1. Get your competition fired. Getting new business usually means working against a competitor with established ties to the prospect. Try to find out how long they’ve dealt with their present supplier and who they used before the switch. What made them change? Do some research. There may be new developments, products or services that your prospects aren’t aware of.
2. Win back lost accounts. Even the best salespeople lose an account every now and then. They also know that if they approach their former customers properly, many may come back. Look for specific reasons why customers left. Check the account records carefully to see if there were any problems with delivery or complaints about quality that went unanswered. Try to come up with a plan to fix the problem, and then share it with your former customers.
3. Hold yourself accountable. Salespeople who take responsibility for their actions usually have the best sales and customer service results. When their new business is down, they look within themselves instead of blaming prospects or business conditions. Some salespeople tend to place blame elsewhere when their prospecting efforts fail. Top salespeople spell out specific expectations tied to a clear system for measuring activities and take immediate actions to support them, connecting the actions to expectations.

Adapted from the book The #1 Sales Team by Stephan Schiffman, who has trained more than 350,000 salespeople at such firms as AT&T Information Systems, Chemical Bank, Hanover Trust and US Health Care. He is the president of D.E.I. Management Group, NY.

The first step toward great customer service is to look at the employees in your organization who have lots of customer contact — salespeople.

Some salespeople are service naturals. They devote full attention to each customer and offer help without being asked. They are energetic, perceptive and empathetic.

These critical qualities have little to do with a salesperson’s technical ability and a lot to do with how he or she treats prospects and customers.

Since there’s no right or wrong personality in developing a “service attitude,” every salesperson can learn how to relate to customers on a personal level.

Define by service

Service is the first thing customers and prospects notice in any salesperson. Unique service can make any salesperson different and distinguished, regardless of size, budget, location or industry.

What defines exceptional service? Who are the salespeople who make it happen?

To deliver great service, exceptional salespeople think of it as a separate and distinct product. They start thinking about service from the customer’s perspective. How were they treated? What did they expect and were their expectations met?

To remain focused on the goal of delivering truly outrageous service, they ask themselves: “How would I treat my most profitable customer?” Then they apply the answer to all of their customers and prospects.

POS

Giving a customer “positively outrageous service” (POS) creates a halo effect for your product or service. The customer feels encouraged and wants to reciprocate.

This reciprocity may include the most powerful marketing medium, word-of-mouth, an enthusiastic, immediate, frequently repeated personal testimonial.

From satisfied to loyal

We all know that a satisfied customer is someone who has had a pleasant experience. A loyal customer is someone who has a relationship with you, values it and resists change.

Loyal customers buy more than satisfied customers. The flip side of these benefits is that loyal customers demand more service. They notice small things, such as waiting too long for service or not being acknowledged,  and  get upset.

Here are some tips to help you satisfy a loyal customer’s complaints:

1. Agree with the customer. When customers are angry, agree with them and share your concern about their problems. This is very different from being angry with the customer. If you agree with the customer, it’s almost impossible for the customer to be angry with you. Agreeing doesn’t mean that you’re accepting blame for the situation for you or your company. It simply sets a better tone for resolving the complaint.

2. Ask the customer’s input on a solution. Simply asking, “What will make you happy?” is a good way to solve a problem. This straightforward question can establish a common ground for finding a reasonable solution.

3. Take responsibility. You can solve the problem, learn something and help your customer all in one process if you take charge. Customers usually ask for less once you offer to help. Once they have a complaint resolved,  customers usually move toward the loyalty end of the scale.

Adapted from Why Service Stinks and Exactly What to Do About It by Scott Gross.

1. Poor customer service

Far and away, customer service is the No. 1 reason customers flee to the competition. Smart companies place the highest premium on customer service.

The first step on the road to failure is often management’s insistence that customer service is a non-essential expense.

Think about it. It costs a lot less to keep existing customers happy and cultivate more business from them than it is does to go out and scrounge up new buyers from scratch.

2. Taking online comments too seriously

Too many companies look at the comments customers email them — or post on sites like Facebook and Twitter — and think they represent the opinions of the general public. Chances are, they don’t.

Buyers often use these sources anonymously to slam a product or company. That’s more of a public relations problem.

A few comments — good or bad — won’t tell you what expansive research will about your product or service.

