Fierce Practice #5: Customer

Connectivity
PREPARED TO DR: KUSDI RAHARDJO,DEA
PREPARED BY: MOHAMED ZEKRI

 Scott always makes me laugh out loud. Her

writing is engaging and spiced with humor.
She opens this section with an example of a
typical company answering servicepress 1 if
you want X, press 2 if you want Y, press 3 if
you want ZGod forbid you ever actually
speak with a real human being! Most
companies use well-worn phrases like client
focused and client centric that have as much
zest and meaning as a tub of butter.

 She quotes from The Trusted Advisor by Charles

Green, that most companies have the client
focus of a vulturethey pay close attention to
what the clients are up to, but only in order to
figure out the right time to pounce and tear at
their flesh. Not a pretty metaphor if youre
looking to establish a long-term business
relationship with someone. The KEY to client
development is EMPATHY for the clientnot your
product. Heres a funny conversation that Scott
uses: (seller) How are you? (client) Im dying.
(seller) Glad to hear it. How much would you like
to spend with us today?

You also can do:

Start your conversation by connection. Show your
genuinely care about
them.
Talk about yourself, your family, vacations et cetera. Or
you can send
pictures about your family to your customers so that attach
more
connection with your customers.
Slow the conversation down, way down. When you are in a
rush to close
the deal, accordingly your customers' trust to you is going
down.

 Ditch the buzzwords, the jargon.

Invite your customers to plan your
conversation sessions. Focus on what
your customers want to talk about.
Acknowledge mistakes. When you are way
from your customers' goals,
admit it is your fault and show your care to fix
it.
Meet with customers in person.

the steps in a Mineral Rights

conversation are as follows.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE ISSUE.
You are essentially asking: "Why are we
talking? What is the most important thing we
should be talking about?" The biggest error
salespeople make is to suggest products or
solutions at this stage or immediately jump to
a story about how they solved this exact
problem for ABC Company and what a
spectacular result they got.

 STEP 2: CLARIFY THE ISSUE. Check your

assumptions as well as theirs, particularly
those that could cause both of you to miss the
mark. Assumptions such as
There actually is a problem and a solution.
There is only one problem and only one
solution.
I understand what the problem is.
I have the solution.
I've got a solution, and I'm pretty sure you've
got a problem, and even if you don't, the
solution is so cool, you should want it.

 STEP 3: DETERMINE CURRENT IMPACT.

This is where you begin to qualify the
"opportunity." Is this a viable opportunity for your
organization, or should you decline? Draw out the
customer. What evidence is there that the
problem exists? What results is this producing? Is
the evidence hard or soft (anecdotal, opinionbased, not measured effectively)? How do you
measure this? How is it impacting the
organization? Who else is this affecting? How is
this affecting you? When you consider everything
you just described, what do you feel?

 STEP 4: DETERMINE FUTURE IMPACT.

Clarify the importance of this issue. Is this
truly a priority relative to other problems or
initiatives? Will there be sufficient ROI when
this is resolved? What systemic implications
must be considered? Will solving/achieving
this cause even bigger problems elsewhere?
Who is committed to solving this problem?
Take away the solution and see if the
customer cares.
If they fight for it, great. If they don't you just
learned there's no opportunity here.

 STEP 5: EXAMINE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION

TO THE ISSUE.
This topic is rarely explored in conversations
with prospective customers. Asking it will
certainly differentiate you from your
competition, and though this level of inquiry
may seem risky, it will likely send your
credibility skyrocketing. It indicates that you're
courageous in your search for all of the
relevant "truths" that are key to resolving the
customer's problem or achieving his or her
goals.

 STEP 6: DESCRIBE THE IDEAL OUTCOME.

So far, the conversation has been focused on
the problem, what the problem is costing the
organization, and your customer's emotions
around the problem. Now it's time to lighten
up and clarify ideal outcomes, specific goals,
what "winning" would look like, how it would
be measured, and what your customer's
positive emotions would be if outcomes were
achieved.

 STEP 7: COMMIT TO ACTION.

If there is interest and willingness, on both sides,
to pursue this opportunity, and it's clear that
partnering with you will provide more value to
your customer than going it alone, it's time to
determine mutuality of effort and next steps. Find
out what could get in the way. Ask, "How will the
decision to stop or move forward be made? Who
will be involved in that decision? What do you see
as the next most important steps? What might get
in the way, and how will we get past that? What's
the time frame? When would you like to meet
again? Who else should be there?"

 STEP 8: OFFER SUGGESTIONS.

By now, your customer will be sincerely
interested in hearing your ideas because
something invisible and critical has developeda real connection. You've gained credibility
because you've kept the focus on his or her
problem and goals, not on your products or
services.

 Personal Action Plan

1. Make a list of customers who need to hear
from you, expanding the list you made earlier
in this chapter. Include clients who bring very
little revenue to the table.

 2. Bring together the best connectors within

your organization.
3. If you would like to do something "crazy"
for your customers something above and
beyond the normal precedent or protocol
make a compelling case to your boss and ask
for permission.
4. Be prepared to go off script. Nothing turns
customers off more than a scripted
presentation loaded with jargon, like
"solutions." Don't "present" and don't flatter.

 5. Whatever you promise to do for a

customer, do it by the time agreed or earlier.
6. Take personal accountability for any
missteps you or your organization may have
made. No buck passing.
7. Loosen your death grip on pricing, and
focus on imbedding. You're in this relationship
for the long haul. What little step can you take
now?

 8. Respectfully challenge a customer's thinking

if you are convinced it is wrongheaded or
shortsighted. On the other hand, clarify your
walk-away point, even with a large customer.
9. Have conversations with your customers in
person, if possible, even if it means getting on
a plane. When budgets are tight, this is a big
ask but one that's well worth it.
10. Finally, remember that you are always
building or destroying your reputation and
your relationships with your customers.

 finally, stop selling! Don't make presentations. Have a

conversation of instead. Ditch the buzz words, the
jargon, and the PowerPoint deck in favor of a
conversation. Work to understand and embrace your
customer's agenda. Don't go to the plate swinging for
the fences. It's more important to get on base. Once
you're there you can open the conversation up to
other possibilities. Engage with customers as an equal.
Acknowledge mistakes. Meet customers in person.
While your product or service may be superior to those
of your competitors, your competitive edge is you
specifically, your ability to connect with your
customers at a deep level. Be authentic. You already
have a face. Yours. Wear it everywhere you go.