As an experienced sales person and sales leader, there are so many lessons I have learned along the way. Little things that you probably don’t even think of or that you think have no relevance. But in retrospect can have a huge impact on your business. Let me share a few of my little life lessons in Sales:

WHERE YOU PARK MATTERS….

My first job as a sales rep I was so excited and a little apprehensive when I was told I would be taking the VP of SALES out on sales calls. I had worked hard at building rapport with my customers and had created a significant increase in territory sales, so I was somewhat confident.

We go out on our first call. I’m driving, he’s sitting in the passenger seat. We pull up to the client’s location. There is a parking spot available right in front of the door. I pull in, park the car and proceed to get out of the car.

He calls me back in and says… “Where are we?” I reply “we are in the customer’s parking lot”. He proceeds, “was there a reason you parked right in front of the door? Are there no other spots?’. I looked at him kind of dumbfounded, not really sure what he was getting at. He continues… ‘if this were your place of business and you had worked really hard to gain customers, wouldn’t you want them to have to park right outside the door??’ ‘How would you feel in your sales reps took spent all day parked in the ‘best’ spots instead of your customers???’ I got it!

Never again did I park in the prime parking spots. I made sure to park at the end of the lot, leaving the best spots for my customers’ clients. A small thing, but a lesson I never forgot! WHAT YOU SAY MATTERS… ‘WE’ vs ‘I’…

Same guy. Another great lesson…. We were selling a product to the tradesmen but had a public showroom open for their customers to view and make product selections. The VP of SALES and I were standing in the showroom discussing a product when we overhear the Showroom Manager say… “Mrs. Jones, I have this design and I have that design available. That one I’m not sure of… let me go to the back and see if I have that one as well”.

In our next meeting, the VP of SALES starts the meeting off with a conversation about the importance of TEAM. He says ‘everything we say and do matters. The little things can have the biggest impact in terms of portraying professionalism. Something as small as saying ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ demonstrates to others that we are a group, an organization, a team working together. No one person makes it happen. There is no ‘I’ in teamwork”. Again a little thing to you, but could have a significant impact to others!

Improving Customer Service Calgary

WHAT YOU DO MATTERS…. ‘SMILE’ WHEN YOU ARE ON THE PHONE…

Have you ever picked up the phone and spoken to a sales or customer service rep and known that they would be fabulous because you could sense their tone, energy, and positive attitude through the phone??? Years ago I worked a retail sales job while going to University. We received customer service training that has stuck with me throughout the years. One of the things the HR Manager said that I will never forget… ‘smile when you are on the phone. Others can hear your attitude!’ A simple yet effective way that you can improve your own mood and the mood and overall experience of your customers.

The little actions we take and the little things we say and do can have a dramatic effect on your sales and service levels. Because what is little to you, might not be little to your customers!
(A special thank you to all those who have taught me lessons along the way!)

Want to have a good customer service? Don’t hesitate to contact us and learn more about the courses, training, and services we offer!