Here are five ways your sales reps can create a climate of mutual respect between them and the people they work with that will ultimately lift results. Pass them along at your next sales meeting:

1. Make it a point to remember the names of the people you work with. You wouldn’t forget a valuable customer’s name. Try to take the same approach with people at your company. Say “hello” when you pass them in the hallways and try to learn a little bit about them.
2. Expect people to misunderstand you occasionally. If someone makes a mistake, try to help them correct it without sounding judgmental. Ask questions about the feedback you’re giving or receiving.
3. Avoid any appearance of questioning someone else’s authority. Everyone wants respect, regardless of the jobs they’re performing.
4. Accept advice in a graceful manner when it’s offered to you. Maybe it’s totally inappropriate or you’re not able to follow it. If so, explain why. People will usually respond in a positive way when they don’t feel they’re being patronized.
5. Learn how to say “no” gracefully. Sometimes another employee will make a request you’re not able to fulfill. When possible try to refer them to someone else who can help.

Source: Wesley Forcier, president of Alpha Marketing, a sales consulting firm in Brookline, MA.

The surveys pinpoint five myths about customer satisfaction to share at your next sales meeting.

1. Myth: A satisfied customer is a loyal customer. Fact: More than 75% of customers across all industries who leave an organization for a competitor rated themselves as “satisfied” or “completely satisfied” with the previous organization on customer surveys. It takes more than mere satisfaction to ensure long-term loyalty.
2. Myth: If customers say they’re satisfied, it’s true. Fact: Most customers would rather tell a little lie about being satisfied than to engage in a potentially confrontational dialogue explaining why they were not happy with a product or service. Candor is not easy for customers, which is why many choose flight over fight.
3. Myth: Customers want the organizations they do business with to ask them for feedback. Fact: Customers want organizations to read their minds. Only the disappointed or angry customers have the motivation to provide feedback. Most everyone else in between wants to be left alone.
4. Myth: Customers believe if they give feedback, something will actually change. Fact: Most customers are twice-bitten cynics. They believe salespeople solicit feedback because they’re either directed to by some edict or offered some prize, not because they want to improve products or services. Even if improvements are made using feedback, most customers never learn of the changes, so the perceptive effect is “They don’t care.”
5. Myth: Complaining customers are your most at-risk buyers, the ones most likely to defect. Fact: Not according to the surveys. It’s the quietly disappointed ones you have to look out for. They are the ones who, when approached by a competitor with a shinier widget or a slightly better deal, will abandon you for bluer skies, greener pastures and the promise of a more hassle-free experience.

Focus on learning not evaluation

Customer feedback is about evaluation. Customer learning is about problem solving. Problem solving means learning for improvement. It requires more customer intelligence than customer evaluation, more ideas that critique.

Here are three steps that may help you move from customer evaluation to customer learning:

1. Stop expecting surveys to be tools for learning. Written customer surveys may yield useful demographic or general marketing information. But customer intelligence, the kind relevant for service or product improvement, is best achieved face-to-face and ear-to-ear by salespeople.
2. Ask open-ended questions. Learning begins with a spirit of openness. If customers feel free to move the conversation as they see fit, they will move to areas of significance to them – the good, the bad and ugly of their personal experience with the company.
3. Try not to make assumptions about what the customer thinks. If you really want to provide exceptional customer service, you need to know your customers. First-hand research, not surveys, is the most reliable means of knowing what really matters to your customers.

Adapted from Customer Loyalty Guaranteed (A Business, Avon, MA) by Chip Bell and John Patterson. Mr. Bell is the founder of the Dallas-based Chip Bell Group. John Patterson is president of Progressive Insights in Atlanta, GA.

