Distilling the Ingredients of Successful Account Management – Part 1

Ask 10 business owners what makes a good supplier or distributor, and you’ll get 10 different answers. It’s an interesting question; one sure to give rise to all kinds of opinions no matter what industry you spend your time. As the owner of one of the nation’s most prominent wine retailers, I saw more than my fair share of sales strategies. There were those that thought forcing wine in while no one was looking was a good strategy; and others that couldn’t fill an order if their life depended on it. There was even one young man that couldn’t remember how to spell his own wine correctly. He shall remain nameless; he could become my boss one day.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that there are certain criteria that make distributor or supplier sales people more successful. It’s simple but not easy. It’s simple to sell anything, just to make a commission; but not easy to hold out until you have the right item for your customer’s product mix. To properly service an account, you must be well informed on all relevant factors in your customer’s environment.

Here are 3 criteria for providing better service to your customers and clients.

• Be Your Customer’s Advocate!

Help your customer gain a competitive advantage. Ask the tough questions. Peel back the layers of the unknown until you have the information you need to help your customers make the best possible decisions. Does your product help your customer differentiate its offering? If yes, how does it help? If not, why should your customer stock the product in the first place?

Show your customer how to use, position and market your products. Give them good reasons to get behind your products. Demonstrate how your items will help the customer gain a competitive advantage.

Do your customers’ competitors have similar offerings? How are they similar? How are they different? How does the competition display the product? What is their merchandising strategy? Are they seeing better results? The best salespeople take an active interest in their customers’ success. They educate! They help their customers understand the why’s and how’s so they may profit from the sale of their products.

Be your customers’ advocate in all areas of business, not just when it concerns the products you are selling. Years ago, a salesperson once mentioned a new advertising approach, something that was new to us. It was an avenue that worked out very nicely. He showed that he wanted our business to do well, and his reach extended beyond those traditional boundaries. I appreciated the initiative.

• Know your Products

I’m glad he was my salesman before email was around. Every day I would receive a package full of wine articles, wine reviews, Cubs scores (because he knew I was a fan), and other information. It was as if he was reading my mind. If I wanted to learn the latest trends with the gewurztraminer grape, then he was there to tell me everything I wanted to know. Had he been sending emails, clearly, I would have needed more bandwidth and a bigger inbox!

This salesperson knew his products (and others’ products) better than anybody. He put other salespeople to shame by relentlessly keeping his customers informed about a multitude of things. As a result, we bought more from him.

We gave him the lion’s share of our business. When in doubt, we always turned to his company because we felt his service was exceptional and he was the most informed salesman who came to our door. Did I value his efforts? Yes, of course I did. Obviously, I knew that he was earning nice commissions from our purchases; however, that didn’t stop me from being impressed.

Provide as much information for your customers as possible. Your diligent efforts will help them make more informed decisions and everybody likes making good decisions. You will be differentiating yourself from the competition, and at the same time, making a good name for yourself. They will buy more and you will be rewarded.

• Don’t Bad Mouth the Competition

All I could do was wonder what he said about us when we weren’t around. That’s what was going through my mind as the young salesman was bad mouthing my competition. They’re no good at this; they’re no good at that. They’re really missing the boat at all these things! I was spellbound. Why was he trashing the competition like that? Have you met people like that? People who try to win your business (and your trust and confidence) by talking badly about the competition? They’re out there!

Never bad mouth the competition! Your customer will feel that your betrayal (of them) is right around the corner. All businesses are good at something; one might have better qualified associates and the other might have better prices. Without direct access to business’s financials, you can’t really know how a particular company’s strategy works or doesn’t work. At best, you’re speculating, and to comment in front of your customers is a huge mistake. Just leave those stones unturned.

What if somebody is bad mouthing you? Don’t retaliate. As Jeffrey Gitomer (2005) says in The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, “you don’t have to defend your honor in order to “combat” the competition’s lies.” Instead of defending yourself, concentrate on the ways you are better than they are.

Remember: what goes around comes around. You never know who you may work for one day. Don’t burn bridges. Life has a way of coming back to bite you. Always, maintain a professional, neutral attitude while discussing the competition.

It all boils down to building and maintaining relationships. Making your customers feel special. Make sure to always be your customer’s advocate. Know your products. Know how your products help your customer. Understand how your portfolio fits in the competitive landscape. Be professional. Don’t bad mouth the competition. Those people have to put food on the table just like you do. Take the high road. Keep these ideas and thoughts in mind and you will stay in your customer’s good graces. Next week I will give you more things to think about. Stay tuned!

Author: Darryl Rosen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone

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