Are you always looking for ways to capture a greater share of your customers’ business—and to keep that business despite your competitors’ never-ending attempts to woo it away? Companies try many strategies to achieve this goal, but just one really works.

The only thing likely to create a genuinely loyal customer—meaning a customer immune to your competitors’ appeals—is a great relationship with one of your salespeople. This is the third of four articles on Customer Loyalty in which we’ll look at a systematic way for salespeople to forge lasting bonds that clients hate to break.

From Salesperson to Business Partner

Almost all salespeople who become certified in the Action Selling system see their sales performance improve, often dramatically. But for some, the performance boost is downright spectacular. They don’t just win new customers, they gain far more business from existing accounts. Their clients come to see them not only as excellent salespeople but as valuable business partners. They forge bonds that competitors can’t break, no matter what discounts or special services they offer.

These salespeople become black-belts—masters of customer loyalty. They are elite even among Action Selling-certified professionals. What makes the difference? In a word, consistency.

Masters use the sales system consistently, on every single call.

Some salespeople seem to recognize intuitively that Action Selling is not just an effective sales approach but a communication system that allows them to build stronger, more productive relationships with clients. They don’t ‘work the system’ only with new prospects. They use it effectively and consistently in every call on every client, no matter how long-established the account.

This means, for example, that they never call on an established account just to “check in.” They always have a commitment objective. They always do an Act 2*, cementing a personal relationship with the client. Crucially, no matter how well they think they know the account, they always do an Act 3*, asking the “best questions” about emerging problems and opportunities in the client’s business. They always do an Act 5*, “selling” their own company to the client by mentioning new offerings and other developments.

Above all, they never stop looking for ways to become more valuable to their clients. Mainly through questioning skills, but also by orchestrating their own companies’ resources on the client’s behalf, they act like business partners rather than just salespeople.

A “salesperson” represents a supplier that can be useful for addressing particular needs in particular ways—as can other suppliers. A business partner is committed to the client’s success every day, in every phase of the client’s operation where the partner can possibly be helpful.

A salesperson who becomes that kind of partner forges a bond that is very difficult to break. The client begins to turn a deaf ear to the salesperson’s competitors, not because their products and services and prices aren’t attractive, but because the relationship is too valuable to give up.

The only genuinely “loyal” customers your company has are those who have effectively gone deaf to your competitors’ appeals. The only thing that creates such customers—and keeps them over the long term—is a strong sales relationship. The only reliable way to forge relationships strong enough is to use a systematic relationship-building approach—and practice it consistently.

In The Field:

Alan Reynolds, southeast region sales manager of Anthony Liftgates, shares this story of how he reclaimed a lost customer following Action Selling Sales Training:

“I realized that we needed to pay attention to every aspect of the customer relationship with this national account. Even though we had lost them, I continued to treat them as if they were my account by solving issues that they had in the field.

“Action Selling reminded me how important it was for me to ‘orchestrate’ selling and service activities. I kept our team of customer service reps on high alert for serving this customer’s repair needs. In addition, I organized meetings between our executive team and their VPs and president.”

Even though Anthony Liftgates’ products were considerably more expensive and the warranty was the same, Alan won back the account that the competitor had taken away. His comment: “The skills of Action Selling allow me to forge relationships that win and keep customers.”

* The Action Selling System is described as “9 Acts” of a drama that salespeople systematically follow during the course of any major sale. Within the 9 acts, salespeople utilize Five Critical Sales Skills to synchronize their presentations with the buyer’s decision-making process. This results in strong commitments and long-term business relationships.


Author Bio:

Duane Sparks is chairman and founder of The Sales Board, a Minneapolis-based sales training company. Since 1990, The Sales Board has researched and developed Sales training that focuses on improving the five most critical selling skills that all salespeople use in the course of all major sales. Action Selling has helped develop over 300,000 top sales executives in more than 2,500 business groups sell up to 300% more, reduce sales cycle time, improve profit margins and create loyal customers.

Sparks is the author of various sales books that bring amazing results including: Action Selling, Selling Your Price, Questions: The Answer to Sales and Masters of Loyalty.

For more information about Sales Training or this author, please visit http://www.thesalesboard.com/ or call 1-800-232-3485.