1. Apple. Apple is the sexiest brand alive today, according to Fortune magazine. It all starts with the logo — simple, iconic, yet futuristic. That philosophy trickles down to Apple stores, all of which have an edgy design and features. Some examples: The service desk is called a “Genius Bar.” In-store shoppers can log on and surf the net, and test drive display models. Commercials feature music from U2, Regina Spektor and the White Stripes (among others). Then of course there’s Steve Jobs, a crossover CEO that is equal parts tech nerd and rock star. It all adds up to a well-orchestrated approach that’s as edgy as it is bankable.
2. Netflix. Movies delivered right to your doorstep. It’s a simple concept, no? So why hasn’t anyone been able to duplicate Netflix’ success? Maybe it’s because Netflix is so in tune with its audience. The company uses e-mail to communicate so members don’t have to lift a finger to find out where their movies are, when the movies were shipped and when they should expect to see the films arrive in their mailbox. Netflix has an interactive website that suggests new movies based on past selections and member rankings. It allows members to suggest movies for one another, and it resolves customer service issues with the click of a mouse so members never have to make a phone call, wait on hold or type a long e-mail to have a question answered. Plus, Netflix is much more affordable than most retail rental chains at a time when people need that most. As an added bonus, there’s an entire library of movies members can watch instantly online … for free.
3. Google. People that want to understand what makes Google so sexy don’t need to look any further than Googleplex — the company’s Mountain View, California headquarters. Googleplex has designer cafeterias where employees eat for free, a commuter bus system, swimming pools, volleyball courts, massage parlors and gaming rooms. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Google believes all work and no play makes for a dull employee — and a dull world. Their innovative approach to corporate culture is what keeps them on the cutting edge — attracting the best and brightest young minds to help build their empire. What started as a popular search engine has now extended its reach to just about every facet of the online universe, and somehow you get the sense that this is only the beginning.
4. Amazon. Those who think Amazon is just an e-retailer (an e-tailer?) are missing the point. The company may have started out that way, but now it’s evolved into an online network, where users are cross-selling products to one another based on suggestions and previous purchases. Amazon revolutionized the online customer review by deciding that allowing consumers to post negative reviews wasn’t only helpful, it was good for business. Online shopping is more popular than ever, and users know when they shop on Amazon, they’re going to get as many options as possible — top of the line, bargain basement, new, used, recycled … you name it. If it’s out there, Amazon can help you find it.
5. Starbucks. Starbucks revolutionized the way Americans do coffee. In fact, the company changed the entire coffee experience. Rather than grabbing a cup to go, Starbucks made coffee shops a social hub, where consumers created their own experience, whether that meant dating, reading a book, meeting with friends or business partners, playing a game of chess, or listening to music. Gourmet coffee is the new bottled water, and Starbucks is winning hearts, minds and dollars because it’s giving customers more than a cup of Joe — it’s giving them a night out, or a date, or a comfy place to study or work. Starbucks is whatever you want it to be, which is why it appeals to such a wide demographic.

What other companies would you add to the “sexy” list? Share your suggestions in the Comments Box below.

Source: “The World’s 50 Most Admired Companies,” Fortune.

Covering these essentials is what made others successful.

Inc. magazine asked a bunch of entrepreneurs how they got to the top. Here’s the essence of what they said:

1. Character is key when hiring. It’s also the toughest trait to uncover. You’ll probably be able to tell pretty quickly if someone has the qualifications, experience, etc. But determining whether a candidate has character takes a lot of questions and analysis on your part. After a while, you’ll know it when you see it.
2. Cash may be king, but it’s not everything. Most entrepreneurs say if you have a solid mission and and solid goals, the money will follow. So a profitable business plan — while certainly important — isn’t the end of the story.
3. Plan for rainy days. They’re coming, and you know it. Be ready — for downturns, credit crunches or whatever else may hit. One key to readiness: Ask your managers what they’d do if trouble hits.
4. Keep good records. Poor or nonexistent records systems have sunk more companies that any recession.
5. Learn to say “no” to customers. It’s easy to “yes” customers to death: Tell them what they want to hear and make the sale, right? Wrong. Most successful entrepreneurs have learned that customers trust companies that act like guides in the wilderness. Just because the customer wants to eat all the food on the first day of the trek doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Use “no” as a way to guide and help your customers, and they’ll keep coming back.
6. Understand that everyone works in “Customer Service.” Service should be a companywide culture, not a department.
7. Take time to dream. Running a business day-to-day can make you forget that one of the reasons you got into business was to be creative. Make sure you set aside a little time for innovative thinking.

Today, quality of service has become so essential that those who lead the way in service excellence have a powerful competitive advantage.

Responsive service is what counts most today. It inspires customers to return and buy more often.

Customer service used to end when the sale was made. Today, customer service begins after the sale is made. Businesses and salespeople may get everything right in terms of marketing, product and price. But unless they complete the process with incredibly good customer service, they’ll lose business.

Defining good service

Customers respond positively to signals that say, “We really appreciate having you as a customer.”

Here are seven customer care strategies that will help you build customer loyalty and boost sales:

1. Don’t take relationships for granted. Have a plan for getting feedback from customers. Feedback will help you create a competitive advantage. And the only way you’ll know what customers are thinking is by gathering feedback.
2. Contact customers when it’s not necessary. It sends a message that you appreciate their business — and value the relationships you have with them. It also tells your customers that you won’t abandon them after a sale.
3. Let them know how much you like working with them. Why take a chance or assume customers know that you appreciate your relationships you’ve built with them? Put it on the record by letting them know in writing why you like working with them.
4. Ask them what you could do to make working with you easier. Even when you have good working relationships with customers, there still may be something that bothers them. And while it may not be a relationship breaker, it can still be a minor problem that grows if it’s not resolved.
5. Make suggestions for improving their operations. Your knowledge is unique and your helpful suggestions make you a partner in your customers’ successes. Customers will view you as a resource if you pass along useful information. Don’t cut corners. When a customer has been around for awhile, there’s a tendency to take his or her business for granted — by only doing what’s absolutely necessary and coasting. If the customer doesn’t figure it out first, a competitor won’t be far behind to steal your business.
6. When something’s wrong, let them know what you’ll do to fix it. Stuff happens. But when it does, jump on it quickly and tell your customers what you’re doing to resolve it.
7. Take every customer complaint seriously. There’s no such thing as a small complaint. What seems minor to you may loom large in a customer’s mind.

