No More Business As Usual  by John R. Graham
Strategies for helping the customer focus on your product

Today's customers are difficult to deal with. They're interested only in what they're doing at the moment and are far less tolerant of anyone who dares to digress from the issue at hand. They could be described as narrow-minded, although they can be viewed more simply as highly focused. The customer takes more time to make decisions, requires those they do business with to be far more competent and have higher expectations before and after the sale.

Although the manner in which business is done today has changed dramatically, it's easy to misread the way business is being conducted, particularly in marketing and sales. To be successful in such a highly-competitive and intensely-focused environment, it's important to thoroughly understand the new no-nonsense, down-to-business mind-set of the customer.

• Focus on the task. Customers are riveted on meeting heavy demands and tight deadlines. They don't have time to be courted. The way to get the customer's attention is to provide helpful information and the way to close the sale is by demonstrating expertise.

If the task-focused customer refuses to listen to your presentation or ignores your voice mail messages, don't misread the lack of response and dismiss the customer as not being a buyer. What may appear to be a lack of interest may be an inability to focus only what you're selling at the moment.

For example, the color laser printer dealer sets the installation procedure: "Once I have your order, the equipment will be delivered in 24 hours. Installation will be completed within four hours after delivery. Does this fit your schedule?"

Both marketers and salespeople will do well to translate superior service performance into a benefit: The purpose of fast service is to give the customer a quick payoff.

• Take no chances. Today's customers demand assurances. This is why extended test periods for equipment prove beneficial in attracting new business. Bells and whistles no longer make the difference; it's wanting to make sure there's no downside. In terms of service businesses, shorter-term arrangements and stepped contracts give customers flexibility to move forward without being locked into inappropriate agreements.

• Maintain a competitive advantage. Staying even with the competition is tough enough, but being able to take the lead is what customers want. Marketing and sales tactics should aim at demonstrating how a product or service gives a customer a competitive advantage. This means product knowledge is valuable but an in-depth understanding of the customer's business and industry is equally essential.

• Simplify. Complex and complicated are out and simplified is in. Equipment must make the job easier to handle. An example is the new Pitney-Bowes mail handling equipment. All it requires is loading the paper and the data. Press the button and out come completed mailings containing a fully personalized laser-printed letter, folded, inserted with an additional marketing piece into an addressed envelope with postage affixed. One step and it's done. This is an example of the drive to eliminate intermediate steps by simplifying the process.

• Save time. Customers are not only looking to get more work done faster, but they want to do it with less involvement on their part. Having tasks more fully automated to the point where they demand less supervision means that managers can handle more jobs, more efficiently. Show the customer how you can reduce management time.

• Position yourself on the cutting edge. If it isn't perceived by the customer as "advanced" or "cutting edge," it's almost impossible to sell. Assessing a prospect's "leading edge" comfort level is essential. What may be rejected as last generation is viewed as the "next step" for someone else. This is seen in PC sales where there is a growing realization that appropriate configuration is the issue and not just speed potential. The tendency to stress the latest model based on the assumption that this is what the customer wants can be a mistake because it cause the customer to look elsewhere for a level of service or technology with a better fit.

• Offer single-course responsibility. Single-course responsibility is an important concept because it holds the promise of minimizing complications. Customers look for alliances offering a configuration of services featuring simplified access. One secured lender promotes the fact that its borrowers have one loan officer who serves as their representative for a host of services ranging from cash management to international operations. There's no bouncing from one person to another, repeating information each time.

• Reduce costs. Salespeople often report that they failed to get an order because "The customer didn't want to spend the money" or "Someone else's price was lower than ours." These simplistic responses mask the issue of reducing costs. The prudent customer is interested in doing a better job and saving money at the same time. But it should never stop being pointed out that these are not synonymous with "lowest price." Reducing costs today is a configuration involving saving time, maintaining a cutting-edge position, eliminating mistakes, gaining a competitive advantage and simplifying processes. The task of the salesperson is to help customers gain an accurate understanding of cost.

These nine issues demonstrate the laser-like focus of the customer's mind. Their time and energy are directed to what needs to be accomplished at the moment. It's more difficult to market and sell in an environment that is so highly charged and intense. Yet, if the customer's narrowly defined mind-set is properly understood, it becomes an opportunity to gain a critical advantage over the competition.

John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing and sales firm in Quincy, Massachusetts.

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