Servant Selling: 5 Powerful Ways to Win Through Customer Centric Sales
Selling has changed drastically over the years. This is especially as a result of recent advancements in communication technology and AI. There is now a wide range of sales methodologies and frameworks in different industries.
However, one thing continues to hold despite shifting landscapes: people still make major buying decisions for personal reasons – your customer comes first. Customer-centric selling is key to success, especially in today’s highly competitive landscape.
At The Five Abilities, we place great emphasis on servant selling. Below, we take a look at exactly what this looks like and why it’s important.
Why is Customer-Centric Selling Necessary
Client-centric selling simply focuses on the needs of the customer through every stage of the sales process. This is opposed to many modern sales techniques via social media and AI, that are focused on pitching and promoting products and services.
The customer-focused approach still relies on building relationships through a more personal approach. It involves listening to customers, asking the right questions, identifying their pain points, and addressing their needs. It’s focused not just on making the immediate sale but fostering a long-lasting relationship that results in repeat sales
What is a Customer-Centric Selling Approach?
Your customer-centric selling relies on 5 key principles:
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Empathy
To fully connect with your customers, you must understand them. A simple concept, and yet some of my clients, before working with me, were using social media and direct mail as their relationship development tools.
You need to put yourself in their shoes and understand their pain points. Sales managers must hire empathetic sales representatives instead of just those who are good at pitching. You want to have a team that listens to customers and can help identify the root of the problem.
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Curiosity
It’s important to be curious about your customers and their needs. The ideal salesperson is curious and leads with the right questions.
They don’t ask questions for the sake of seeming to be helpful, but because they are genuinely interested in the feedback provided, which feeds into the solution they design for the prospective buyer. They ask intelligent and insightful questions that help them chip away at the problem and discern exactly how they can help.
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Empowering customers
Understandably, hitting quota is often the highest priority for many salespeople. This can lead them to high-pressure tactics that fail to address customer needs. However, with the servant approach in mind, salespeople shift the conversation to solving problems.
Instead of applying pressure, this approach empowers customers to help them reach a decision on their own decisions. In my decades of sales experience,
I’ve learned that the best salespeople rarely use pressure sales tactics, and when they do, it’s when a solid relationship has been established and the decision-maker needs some servant-oriented help getting to the finish line.
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Customer values
Customers today have many options. Many are well-informed and make decisions based on their values. Customers don’t simply look at individual products but also at the company and other factors surrounding the products. They choose with whom they prefer to do business.
It is therefore important for sales teams to ensure their values align with those of their customers. This includes the company’s culture, social efforts, production methods, and more.
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Customer experience
It’s not enough to provide a great customer experience only to those who are actually making purchases. Customers buy from those with whom they like during the sales process. You must provide an excellent customer experience throughout the process.
This means implementing a customer-focused approach throughout from product design and development, right to product sales and after-sales support.
Develop A Relationship-Based Selling Strategy and Take Your Sales Strategy to a New Level
At The Five Abilities ®, we believe that focusing on developing long-term relationships with your customers is key for sustainable growth.
We work with businesses to develop sales strategies and tactics that are aimed at helping businesses foster long-term relationships and the resulting repeat business with customers.
Get in touch with us now to learn more about our approach and how we can help you take your sales to a new level.
