That old saying the customer is always right has been updated for the modern age. Today the customer is always right and that’s right here, right now.
Yes, in the digital age it’s much easier for buyers to become experts in goods and services and to expect the best to be available immediately.
After all, we merely have to glance at our smartphones to find out what’s on offer and where the great deals are.
And so today’s sales professional needs to more than match the kind of intel a customers bring to the negotiating table: customers who are more discerning and almost always more demanding.
For many businesses, big and small, this means investing in sales specialists who have the most up-to-date knowledge and expertise.
Sales specialists can not only explain in great detail the key features of a product or service, they can also do it in a way that’s easy to understand.
This is especially important when dealing with new customers who have no prior knowledge.
The more senior specialist may also be needed to forecast a company’s potential sales and create campaigns to ensure these targets are met.
With so many different sectors relying on sales, however, it’s impossible to offer a typical working week and the hours, salaries and reward schemes for such positions vary greatly.
One thing they all do have in common is the role will involve having incredibly good communication skills and a nature that’s at once friendly and welcoming but also authoritative – no-one wants to make a major investment on the advice of someone who sounds less than 100% passionate about their product.
Another aspect of the job involves aftersales service. Where a product or service is slightly more complex, there can be issues or questions that arise only after the purchase and, as the acknowledged specialist, it will be you who’s called upon to
help resolve customers’ concerns and ensure their satisfaction.
Finally, there is an educational element. Some specialist areas of knowledge need to become shared among the wider sales team over time in order to improve the economics of a company’s selling model.
So your mission may also include mentoring younger or less experienced sales assistants and helping them become masters.
Get it right and you’ll help your company boost its business and grow its revenues. And that’s a unique selling point for the company, for customers and for you!
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