Let Customer Sell for You

\"Discover Your Strengths\" by Gallup Organization authors, part II
By PAULA PARISOT
8/25/2005

What an employer values most in its salespeople is the ability to generate loyal, engaged customers, according to one book on the subject.

Gallup Organization authors Benson Smith and Tony Rutigliano have reportedly poured decades of research into Discover Your Sales Strengths: How The World's Greatest Salespeople Develop Winning Careers, and one conclusion the pair revealed was that engaged customers are more valuable than just "satisfied" customers.

Keeping in mind that the customer base is one of the most important assets a company can have, the book points out that "engaged customers become advocates for you and what you sell." This can lead to a broader customer base that begins with trust and a solid recommendation.

Developing customer engagement, the authors wrote, can take on many forms and practices and ultimately it is what is responsible for the core feeling the customer has for the salesperson and those within the organization. Creating that customer engagement the authors found, takes confidence, integrity, pride, and passion.

While building trust may be the very first step in creating engagement, the book said, "Confidence is the foundation for the creation of customer loyalty, satisfaction, and advocacy, and that involves trust." Ways to ensure customer confidence is to keep promises, use consistency, and never make excuses.

And how the company handles customer complaints and errors is a show of integrity and could be a better predictor of customer loyalty than an error-free transaction, the Gallup Organization discovered. The effectiveness in handling negative situations that arise "inspire customers to continue to do business with you."

Customers need to feel proud about an organization they do business with. Salespeople need to enforce this feeling by maintaining contact and continued customer interest as well as being an innovator of future solutions and opportunities.

So to create engaged, loyal customers, the authors concluded, "Using your own unique talents at building relationships, gaining commitments, and thinking about customer problems will get you closer to creating engaged customers than anything else you can do."

Special Programs