This is one that sounds so obvious but is so often missed by salespeople and companies every single day. In 2018 the customer is more and more focused on taking care of things themselves, this is why you see self-checkouts at every major store now. I always prefer to use them, and I’m sure you do too. But when a customer does need help somewhere along the sales process from a company or salesperson, they want to receive fast, efficient, honest service.

But is that what they always get? No, and often times they get the exact opposite!

We know customers want to spend less time in the store making transactions, this is why so many people spend hours shopping online, doing research ahead of time and gathering information from social media, as well as getting recommendations from friends. But even though we know this many companies and salespeople will still do things or practice processes that go against what the consumers are telling us. Don’t do that!

Instead, find ways to streamline your process and make it as efficient and transparent as possible while maintaining a Win/Win mindset as Dr. Stephen R. Covey called it when he wrote about this in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Dr. Covey said, “Win/Win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions.” He also went on to say that “agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying,” “all parties feel good about the decision and feel committed to the action plan.”

Focus your process and actions on Customer Experience, and throughout the road to the sale keep a win/win mindset. By doing this you become mindful of the little things a customer would pick up on and you can make sure you address these things accordingly. For instance, knowing that people dread the car buying process if you’re in car sales you may choose to use a process that saves time and offers information to the customer making it easy to buy from you. It’s no longer about wearing customers down or being the high-pressure closer, it’s now about how do you make your customer feel during the road to the sale?

Part of the ROI from focusing on the customer experience is the word of mouth and referral business you receive from it which is more important today than ever before. Do you want to hear something crazy? Consumers today, our customers, trust what they read in online reviews almost as much as they do the recommendation from someone they know! That’s huge, but in taking a closer look at those stats you also find that reviews older than 90 days don’t seem as relevant to those same consumers.

So what does this mean to you?

When you deliver on the customer experience and really win over your customer, you also have the opportunity to leverage the experience by getting positive Online Reviews, Testimonials, and Customer Service Survey’s from them. If you did a great job with your customer, part of your follow up process should include getting your customer to tell their story in the form of a review. Now it’s believed 70% or more of our customers are happy to leave a review when asked to do so. But the statistic I want to make clear is this, 100% of the customers you DON’T ask for a review won’t give you one, so be sure to ask!

In the end, your personal brand is going to benefit tremendously from focusing on the customer experience, as technology makes it easier and easier for consumers to get information on their own our role as salespeople will evolve as well. What we do will be less about “selling” and more about the experience. Yes, selling skills and the abilities of a well-trained salesperson will be necessary, but they will be useless if they aren’t part of a bigger package.

For more motivational sales blogs visit www.NewtoSales.org!