The example of giving your customer what they need

Okay, so university students aren't generally considered 'customers' of the professors (even though they really should be because that's how their salaries get paid) but I've learned of one professor that does take this concept to heart. At least it appears that he does.

Professor Martin Zinke-Allmang, of the Physics Department at the University of West Ontario, has created a situation in which 'customer service' is delivered to assist the 'customer', i.e. the student, to have a better chance of success.

Let's face it - physics is not a walk in the park for most people. All those formulae and ideas that you can't really see. But if you are going into life sciences, it is mandatory.

So Professor Zinke-Allmang took his task right to the source; how to educate, truly educate, his students majoring in the life sciences. Like any good business owner, he engaged those who would know the most about the needs to create success. He went to the members of the faculty of Biology and Medical Sciences to have them pick out the subjects needed to be learned for success in life sciences. So he covered the first step in success for any business owner, and in my mind now, any successful professor. Get information on what is required; get information on what the problem is and how to solve it; get the information from those who know the most on the topic.

In the case of business, those that know what your customers want are, in fact, your customers. Too many businesses neglect to engage their customers in the development of sales and marketing practices. But seriously, who better to tell you what is useful about your product or service than your customer?

But that's not all Professor Zinke-Allmang did. Oh no. He took one step further. He allows his students to bring in their own cheat sheet, one of their own design. There are rules around it, such as it can be only one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, but still the idea of letting the students determine where they're going to need the most help is genius. And is more likely to end in success for those students.

So in business, allowing your customer to create their own experience is key. Whether they are creating their own experience on your website or in your retail store, having the flexibility to recognize that not everyone learns the same or wants the same thing, can make your customers more comfortable and willing to participate with you.

I bet Professor Zinke-Allmang has return customers - students who know that he's a great teacher that respects the needs of his 'customers'. And business could learn well from the professor's example.

Customer service - Death of a salesman

I received an interesting phone call from a fellow this week. He wanted training in communications for the purpose of getting a job in a store. In his interpretation, the majority of people working in retail customer service don't have any idea about proper language and the ethics of selling.

With my experience as a shopper, I unfortunately have to agree with him. Customer service clerks, or associates as some big box stores like to call them, bring their own personalities into work rather than the personality of the brand for which they work. Or at least it seems that way.

When I go into a clothing shop and see the clerk behind the counter talking on her cell phone and chawing gum (yes, chawing, not chewing - there's a difference), I immediately know I'm not the most important thing in the store. And guess what? Whether it's me or someone else, the customer is the most important thing in the store. Not the cell phone, not your friends, not the gum, not even your lunch (regardless of whether your stomach is growling).

This is the piece that many retailers have forgetten. They may talk it up at staff meetings, but the follow-through is weak at best. And for those businesses that do understand and reward their staff for upholding the brand personality, you can feel the difference the minute you walk in the store. I'm not talking about the retailers that reward their staff with 'commission' on their sales (that just creates an attack mentality - see a customer and jump on them before any of the other predators who want the commission as badly as you do); I'm talking about retailers who hire the best, train them well and frequently, and reward them by letting them keep their job with some additional perks for a job well done.

Communication is the key element to this, both on the side of the employer and for the sales clerk (associate) who is the front line contact with the customer. If your communication is not respectful then you lose the opportunity to create a loyal employee or a loyal customer. I don't just mean just proper English (although I must say that this too is becoming a lost art) but also being respectful of how people want to hear you.

Training in how people process information and the elements they need in communication to really engage with each other can move employer/employee relations to a new level and can take your customer service and sales reputation to a whole new realm. And never forget, how you treat your employees and how they treat your customers is a direct reflection of your brand.

Training is an investment, not an expense.

Why you win & why you lose

Imagine a business owner who doesn't want to know why he won a customer, why he lost one or why they chose just to not buy from anyone. Far fetched? Not even close. Small business owners and their sales teams often try to spray the wall in hopes that something will stick, rather than having loads of information to guide and streamline their efforts. This is inefficient on man hours, but even worse, it eats into your profit.

Knowing why you lose a sale is arguably the most important aspect here for small business owners, however it's just one piece of the puzzle. There's no doubt knowing why you lost a sale can help you make changes, whether in staff or tactic, however knowing why you win sets up your brand story. Knowing why people simply chose not to buy at all helps you recognize barriers you can plan to climb over.

Many small business owners spend too much time staring at their own navel; they make broad stroke announcements on the best features of the product/service without ever consulting their customers. Take the time and spend the money to learn why you win over your customers. Their answers may surprise you and give you a whole new brand story to tell that will sway potential customers in your direction.

On the opposite side of the fence, some small business owners are too willing to accept creative excuses for why a sales call failed. Just because your sales team has experience in sales doesn't necessarily make them good at it; it may just make them good at coming up with creative excuses. There's no doubt it can be challenging to go back to a customer who has told you 'no' and ask why. But the benefits far outweigh the discomfort.

You can learn whether your sales team is focusing on the customer's needs or simply the sound of their own voice. Maybe you're missing the boat on what makes your product/service special in the eyes of your customer. There is so much learnin' that can be done by talking to your customers after the fact, not just during the front end of the sales cycle.

If you need to, hire a consultant that can handle the surveying and conversations with your customers after the fact. An experienced consultant can wade through the information and give you the tidbits that will make a noticeable and profitable difference to your business.

Be brave, be willing to listen and be prepared to change.