Quick Tips for Selling in All Seasons

Sales, at least business to business sales, has evolved into a more bilateral function over the past decade. Descriptive buzzwords such as "strategic partners" are everywhere and with good reason; helping clients succeed is what the sales process should have always been about anyway.

By Chris Alfe, Thingamajob Staff Writer

When in a revenue squeeze it's impossible to know if it will be permanent. But, for many, the days of easy selling and wide margins may be over forever.

Now more than ever, it's important for sales managers to take their missions to heart; to partner with their customers to help them succeed. After all - when they thrive, you thrive.

Customers don't just fall from the sky. Remember this and do not neglect any customer, even small ones, if they have potential.

Emphasize Value

Companies are more focused on value than they were five years ago. With this in mind, be sure to stress the value inherent in your products and services. Other desirable qualities of your products or services, such as convenience or appearance, may be less appealing or important than they were a few years ago.

Then, go even further. Customize your offerings to each client with value in mind. Come armed with statistics about the money they could save over time, or the increased productivity they can achieve.

Collect Aggressively

Clients who don't pay you affect your ability to fully serve the clients who do. Understanding this, staying on top of your receivables is vital during good times and bad.

The problem usually starts during good economic times. A customer who promises to pay you in, say, sixty days routinely takes seventy days or more. During high times you probably won't be bothered by this chronic lateness just as long as the money came in. This trend is dangerous, though! In rough economic times these seventy days may stretch into ninety days or more, costing your company dearly.

If you handle your own collections, be polite but firm. Explain to your customers that, in order for you to properly serve all of your clients in the manner they've come to expect, you need to be paid on time. If you don't handle your own collections, carefully monitor your collection rate and be as involved in the process as much as possible.

Focus on Major Accounts

Nothing in the business world should be taken for granted. With this said, spend time bolstering up your major accounts, even the ones you think will never go away.

While meeting with major account contacts, discuss their operations and try to assess how they're weathering the storm. Touch on any competition or trouble you may be facing, whether by way of a competitor, in-sourcing, or restructuring.

If you envision a loss of business on the horizon, try to get ahead of the curve and offer a cost saving alternative that they may be able to accept. Remember, "eighty percent of something is always greater than one hundred percent of nothing."

Never Let Service Suffer

Customers don't just fall from the sky. Remember this and do not neglect any customer, even small ones, if they have potential.

While in the economic doldrums, many small firms are simply unable to make significant purchases. But these are the outlets, when the economy inevitably improves, that are ripe with growth potential. Maintain your relationships with these meaningful prospects and small customers even if your immediate chances of getting much business from them are slim. You'll regret it later if you fail to do so.

Be Likable!

Even more valuable in bad times as it is in good is the simple advice ?. be likable. It stands to reason that your associates have less tolerance for annoyance when they are struggling than they do when they're riding high.

Stand out in the crowd by keeping a positive attitude, being polite, smiling, keeping your sense of humor, and being a good listener.

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