First step towards commercial success

We tend to believe that phrases such as “Those were different times; businesses have moved on” and “Customers have changed” are, amongst many others, excellent excuses when it comes to losing a sale.
The highly competitive environment in which we live has forced businesses to evolve, including in commercial terms. And customers have changed, both in their consumption habits and in the purchasing channels they use.

None of this is going to be reversed, and evolution, alongside further changes – technological, amongst many others – will continue to shape commercial relationships. Are the same old commercial arguments, then, sufficient to define the current customer-company relationship during a sale?

We must ask ourselves whether we, as salespeople, have really adapted to the new ‘Customer 2.0’. This new customer is supposedly distrustful, yet uses the internet to make purchases; they are intelligent, yet use forums to form their own opinions; they are fickle by nature, yet constantly seek out their supplier, provided the latter continues to deliver the same positive experiences to which they have become (unfortunately) accustomed.

So, do we know our customers?

Although there are many different types of customers, we are all human. We need a salesperson who is engaged and empathetic, especially if any complications arise during the buying or selling process. The problem will always be much more serious if the salesperson is unresponsive.

The desire to know a little about a lot of things, rather than knowing a lot about a few, as was the case before, makes us vulnerable to potential deception; that is why we need a salesperson who is transparent, loyal, straightforward and professional. Furthermore, the ease of shopping online makes us feel increasingly ordinary and run-of-the-mill; that is why a personalised customer relationship adds so much value.
All companies, just as they allocate resources to necessarily adapt their marketing strategies, brand image and positioning in order to attract more customers, their internal office and IT systems, to improve customer management; they must also invest in training, people management and the ability to transform – not replace – their sales staff, so that they can gain a better understanding of their customers.

Let us therefore recognise that, today, an overstimulated customer – as is the case – needs more than just a routine, artificial relationship in order to be won over and managed.

Víctor Peralta
National Accounts Executive
Barcelona International Fair