Team Alpha 375

Five Tips for Winning Loyalty on the Sales Floor

By: Roger L. Brooks

While all companies may not find formal loyalty strategies as a good fit, the basic principles of loyalty can still be applied in virtually any business. Loyalty programs are based on the concept of stellar service, and by gathering data that better helps the service provider or retailer understand the demands and needs of customers, in order to deliver products or services to answer to those requirements. As a salesperson, there are many fundamental strategies you can adopt from successful loyalty programs which can assist you in your day-to-day efforts.

Here are FIVE tips for building loyalty through your existing sales initiatives:

1. Combine your on-the-ground intelligence with your in-house data. Your spreadsheets may reveal how much product your client uses, but only a sales person knows that your client’s daughter is getting married, or that he is an avid golfer. Build a universal spreadsheet or software program where personal data and inside information can be incorporated with service data.

2. Develop an incentive strategy that motivates customer behavior. Your customers do not have to sign up for a structured loyalty plan for the structure to still be there internally. Surprise clients with rewards for reaching certain business milestones (based on the quantity of cases of ink purchased, life insurance policies signed, etc.).

3. Offer everyday perks to outshine your competition. For example, JetBlue offers satellite TV for every customer, in every seat, and on every flight. The staff is always friendly, the planes are clean and there is more legroom on JetBlue versus other airlines.

4. Find ways to communicate that you care. It is one thing to know what your clients need; it is another to understand why. Ensure they will get what they need because you “get” them. Use Google alerts to track them in the news. Remember that their success is your success – send notes of good luck or congratulations where they apply. Taking notice of small details will go a long way.

5. Use loyalty as an equalizer. Whether your company has the scale of a national player or not, assure your clients that you will always answer the phone, and they will never get lost in the shuffle. Be sure to practice what you preach!

I recently purchased a new car. The salesman, Mike, has a dynamic personality and made me feel at ease from the moment we met. Once we put a handshake on the deal, I was able to informally interview him. After learning that he was an entrepreneur, previously owning and operating several hair salons in the Philadelphia area, he proceeded to tell me about how he learned about customer loyalty. He said he learned the hard way by getting his teeth kicked in, mainly by his employees. One day he woke up and his stylist chairs were nearly empty—his disciples were walking away. What did Mike do? He went back to school to learn how to be a better manager, and a better person. About five years ago, he decided to change careers, and brought his life-lessons with him to the auto industry.

I told Mike how impressed I was with his sales technique, and asked him his secret to success. He responded saying he never makes assumptions about people. He also said his father taught him to continually make deposits, not withdrawals into the emotional banks of others. He said, "Deposits are engaging, while withdrawals are draining." I like Mike’s style.