The Unique Customer Journey: Thoughts from Fellow Jeff Valles

Your company has been successfully working with this talented designer for years, but today seems a bit different. Do you handle her the same way as in the past? Do you start asking questions to learn what is different or do you simply listen a bit harder and slow down. I vote for the latter, you?

Truth be told, we must always keep in mind that every time a customer visits your showroom, their path on every project is unique. Not only is this meeting unique, but every meeting pertinent to this one job will be unique. Your customer still retains the trust, but time moves on and situations change. Who knows what has happened personally or professionally to any of the players since you last spoke?

In all situations, salespeople must always actively listen. If it is a first meeting, they must discover the pecking order for this particular group on this particular day. Who is the alpha? The client? Designer? Builder? For all we know, this might be the first time all have been in the same space together...what fun!

Your main job is not to expose any issues, but engage them in a way that they know you are there to help, listen and learn. If you start probing and expose issues, you and the group will have to deal with what is exposed. If that happens, the underlying issue is their trust in each other and in you. You are the outsider, therefore, the easy scapegoat.

Am I digging too deep on this? Our DPH industry, on average, closes roughly 35% of bids. We can improve that percentage if we improve the way we engage our customers.

Little things matter. One little flub can throw a monkey wrench into hard won trust and confidence of an old or new customer. I think you will agree that every sale is unique. Understand that each time clients enter your showroom they are on a unique journey. Engage with them to learn all you can.

I suggest taking a few minutes before your next PK to discuss this with your sales team. This simple awareness is important for your new budding sales heroes to understand. New salespeople are wrongly looking for repeatable processes to follow, and that will not play well in the long run. The best salespeople approach each meeting with an open mind. Their experience has them ready to engage each fresh opportunity and the unique collection of issues that job will drop in their laps.