Much as been made about Jobs and his habit not only of reading the e-mail customers send him, but also answering a portion of it.

It’s not unusual for those who send a message to the mercurial CEO to get one back from him. Some are sent from his iPhone, some from his iPad.

Most are short, to the point and strikingly honest.

Jobs rarely flatters or pleads with his correspondents. Many of his replies are only a word or two. And often, he’ll be a bit insulting — even with longtime, loyal customers.

One customer whose laptop suffered water damage appealed to Jobs for better or at least more reasonable repair service. Jobs reply: “They are pro machines and they don’t like water. It sounds like you’re just looking for someone to get mad at other than yourself.”

To read a selection of Jobs’ famous (or infamous) e-mail responses, visit here.

Of course not all CEOs can get away with kind of blunt talk with customers. It helps that Apple’s core fan base is almost evangelical in their appreciation for Apple products.

One possible reason for the company’s success: Their computers are designed with the user in mind. This doesn’t mean that Windows or Linux machines don’t have appeal to many users, but for “user friendliness,” few computers are better than an Apple product.

Many technology professionals prefer the Windows platform because of their ability to use it like a tool that will construct solutions to technological problems.

Apple computers, on the other hand, function more like appliances that will accomplish tasks or gather information that’s needed by the user.

It’s kind of like choosing the tools to build car or buying a model off the lot and driving it home.

Fact is, most departments deal with a slew of “customers” all day.

Take Finance, for example.

Staffers there interact with everyone from actual customers to vendors to the internal customers they serve as they field payroll questions, handle expense reimbursements, help managers budget, etc.

While managers are probably sure to stress the importance of being customer-friendly, if folks don’t possess this one trait, they won’t be too successful.

That trait: empathy.

It’s more than “saying it with a smile.” Many people think of  “customer service” as the ability to be perky and friendly. Not so.

The real secret is the ability to put oneself in the customer’s place and react accordingly.
That doesn’t mean giving people everything they want. That’s the last mindset you want folks to adopt.

But encourage staffers to develop more empathy.

Two ways:

• Ask ’em to think about who their “customers” are. Yes, Credit’s customers are your external customers, but salespeople count, too.

• Encourage them to walk in the customers shoes. If someone misses a deadline to get a reimbursement check, they miss the deadline. But talk with staffers about the best way to break that news.

Adapted from “The Greatest Customer Service Trait,” by Rick Weaver, at http://customer-relationship-mgt.bestmanagement articles.com/a-33094-the-greatest-customer-service-trait.aspx

The latest YouTube viral sensation is a song, called “United Breaks Guitars,” made by musician Dave Carroll. No points for guessing which airline’s service is being satirized and attacked in the video, which was viewed 2.5 million times within five days of being posted. As of posting, it had 2,791,539 million views.

See it here:

Here’s what happened in this case.

In the spring of 2008, Carroll’s band, Sons of Maxwell, was traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour. Passengers on the United flight with Carroll saw his $3,500 Taylor guitar being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago, severely damaging the guitar.

In the months that followed, United didn’t deny that the guitar had been damaged,  says Carroll. But everyone passed the buck, and refused to compensate him.

After nine months of frustration, Carroll decided to air his complaint to the public, via YouTube.

“I promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation  that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise,” he said.

Carroll’s tactic worked. United quickly offered damages, apologized, and promised to use Carroll’s video in training sessions for its reps.

Despite United’s apology, and offer of compensation (which Carroll wants United to donate to charity), Carroll is pushing ahead with plans for the next two videos.  Next time, United may apologize sooner rather than later.

Update: Now the Huffington Post reports that this video has cost United 10% of its market share. Chris Ayres of The Times Online in the U.K. In a column earlier this week, Ayres claimed the Carroll mishap actually cost United $180 million, or 10 percent of its market cap. Ouch.

Julie Power is editor in chief of the Internet Marketing Report and its accompanying blog, www.eIMR.blogspot.com.