Want to sell more to existing customers? Of course you do. Here’s how you get it done.
- Expand your pool of contacts within the account. Ask your present customer for referrals within the company. Many managers you’re not dealing with now have buying authority for their departments. Try to identify them all.
- Make a list of your products that the customer uses but is now buying from the competition. Try to find out the reason he or she isn’t buying from you. Does the competitor have a distinct advantage, or is the customer buying simply out of habit?
- Keep trying to add value in all of your customer contacts. Do you have information that can be of benefit to your customer? Try to define value in customer terms — faster service, better delivery or unique benefits.
- Be a problem solver for customers, even if it doesn’t involve your products or services. You may be able to suggest solutions that customers may not be able to pick up on their own. The best way to increase sales is to become the best source of information the customer has.
- Let customer know they have a special relationship with you. Look beyond the numbers to understand the customer’s business strategy and growth plans. What are their biggest profit drivers and drains? How can you help customers expand their businesses?
Adapted from the book Strengths Based Selling by Tony Rutigliano and Brian Brim. Rutigliano is a sales consultant and former publisher of Sales & Marketing Management magazine. Brim is a marketing and sales consultant for Gallup.
