1. Part II SALES FORCE ACTIVITIES
Chapter 5:
Customer Interaction Management

2. Improving Your Chances of Success
Build awareness
Get on the short list
Demonstrate how your proposal meets company needs
Directly address decision maker’s personal needs
Be prepared for “buyer remorse”

3. Personal Selling The Selling Process PRE- INTERACTION INTERACTION
POST-INTERACTION
Skills:
Setting Objectives
Knowledge Management
Information Gathering
Rehearsal
Gaining Access
Relating
Need discovery
Advocating
Closing
Supporting
Implementing
Dealing dissatisfaction
Enhancing the relationship
Figure 5-1: The Selling Process and Skills 1

4. Customer Interaction Pre-Call Planning What do I want to accomplish?
What do I know about the prospect?
Where can I find the information?
What am I going to say?

5. Customer Interaction What is the size of the business?
What product lines do they sell and what markets do they serve?
Where, how, when, why, and by whom will the products be used?
Who are the prominent executives and other key personnel?
Who are their competitors and on what basis do they compete?
Do they have any previous experience with our company?
What are the prospects for future sales volume and what is the upside potential?
Figure 5-2: Some Important Pre-transactional Information

6. Successful Salespeople Less Successful Salespeople
Research Prospect Background
Do Little background research
Use referrals for prospecting
Use company-generated prospect lists
Open by asking questions
Open with a product statement
Use needs-satisfaction type presentation
Use standard presentation
Focus on customer needs
Focus on product benefits
Let prospect make purchase decision
Close by focusing on the most important customer objection
Figure 5-3: Successful versus Less Successful Salespeople

7. Customer Interaction Anticipate Buyer Questions Who is your company?
What is your record for support and service?
What are you selling and what kind of person are you?
Who else is using your product? Are they satisfied?
How does your solution compare to alternatives?
Why do I need it? Why do I need it now?
How much does it cost? Is your price truly competitive?
Figure 5-4: A Client’s Questions 8

8. Means of Reducing Relationship Anxiety
Customer Interaction
Means of Reducing Relationship Anxiety
PROPRIETY
Show buyer respect; dress appropriately
COMPETENCE
Know your product/service; third-party references
COMMONALITY
Common interests, views, acquaintances
INTENT
Reveal purpose of call, process, and payoff to the buyer
Figure 5-5: Means of Reducing Relationship Anxiety

9. Does not understand our business
Inadequate product knowledge
Does not respond to our needs
Does not listen to our needs
Should be more of our advocate
17%
15%
13%
12%
11%
Percentage of Customers with complaint
Figure 5-6: Top Five Customer Complaints About Salespeople

10. Customer Interaction Task Motives More Output or Quality Less Cost
PRODUCTIVITY
Financial
More Output or Quality
Less Cost
Less Effort
More Profit 1

11. Customer Interaction Personal Motives Respect Power Approval
Recognition 11

12. Customer Interaction Needs Discovery: Types of Questions
Permission Close-ended
Fact-finding Factual information
Feeling finding Open-ended questions
Checking questions Confirm understanding 12

13. Type of Question Purpose Example
Permission
A close-ended question asking the other person’s permission to ask questions or probe further into a subject.
“May I ask you a few questions about your current shipping process?”
Fact-Finding
A question focusing on factual information about the business, person, or current situation.
“Who is your current supplier of sutures? Do you have a JIT arrangement with Ethicon in supplying sutures?”
Feeling-Finding
An open-ended question that tries to uncover feelings about a situation and potential consequences of the situation
“How do you feel about your current inventory levels in sutures? What effect does this level of inventory have on your operating costs?”
Checking
A question for checking one's understanding and getting agreement concerning the statement.
“If I understand you correctly, you have said that you are happy with the quality of your current supplier, but feel that you may be able to get the same quality of service at a lower price from another supplier. Is that accurate?”
Figure 5-8: Discovery Process: Types of Questions

14. Customer Interaction TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
CONSULTATIVE AND ENTERPRISE RELATIONSHIPS
Practices:
Focuses on closing sales
Limited call planning investment
Spends most contact time telling account about products
Conducts “product-specific” needs assessment
“Lone wolf” approach to the account
Proposals and presentations based on pricing and product features
Sales follow-up is short-term, focused on product delivery
Focuses on customer’s bottom line
Considers call planning a top priority
Spends most contact time attempting to build a problem-solving environment
Conducts discovery in the full scope of the account’s operations
Team approach to the account
Proposals and presentations based on profit-impact and on strategic benefits.
Sales follow-up is long-term, focused on long-term relationship enhancement
Figure 5-9: Key Differences in Practices Between Relationships

15. Customer Interaction Sales Proposals – General Format Problem Analysis
Solution
Product Specifications
Cost-benefit Analysis
Contract 14

16. Customer Interaction Handling Concerns Listen to the buyers feelings
Share concerns without judgment
Clarify real issue with questions
Problem-solve present options and solutions
Ask for ACTION to determine commitment 15

17. Customer Interaction Pseudo-Concerns
“I’ll have to talk it over with Frank.”
“I’ll get back to you.”
“I’m too busy right now.”
“Our budget is tight this year.”
“We have no room to store it.” 16

18. Customer Interaction Closing Techniques IMPORTANCE BY PRODUCT
Selling Technique
Industrial
Consumer
Direct
Ask for the order in a straight-forward manner 1
Summary
Summarize the benefits already covered in the presentation 2
Single
Objection
Asks for the order if last obstacle is overcome 3 4
Assumption
Assume readiness to buy and focus on the transaction details
Choice
Focus on version to be ordered 5 17

19. Customer Interaction Figure 5-10 : The Role of Customer Service 31%
63%
87%
11%
32%
62% 3%
22%
59% 8%
26%
58%
16%
34%
49%
Most Profitable Return
Top 3 Rankings for Growth
Rated Very Important to Growth
Quality of service to customers
Product improvements or extensions
Information technology
Advertising and sales promotion
Development of entirely new product lines
Figure 5-10 : The Role of Customer Service

20. Figure 5-11: Servicing the Sale: The Four Pillars of Sales Support
Customer Interaction
Sales Support
Support
the
Buying
Decision
Manage
implementation
Deal
with
dissatisfaction
Enhance
Relationship
Figure 5-11: Servicing the Sale: The Four Pillars of Sales Support 1