The Customer

C – Selling

A few weeks ago, I was invited to join a virtual sales team meeting and during the call, one person made a comment that got me thinking. Before I joined the call, the team had watched a training video about the cadence and content of making phone calls to prospects. The comment from one of the sellers, although natural and common, was an error I see in salespeople on a regular basis.

C not ME

She pointed out that although the training video was helpful, she prefers emailing and doesn’t see herself using the phone in her business development efforts. What’s wrong with that? It’s THE ERROR I see on a regular basis!

C Clearly

I’m happy she understands her own preferences, but her preferences don’t matter! She, and all sellers need to first understand the customer and their preferred communication method. And how a buyer prefers to communicate is just the beginning.

The 3 C’s of Selling

The first C in C-Selling is the Customer. Sellers need to do the homework to understand how the customer thinks, what is their situation and disposition, how do they make decisions as a company and as a Decider, and more. In new business development, some assumptions can be made but as soon as communication begins, ask about the preferred method.

Begin every customer interaction with the first C and when you do, you’ll get their attention and begin to develop value.