Team Alpha 375

To Serve is to Sell
By Justin Gittelman

Instead of looking for how to be of service to others, many salespeople are on the hunt for the next commission. Most salespeople have the concept of reciprocity reversed and show up to meetings with “commission breath,” reeking of the essence and sole desire to just close the deal.

Customers can smell it from a mile away.

The key is to start the wheels on the tried-and-true Law of Reciprocity by serving. Earl Nightingale, author and radio host wrote in The Strangest Secret, “If you give - you shall receive.” He was one of the first to apply the phrase to commerce, but the concept carries strength as evidenced by religious text and philosophical doctrine. It’s time we applied it to our day-to-day business.

Here are three steps to take now to create a service provider mindset:
1. Willingness – demonstrating the willingness to voluntarily and ungrudgingly see past selfish needs or the illusion that you “have to make a sale” next time you’re on an important sales call.
2. Gratitude – to positively emote thankfulness and a real appreciation for what you already have. Gratitude is an attitude! It’s also contagious. People like to do business with positive, optimistic people.
3. Desire – To be your very best on every single occasion. Not just when you think it counts. Show the real and authentic you. Give yourself even if there is no commission or immediate sale to be made.

Shifting from “How can I make a commission” to “How may I serve the customer” makes the difference, especially in this economy where penny pinching is the new norm. In this year’s Business Week rankings, based on data from J.D. Power & Associates, more than half of the top 25 brands showed improved customer service scores over last year.

These businesses improved service while cutting costs. JW Marriott cross-trained administrative assistants to step in as banquet servers when needed. Zappos.com launched a VIP program to serve return customers. Ace Hardware consolidated operations and put the savings into longer evening and weekend hours for customer calls. The number one ranking was Amazon, who consistently went above and beyond to help customers with products, even replacing those lost in the mail.

Being a service provider means doing whatever is necessary to fill a customer’s void. Even if it requires not earning a commission or making that sale. Why? Because, either with this customer or another, sooner or later, it will pay off.

While staying at a hotel in Charlotte, NC a friend of mine checked out and attended his last meeting for the business trip. After the meeting, he had a couple hours to pass until his flight. He called the shuttle service that the hotel provided when he was a guest and asked the shuttle driver if he could possibly be picked up and stay at the hotel lounge until it was time for him to go to the airport.

Even though he had already checked out of the hotel, the shuttle driver said, “Sir, our service doesn’t stop just because you’ve checked out.”

My friend was shocked with the level of willingness this shuttle driver displayed. He truly understood the ‘service provider’ mindset. The driver served first, worried about a tip or charge second.

When looking at the bottom line, it is more cost effective to make a good impression and gain a repeat client than market to new customers. According to the Customer Service Institute, 65 percent of a company's business comes from existing customers, and it costs five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one satisfied. Remember, willingness, gratitude and desire will lead to the attitude of service. Take these steps now and you will continue to be amazed at the richness your business will reward for you, your family, your friends, and your community.