Allegiance Staffing Founder, Tom Landry, Featured in CPA Annual Meeting
September 20, 2018 | News Blog
Companies commonly misconstrue the roles that sales and customer service play in the growth of their business. Though both departments are essential to the process, they cannot be viewed as the same or key steps in the process will be lost.
At the CPA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Jeffrey Hayzlett talked with Jason Forrest (CEO and Chief Culture Officer, Forrest Performance Group), Tony Cort (Senior Vice President, Damron Corp.), and Adam Toporek (Customer Experience Strategist) about the similarities and differences within sales and customer service and how they should be perceived.
Many people mistakenly view sales as the endpoint. The sale is the beginning, the point of entry. If you rush to the end, you are less likely to maintain an ongoing relationship with the customer, and the business will suffer for that.
Ability to Adapt to Change is Crucial
Hayzlett also met with Tom Landry (President & Cofounder, Allegiance Staffing), Eric Greenberg, P.C. & General Counsel, Contract Packaging Association), Jason Tham (CEO, Nulogy) and Nikki Johnson (Executive Vice President/General Manager, Kala).
This discussion was geared toward the necessity of companies adjusting to the changes occurring in their industries. So many businesses want to cling to their ways, believing that is what brought them success and will be what continues to do so. However, if you do not work to keep up with your competitors, you are sure to fall behind.
Within these discussions, each of the experts being interviewed gave strong pointers for business owners and their sales associates. Listed below are the main highlights.
- Price matters, but at the end of the day, the customer cares the most about their experience. Do not get stuck on the idea that the customer will be more drawn to you because you are offering the better deal. The experience they get from your sales team and the quality of the product will be the thing that determines their satisfaction if they will recommend you to someone else, and whether or not they will come back for more.
- The key to service is consistency. If you do not provide a service that remains consistent amongst your team, it will only confuse the customer and make them question how reliable you are.
- Communication is key. The sale begins with the relationship that is developed with the customer. The goal should be to create a lasting relationship. In order to do this, you need to listen to them and show them that you can provide them with the results that they desire.
- The sales team should not be rewarded for the sales, but for the retention. If the team is solely focused on the sale, they are less likely to give the customer the time and attention that creates a lasting bond. This mentality should also be spread into the warehouse and tech teams, encouraging all staff to maintain the promise the business is making to the customer.
- Focus on maintaining your client’s trust. The customer needs to feel listened to and it is your company’s job to prove that they are dependable by delivering exactly what they promised they would on time.
- “You have to get people to yes”. You will not make the sale if you do not get them to yes. This should be the focus, but also know that this is a process, it will not happen right away.
- The best way to achieve a sale is to find a way to talk to the client. How can you get a conversation started, whether it be on the phone or in person? Once you have the client engaged the hard part is over.
- Be better than your competitors and be a ‘sales warrior.’ To be a sales warrior you really have to believe in what you are selling. This way the customer is more likely to be convinced. The front line salesperson needs to feel the same way about the company as the person that owns it.
- If the customer does not know what they want, show them what that is. Some of your client base will not know what it is they are looking for. It is up to you and your sales team to pinpoint what their need is and how you can provide the solution for that need.
- At the end of the day, you have to know your customer. Make it your ultimate goal to know who the people are that will be drawn to your product, and what exactly it is that they are looking for. Give them an opportunity to provide feedback and let them ask for things so you are then able to give them the solutions that they desire.
- It is the customer, and not the company, that is determining the pace at which each industry experiences change. No matter what industry you are in, if you want to keep up with your competitors, the key is to pay attention to the customer’s demands and how they are continuing to evolve.
Partner with Allegiance
As Tom describes in this interview, each member of the Allegiance family is dedicated to the art of customer service, sales, and team management. We work closely with our partners to set our clients up for operational success by providing them with a dedicated staff and continued support.
Learn more about what it means to partner with Allegiance Staffing by viewing our Employer Resource page. It’s time to elevate your operating reality.