I have no idea of why this old phrase popped in my head but, it did. According to Dictionary.com, pitching woo can be defined as …
“Court, make love to, flatter, as in They sat on the porch swing, pitching woo, or He’s an excellent salesman, adept at pitching woo. This idiom, which may be obsolescent, uses pitch in the sense of “talk.” [Slang; early 1800s]”
While sales may be known as “the science of communication and persuasion”, you need to add seduction to that list. It’s much more than being a “silver-tongued devil”. You need to learn to speak the language of love.
Although it may be up to 10 times more costly to replace an existing customer than it is to keep one, over 70% of your former clients probably left you because they felt unappreciated and neglected. They felt unloved. While you may have pitched a little woo to initially secure them, once you had them, who needs woo?
Maybe it’s that you don’t really care if they leave? I’ve worked with companies who have flat out told me that they don’t like their existing customer base. What they are really saying is that their customers either don’t buy enough from them, or refer them to others, or both. Well now … who’s fault might that be? I get that you need to follow the money, focus your efforts on customers who buy and refer and on new business but, does this mean you abandon your existing customers altogether? Certainly, there are simple, and time-effective, ways to find new opportunities while continuing to nurture current client relationships.
I’m here to tell you that __it happens. Underperforming customers get new leadership and new contracts that may lead to opportunities for you where none seemed to have existed before. Or, they may refer you to that million dollar deal. Why did they do that? Because they know that, despite their inability to buy more right now, you have always treated them like they do regardless. Maybe this is payback but in a good way.
How do you show your customers some love?
You place their interests above your own – The fact that you need to make quota should have zero effect on the recommendations that you make to your customers. If your solution is not in their best interests, tell them that. Don’t worry. This sale will come back to you again except that it will be larger!
You own up to your mistakes – There are few things that are more frustrating to a customer than it is to hear about your excuses for nonperformance. It’s even worse when they are the ones who are bringing the problem to you when you either should have known, or did know, about the problem but, you were either too afraid or too lazy to bring that to their attention proactively. In my younger days, this was me. As I grew older and wiser, I came to realize that nobody ever yelled at me when I was the one who exposed my error (or any issue) to a customer. They might not have been real happy but, they were always grateful and I never lost even one of these accounts. Our bond, in fact, was stronger because they recognized that I was honest and … human.
You don’t pass them off to somebody else – “That’s not my job or my responsibility.” If you mutter these words to a customer, and you are not willing to shoot yourself in the head for doing so, I will happily do it for you. Regardless, in the eyes of your customer, you’re dead anyway. Instead, you hand-carry the issue to the appropriate party (it’s perfectly fine to let the customer know that you are doing this and why), you set the customer’s expectations for a resolution and timeline, and then you personally follow-up to ensure its satisfactory completion.
You work tirelessly to exceed their expectations – Not meeting expectations … bad. Meeting expectations … neutral (unless their expectations were already low, then … bad). Exceeding expectations … touchdown!
You show them better ways to use your products and, if your product won’t do it, you introduce them to one that will – Instead of insisting that they upgrade to the latest and the greatest, you show them better ways to utilize their existing investment. If your product is not the right solution, you direct them, even to a competitor, who does have the correct answer to their needs. Now then, if I have a source that will willingly send me to another vendor if they cannot satisfy my needs, who do you think I am always going to call first?
You get feedback including how am I/we doing and what can we do more of or better? – There can be only two reasons for not asking a customer how you are doing. You are either afraid of the answer or you know the answer and it’s not going to be good. Either way, fear is holding you back from perhaps keeping this account and further solidifying that relationship. Even if the result is less than complimentary, you will score big points for at least having had the guts to ask and then taking it like a pro. How else do you plan to get better if you can’t ask the question?
You find them new business – I like donuts (a lot!) but, what I like even more is new business and if you bring some of that to me, you will have me for life!
You never take their loyalty for granted – Try taking your significant other for granted and see what happens. Your customer’s version of “the couch” is shifting your business over to your competitor. Note that I said “your business” and not “their business”. It was yours but, you gave it away.
You don’t get complacent – You are always responsive and move with urgency. They would not be calling you if their needs were otherwise. You consistently follow-up and follow-through. Guess what else? Your customers are keeping score and, when there is an opportunity to refer you, your score is going to be matched up and measured against that need.
You thank them in unexpected ways – Everybody loves a welcome surprise! I expect you to say “thank you” when I give you something. If I’m a great customer, I expect some sort of a gift over the holidays. What I don’t expect, and value the most, is the unexpected sign of appreciation. A personalized hand-written note costs you a stamp and a card and will carry more value to me than will items costing hundreds of times more!
You act like you work there – Vendors who act like vendors will never aspire to be anything more than … a vendor and, vendors are about as disposable as a cheap pen. Those who act like they work there, and become a valued member of the team, get rewarded. Repeatedly.
How about woo … I mean … you? Have you any tips, or even better experiences, that you might be willing to share with the rest of us? This is your chance to shine and to show this article a little love!
This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. I’ve been compensated to contribute to this program, but the opinions expressed in this post are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Craig M. Jamieson
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