Selling is an art … that’s what the experts say, and they’re not far from reality. Although the keys to be a successful seller are basically the same for everyone, each industry has its unique requirements. In the world of telecommunications, it helps a lot to have been in the customer’s shoes and be able to say, “I understand what you are going through.” Always creating a bond of empathy and a very special link between the seller and the client.
Efficient communication is the most basic yet important thing we need to have when dealing with regional customers. It is the key to strengthen business relationships. Learn more on our blog post Best Practices to Work With Regional Customers
There are specific key strategies that help a lot in the, so long, telecommunication’s sales cycle. More than a race of speed is a race of resistance and perseverance.
Know the Customer
In general, the “telecommunications community” is small, so knowing a person that then becomes your client is very typical. Either way, it’s crucial to investigate a little about the company and the person you are going to visit before that first meeting. Something as simple as the country of origin, in which university he/she studied or in which company he/she worked before, can work as an ice breaker. But, as in everything, it is essential to be sincere and honest. Trying to break the ice by inventing a supposed connection in the past can be completely counterproductive. If there is a link, use it, but if there is not, do not invent it.
Even so, the most important thing to know is what services the company offers, and it’s history details. At least, before reaching that first meeting, you should investigate who are the stakeholders, what products they offer, what is its market share, what is the coverage area, what is the vision, mission, and values of the company and who are their main competitors. Knowing this information can significantly facilitate the conversation with the client.
Keep in Touch
At all stages of the relationship, it is vital to maintain contact with customers using all means available. Over time, you will learn what the favorite method of communication of each person is. Some prefer to chat, others email, other phone calls, and so on. It is necessary to be very observant and analytical of the response times and the level of enthusiasm in the answers of each client. Though this is an area where people use digital channels a lot, you should still maintain contact in person, face to face. Here too, it will vary from client to client and will also depend on the level of progress or potential businesses you develop. Some clients demand a visit once a week, others once a month, while for others it will be enough to visit them once every quarter
Regardless of the means of communication used or the frequency, it is always important to maintain communication. Each contact and each visit are key moments to identify or generate needs in the clients.
Provide Value to Customers
Today, the world is changing much faster than in previous years, and the world of telecommunications is perhaps the fastest changing industry. For all of us who are in this industry, it is vital to stay updated on new trends and technologies. One way to provide value to our customers is to keep them informed with the latest in the industry. The generation of both written and interactive content, such as webinars, are highly appreciated by most customers.
You must be very careful to keep this kind of content focused on the technologies and not on the products you sell. Focusing the material on the products or services, will create a natural rejection in the clients and very likely avoid to take part in the future. Think of when you consume online content, and constant publicity appears, all you want to do is to skip those ads.
Another key to success is maintaining an adequate frequency of the material’s publication. Time is a critical asset for all people, but above all, it is finite. Therefore, it must be well understood how much time the people to whom we assign the content have so that we can ensure that it is consumed by most of them.
Take Care of Details
The salesperson or account manager is the primary contact between a company and its clients. It’s a position that represents, in general, everyone in the company. Details such as how to dress, how to speak, how to express oneself, how to write and present documents properly, proposals or quotes, are almost always observed by customers and have an added value during the sales cycle. The seller must be cautious with the quality level of everything he delivers to customers, both tangible and intangible. Everyone in the company should support this.
It is important that all people who support the account manager with the presentations and documents maintain the quality of what they write and create. The salesperson cannot become a proofreader and must ensure a high level of quality in the documentation that is delivered to its customers.
Mimetic
In general, each client and each country has a unique culture. For an account manager who serves clients in different countries, it is a challenge to know and assimilate these cultural differences. The primary responsibility is always to project that respect to customers. Then, as far as possible, integrate with that culture. Most clients appreciate the effort that a foreigner makes to adapt to their customs. To avoid cultural shocks that may become obstacles during the negotiations, sellers should study cultural aspects. Knowing the way of greeting, dressing, the formality or the informality rules, inviting or not to lunch, to dinner, to have a coffee or a drink, and to send or not a gift at the end of the year. All these are details, whether the account manager accepts them or not, must be put into practice with each client and in each region.
The above are just some aspects that must be taken into account to create or maintain a good business relationship. The higher the level of trust that these points generate between the clients and the seller, the higher the level of acceptance, access, and success that you have with them.
Efficient communication is the most basic yet important thing we need to have when dealing with regional customers. It is the key to strengthen business relationships. Learn more on our blog post Best Practices to Work With Regional Customers
