Successful salespeople have a few things in common, but one of them is definitely the ability to build relationships. The best sales relationships are also good personal relationships. It is not possible for you to become best friends with every customer you meet, but it is possible to show you care, take time to listen, and take action on the things you learn, just like you would with the people you care about the most.
Here are some suggestions to add a greater personal touch to your Sales activities.
- Listen.
When it comes to personalization, the first place to start is by listening. You will never get to know someone without asking questions and taking the time to listen. Whenever you have the opportunity to interact with a customer, try to learn about them, their family, their kids, their hobbies and their other interests.
Take good mental notes and physical notes. You can use the information you derive from them to further personalize their experience.
- Social media.
The world we live in is dependent on connectivity. We are all connected in more ways and with more people than ever before in human history. Social media connects people and cultivates relationships both locally and around the world. You can use this powerful tool to better connect with your customer base and provide a higher level of personal service.
With social media, start with your own profile. Make sure your personal profile is professional and tasteful. If you enjoy vulgar jokes, and risqué pictures, you might want to reconsider some of your online behavior. Once you have a profile your mother would approve of, you can start to connect with customers on a more personal level.
If used judiciously, social media can be a great way to foster relationships, tell your story, and learn important details about your customers. Of course, this doesn’t happen without listening first.
- Customize the Transaction.
Strive to find ways to help the customer feel like they are getting more than just a hunk of metal when they drive away in a new vehicle. There are many ways to customize the transaction and add personal detail to any vehicle purchase.
Many dealerships take pictures of buyers standing in front of their new vehicle and send them a calendar or some other memento featuring this picture. This is a great way to personalize the transaction and remind your customer of the personal experience.
Another suggestion would be to purchase them a license plate frame, a decorative mirror hanger, or some other small accessory that features their favorite sports team, favorite hobby, or something else dear to them. Again, this technique is dependent on how well you listened to them in the first place.
- Be Proactive.
When personalizing your sales approach, there are many opportunities to listen, collect information, and act on that information. Take the time to listen and interpret future needs or wants.
Your customer will feel a personal connection if you go out of your way to notify them when a new model arrives that might interest them, or when a cool new accessory is released for their vehicle.
- Stay in Touch.
A successful salesperson is always building relationships. You start with making new acquaintances. Then you build trust, and you continue on from there. Your relationship definitely shouldn’t end when they drive away in a new car.
Take the time to stay in touch. Start by sending a hand-written “Thank You” card after the sale. Yes, hand-written cards show an extra level of personalization and show you actually took the time yourself to reach out.
From there, you should continue to reach out periodically. Birthdays are a natural time to send a card, or shoot a text, email, or social media message, just to let them know you are thinking of them.
Learning the personal aspect of sales is an art. You might not get it completely right all at once. If you remember to be sincere and strive to always understand your customer, your skills will improve and your customers will start to recognize you as a friend and not just a sales person.
