The Best Sales Approaches for 3 Types of Customers
All customers are unique with different interests, priorities, and points of view. To engage customers and build rapport effectively, you must understand and appeal to what’s most important to them and adjust your sales approach accordingly.All customers are unique with different interests, priorities, and points of view. To engage customers and build rapport effectively, you must understand and appeal to what’s most important to them and adjust your sales approach accordingly.CLICK TO TWEET
Here are the best sales approaches for three types of customers in the B2B, retail, and residential channels.
How to sell successfully to B2B customers
Busy businesspeople don’t have time for a lengthy or complicated sales process that takes their attention away from running their businesses. In some cases, the people with whom you’re meeting may need to consult with other stakeholders. Be informative, not pushy as you guide them through the buying process — answering questions, addressing concerns, adapting to their pace, and arming them with the right information to make a decision. You’ll earn their trust and their business by serving as a strategic consultant who offers high-impact solutions, rather than as just another salesperson who’s pitching products and services. The key to a winning sales approach with B2B customers is demonstrating the ways your solutions can drive results and add value to their business such as:
- Money and time savings
- Improved customer experience
- Greater efficiency and productivity
- Features to help them run their business better
- Services to help them get more done without hiring more staff
Retail customers often go to the store to do something specific, so you may be interrupting their task when you approach them about an unrelated product or service. For these types of customers, rapport and positive energy are most important.CLICK TO TWEET
How to sell successfully to retail customers
Retail customers often go to the store to do something specific, so you may be interrupting their task when you approach them about an unrelated product or service. For these types of customers, rapport and positive energy are important to make the interaction as pleasant as possible. Be friendly and initiate a conversation quickly and effectively. If you have to, help them find what they’re looking for first, so they can focus on your message. Once you have their attention, ask the right questions, address any concerns, and present customized solutions that meet their needs. Also, remember you’re representing both the product or service brand and the store brand, so your professional demeanor should enhance their reputations. A successful retail sales approach is about making the shopping experience enjoyable, so keep the following in mind:
- Find the right time to initiate conversations with retail customers and speak and act at their pace.
- Understand that busy shoppers have other priorities, so be helpful, build rapport, actively listen, and tailor your message and tone accordingly.
- Maintain positive body language to exude confidence, friendliness, openness, and trustworthiness.
- Pay attention to customers’ nonverbal cues and respond in kind to put them at ease and show you’re engaged and focused on them.
How to sell successfully to residential customers
Many residential customers may be familiar with your product or service but lack the information, initiative or incentive to take action. The door-to-door sales approach is an effective way of reaching these customers who haven’t responded to mainstream marketing efforts. When approaching people at home, respect their personal space, be genuine and trustworthy, actively listen, and make an emotional connection. Their decision is as much about emotion and brand appeal as it is about value, so show that you truly care about helping them and their family — not just making a sale. Through face-to-face communication, you can respond to questions, educate them on their options, and share the compelling benefits of your product or service. Ultimately, your role is to personalize their buying experience and present a solution that answers these fundamental questions:
- How well does it meet their needs?
- Why will their spouse or partner love it?
- Why will their kids be happier?
- How can it make their own lives better?
Using these sales approaches, you can create positive buying and brand experiences tailored to the unique needs of different types of customers in the B2B, retail, and residential channels. When done right, face-to-face interactions can help attract, delight and retain customers who feel heard, valued, and well-served — boosting not only sales, but also brand loyalty.
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We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales and marketing services located in Agoura Hills, California. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company to garnering a reputation for consistently exceeding client expectations and driving outstanding revenue growth, Cydcor has been helping Fortune 500 and emerging companies achieve their customer acquisition, retention, and business goals since 1994. Cydcor takes pride in the unique combination of in-person sales, call center, and digital marketing services we offer to provide our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.