Why Aren't You Having R.E.C.O.N. Conversations With Your Customers Too?
When I was growing up 30 years ago, I remember overhearing a young boy making a call from a public phone box in our local general store. He was so small he had to pull across a milk crate to reach the phone. "Hello, Mrs Jones?", he said, "Mrs Jones, I'd like to cut your lawn". It didn't sound to me like the call was going especially well "Mrs Jones, I'm offering to cut your lawn and take away the cuttings when I finish", he continued, "Mrs Jones, please give me an opportunity to show you how much I'd appreciate working for you. Not only will I cut your lawn and take away the trimmings, I'll also prune your hedges" but still no he was having no lick. "But Mrs Jones, I'll cut your lawn, take away the cuttings and trim your hedges all for £1 less than you're paying now!"
The hard-nosed Mrs Jones apparently was having none of it, "but Mrs Jones .......Mrs Jones, please listen........." and eventually he put down the phone. I was sure I saw a faint smile fading from his lips. Mr Clark, the shopkeeper called the boy over to him. "Son, I'm impressed by your initiative and someone your age making such an effort to earn a crust. I want to give you a break. If you want a job, come and work here", he said. The boy replied, "No thanks Mister. I've got a job cutting Mrs Jones's lawn. I was just making sure I kept it!" and with that he got on his bike and rode off.
There's a fabulous lesson here for all of us. To keep your customers, keep in touch with them, explore any weaknesses in your position and discover if their loyalty is in doubt so you can fix any problems before they cost you a customer.
Have you tried R.E.C.O.N.?
1. R - Remember the reasons you were originally asked to help them, review their pain and relive their previous position before they brought you in to help.
2. E - Evaluate your relationship. How are you doing? What's worked? What hasn't? What could have been done better?
3. C - Changed? - What's changed since you stated working together? For better? For worse? How have you helped improve their lot? What's changed in their business? In ours?
4. O - Opportunity? - what are the opportunities for them? For you? How can you collaborate so both sides benefit? What opportunities can we pursue together?
5. N - Next Steps? - What happens next? Put in place a clear, specific, certain up front contract so that you both know what will always happen next. Contract with your customer for the next point of contact, for the next piece of work, for the next phase of a project, for the next review or for referrals within and outside their organisation.
I know this is simple, common sense. But what can I say? How many of us really do this type of account development behaviour regularly and routinely to protect our lifeblood income and then hold up our hands in despair when they drop us and go to a competitor or worse still, we lose them to apathy. Now that is a crime against our families and our businesses isn't it?
Next time there'll probably be another good story ...... which might even be true. If you have any questions or want to engage in a discussion, drop me a line here or call me to chat on 07876 616983.
Happy selling!
Regards
Marcus
Sales Training London: Why Aren't You Making R.E.C.O.N. Calls to Your Customers to Keep Them - To learn more about this author, visit Marcus Cauchi's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland Smith's Website |
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Marcus Cauchi
(Visit Marcus's Website)
Marcus Cauchi is London's first licensed
Sandler sales trainer. 19 years in direct
sales, he's sold physical products,
services and intangibles with varied
success. Over 16 years he left behind over
£56 million in deals he could have won,
but did because he didn't know any
better. He thought you had to qualify for
needs, present the benefits of your
solution, trial close, follow up with a
proposal or further information and the
close. He learned the hard way that when
you "pitch" a prospect lies to protect
himself. When you present and answer his
questions, he'll steal your ideas. When
you close, he'll mislead you or defer to
a higher authority (boss, wife, CFO) and
then when he's got you to document in
writing (proposals) and give away your
confidential pricing, he'll shop that
around your competitors to get the best
deal. When you follow up for a decision,
he'll give you unlimited access to his
voicemail and hide. Marcus teaches
counter intuitive selling. Average clients
increase revenues by 100-1100% in a year.
He's probably not for you though as it's
difficult and expensive.
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The following email from the head of global equity research at HSBC (my long-ago employer) to London analysts is being called, at least in the U.K., crass and demotivating. I have to confess, I don't actually find ...
