By Phil Jesson
In the future, there will only be two types of companies:-
- Those who are perceived as cost creators
- Those who are perceived as value creators
The former are in for a hiding and many of them will not survive for obvious reasons….they will be seen as a “cost”. Value creators will survive and live to see another day!
So how do you add value to an existing customer or key account? Firstly, your salespeople may need to change the wiring inside their heads. Our job is not to push the customer to buy more“. Our job is to improve our profitability and performance by helping the customer to improve their profitability and performance! We have to help increase their sales or help reduce costs……………..or both, of course!
These days, all companies are in the financial services industry i.e. providing their customers and key accounts with increased profits!
Here are 20 different ways to add value:-
- Give them a sales lead – introduce them to your customers, suppliers and network
- Give them an order and encourage some reciprocal trading
- Proactively influence other companies to give them some business
- Give extra advice for free – remember that “Givers, gain!”
- Give advice where they are low on know-how – remember that they are not really interested in learning about your business but they are interested in learning more about their own!
- Find ways to help them stay in front of their competitors
- Send market intelligence and information on their competitors whenever you come across it
- Work collaboratively on developing the next generation of their product needs. Set up a joint R&D team
- Find solutions to problems they don’t (yet) know they have!
- Invite them to join your company’s closed LinkedIn group for “people like them”
- Give them a recommendation on LinkedIn
- Make them a hero – let them take the credit for your ideas – they will be keen to work with you again!
- Give them a place on one of your training courses
- Sponsor their conference or charity event
- Help them develop their plans for the future – how about an “away-day”?
- Let them be the first to trial one of your new products
- Invite them to a hospitality event so your key people can meet theirs
- Help their key people achieve a personal goal
- Be there quickly when they need you – drop everything!
- Understand their future strategy – become an expert in their world!
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Adding value to customers is very black and white ……it is about putting some “black and white” on to the customer’s bottom line!” |
About the Author
Phil Jesson is the Academy’s Operations Director and is additionally involved in leading the way that speakers are selected, inducted and managed. Phil co-chairs Academy Group 42, Directors Forum 9 and Directors Forum 42 with Joanna Jesson and is very active in helping businesses to grow and thrive.
Find out more about the Academy for Chief Executives at www.chiefexecutive.com