Best Methods to Ruin The Customer

You all have read the posts which help you create and maintain your customers. But in this post, I would love to highlight the methods which can be used to ruin your clients.
 
Don't worry, this post is all about to help your sales executives and their managers to notice things which can ruin their clients. In sales, our task is to create and manage customers and when we lose even a single customer due to some silly mistake then this can affect the confidence. 
 

1. Lack Of Information

Suppose one executive "A" is handling a lead and is almost matured. Due to certain reason, this lead is forwarded to another executive "B" to handle.

There can be 2 scenarios; either customer is happy and is using the services or executive loses the customer for any xyz reason.  

In the latter case, executive B will be in major jeopardy. Either executive "A" will blame executive "B" or executive "B" will blame himself. In this condition, ultimately the team spirit is hampered.
 

What is Problem?

Due to certain reason, the complete information does not flow along the executives.
 

Maturing a client is not a 1-day task. It takes days and sometimes months to take the client in. In this long duration, a lot of things are already discussed and it's difficult to dictate each detail to the fellow executive.

So, it is the responsibility of executive "A" to make sure he hand over the customer free-handedly considering that the customer can be lost even in absence of one single fact. Executive "A" should give the freedom to the fellow executive to handle the customer accordingly. This may include the revision of the complete deal.
 

But all this is worth because this team work saved the customer and the reputation of the company as well.
 

How to Handle

• Make sure all the required information, either small or big, is exchanged before handling the customer.

• While passing customer to executive "B" make sure to involve one more person as a mediator who makes sure the lead is handled properly.

• In the case of any miscommunication, avoid blaming your fellow executive in front of your customer, instead use your conscience to complete the task smoothly.

• If you are given the responsibility, you automatically receive some authority to take the decision which is suitable at that point of time.
   

2. Representation & Impression Of Customer

 

Each customer has its own reputation and executives handle the customer based on the reputation they build up in their mind. It's not necessary that the reputation executive created match exactly with the customer actual behavior. This misconception is very bad in maturation phase of any customer. 

For example: For any specific reason you are unable to attend your lead and you have to pass it to your fellow executive to proceed further. You will describe your lead and this description will be taken as a reference to generate a strategy to handle the customer further. If this description is not updated the customer can be lost due to the wrong strategy made. 
 

What is Problem?

Let me explain this by an example. One of my client 'X' has an impression on me. Now there are almost 60% chances that this impression will be different to my fellow colleague when he is in touch.
 

Two different impressions mean, there should be two different strategies to handle the same client by different people. But instead, my fellow colleague will override his impression with the description I shared about the client. This adoption will lead to confusion and client will lose faith too.
 

One executive who has technical knowledge if comes across a customer who is a layman then this customer is considered.
 

How to Handle

• It is important to brief your customer when someone else has to handle your customer.

• But make sure you share the important ones. Let me share one example: You have one leader who belongs to a good brand and can provide very good business. But somehow he/she is sensitive about the pricing and is seeking quality service at lower price. Now, when you explain this customer to your colleague you should mention that it is a good lead which is important to be mature. Try not to mention that he is price sensitive.

• Make sure you know your fellow executive who will take the lead ahead. This way you can judge the situation and share information accordingly.

• Do not stick to the saying "First impression is the last impression". Try to recalculate your impression to get the better judgment. You can be a hit sales executive if you have good judgment power.

 

Bonus Tip

Knowing your customers is very important for your marketing success. And a buyer personal can help you.

A buyer persona tells you Who (is your customer), What (she wants), How (she thinks and buy), Why (she is buying). It helps you and your team to understand new buying behaviours. You have complete information about a buyer and his buying journey - so there are less chances of any confusion.

See this example: