Customer Service versus Sales Results- How to improve on both at the same time?

Every business aims high for outstanding customer service, but what determines good customer service? And is it linked to sales performance?

I train on this very subject every day and what surprises me in my workshops and training sessions is that 90% of Business Owners, Managers and Staff see two different alignments of Customer Service versus Sales Performance.

If you were a customer, wanting help to fulfil your needs, gain better understanding of products and services or improve lifestyle/ business; and should someone who is motivated and enthusiastic, highlights ways to do this, i.e. improve your situation or identify a better solution for you; would you be tempted to BUY TODAY? Even if you had to pay more for those recommendations?  I bet your answer would be a definite BIG YES, because as customers, WE WANT to be SOLD to!

TEST this: Try out a different coffee shop in your area, every day this week. I want you to have $10 in your hand. Let’s see if the assistant serving you tries to take the $10.00 by up selling you into a larger coffee and then try to cross sell you a muffin, cake, biscuit or something else that maybe appetising.  You’ll see a hit rate of less than 1 out of 10; yet you could still get great customer service.  However if the assistant was motivated, attempted to get those $10 from you and succeeded, do you think that would’ve produced increased sales revenue for the business owner? Also, would you have walked out more satisfied with a muffin and coffee, as opposed to just a coffee?

My QUESTION: What is happening in your business with your sales staff or do you just have order takers and good customer service staff? 

When a customer comes into your retail shop or business showroom, do you believe they have high product knowledge of everything your business has to offer?  What scares me with majority of the training I do, is the lack of want/ need from staff to have high product knowledge.  How can your staff identify or recommend something to a customer if they don’t know what they are selling?  More importantly, how can they increase customer satisfaction without product knowledge and proper sales techniques?

Many franchises we deal with use a CTS Score System (Customer Transaction Survey) to rate customer service received by a customer, on a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent.  What I can tell you is that the higher performing sales professionals we train, always get the 5’s.  High product knowledge alongside sales skills gives them the ability to offer customers more products, up sell, identify problems & needs and provide solutions.  They stick to the principle of a good structured sales process for every customer, regardless of the situation. They also motivate customers to upgrade and/or buy more when they see the opportunity.  They know how to ask the right questions, present with confidence whilst using soft trial closes, offer alternatives throughout the sales process and then, close the sale off! This results in high customer satisfaction, which then relates to brilliant customer service, and yes, Sales Results!

If your business survives purely on customers’ satisfaction for new and repeat business, then you need sales people who can produce customer service and sales results that are a 100% linked.  The question that is always asked is “Who in our business needs training for better sales results?”  My answer is – “Anyone who talks to your customers.”

The answer on ‘How to improve on Customer Service vs. Sales Results’ is that

• You need to increase the sales skill in your team and Train, Train, Train!
• Provide product knowledge, and cross selection of products you can sell in your business every day.
• Get your staff motivated and focused and the customer service will be brilliant!

If this is achieved in your business, then watch your Customer Satisfaction rapidly improve. And more importantly, your Sales Results increase!

For more information about our Sales Training programs  please contact Key Business Advisors 1300 4 ADVICE or visit keyba.com.au