Sales Success in a Down Economy

With the recent economic slowdown, many companies have been confronted with the challenge of improving poor sales. I believe some of the problems go beyond the war and the world economy. Some of the problems stem from the difficulty many sales people are having making the shift from an order-taking mentality to a more aggressive sales mentality.

In the hot 1990s, sales techniques and customer service were not in the forefront of a salesperson's mind. It was simply: “How fast can I get this order signed to get on to the next one?” Now, when customer service and relationships mean much more, many sales people are not making the necessary adjustment.

Having just been through some major purchasing decisions, I have seen the effects of this problem first hand. The first example was buying a new car. In the process of trying to decide which car to purchase, my wife and I visited many dealerships and test drove a number of different vehicles. At each dealership, we would give the salesperson our name and phone number. Of all the salespeople we dealt with, only one called to follow up with us. He was not pushy or obnoxious. He was very helpful, reminding me of some options that we had not discussed. I ended up purchasing from him mostly because of his follow-up.

We are now in the process of looking for a new house. We have gone through countless open houses and have always signed the realtors’ log books and left our phone number with them. Again, we received a follow-up call from only two of the realtors. We are now using one of them to help us sell our house.

Through both processes, it amazed me how little follow through there was from so many salespeople. I know car sales are way down and home sales have slowed. I would have thought that we would have been inundated with calls from salespeople trying to get our business.

When I was managing sales staffs in the green industry, two of the most basic techniques in sales that I would teach were timely follow up and professional service. I fear that these skills are becoming a lost art for many salespeople.

One of the things that I had learned from Brian Tracy that could help all salespeople in an economy like the one we are experiencing now is consulting vs. selling. His points were as follows:

1. View yourself as a consultant
2. Approach customers as clients
3. Ask questions and listen carefully
4. Become an expert in your field
5. Differentiate yourself from the competition

By doing these five simple things, your success rate in sales will improve dramatically. Right now, the simplest way to differentiate yourself from the competition would be to provide timely, professional follow-up with your clients and begin building relationships with them. These simple things drove my decision making. I'm sure it will drive others’ as well.

The author, Jud Griggs, is director of Green Industry Solutions at JP HORIZONS, Inc. JP HORIZONS’ experience in providing PEOPLE SOLUTIONS through innovative programs has helped landscape firms retain key employees and customers while significantly increasing profitability. Griggs can be reached at Jud@jphorizons.com.