is not aware of?
Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text, according to Neo Mammalian Studios. When sharing ideas with the customer, do you create engaging visual experiences, or do you rely too much on words?
After a presentation, only 5% remember statistics, while 63% remember stories, according to Authors Chip and Dan Heath. Is your organization addicted to facts or practiced at telling stories that build trust?
Fifty percent of sales go to the first salesperson to contact the prospect, according to InsideSales.com. Is your sales team quick to strike and adept at uncovering new trends, which are right around the corner?
A customer is four times more likely to defect to a competitor, if the problem is service-related rather than price- or product-related, according to Bain & Company. Do you have a culture that creates emotional and authentic experiences with your most valuable customers?
According to Bain & Co, it costs 6-to-7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one. Do you emphasize growing share of wallet with your best customers instead of always trying to sell to anyone with a heartbeat?
Ninety-six percent of unhappy customers don’t complain; however 91% of those will simply leave and never come back, according to 1Financial Training services. Do you invest in unbiased customer interviews to better understand your customer service blind spots?
A dissatisfied customer will tell up to 15 people about their bad experience, according to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs. Once you uncover a customer problem, are you empowered to fix it without having to go up the ladder?
Seventy percent of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels he or she is being treated, according to McKinsey. Is your team flexible, empathetic and adaptive to the personality, style and needs of the customer?
In 2007, it took an average of 3.68 cold-call attempts to reach a prospect, according to TeleNet and Ovation Sales Group 6. Today it takes eight attempts. Is your team resilient, tenacious and always exploring new ways to initiate or advance a business relationship?
When evaluating your sales capabilities, don’t sugarcoat the risks and your weaknesses. An honest list of potential threats, weaknesses and a plan to develop new skills demonstrates that you are serious about creating an elite and healthy culture.
How ser
ious are you in moving the team to the next level?
Dan Mack is the managing director of Elevation Forum, and author of the book “Dark Horse: How Challenger Companies Rise to Prominence.” For more insights, visit mackelevationforum.com