There are more slogans, buzzwords and blarney regarding customer focus than I can keep track of but as salespeople just talking about customer focus isn’t going to get it done. Customer focus isn’t something you say it’s something you do. No different than other actions, you may find that you actually have to train yourself to do it as was the case with me and has been the case with many other salespeople I’ve worked with through the years.
Very early in my sales career, before heading out to a meeting, an individual who later became my greatest mentor tasked me with a challenge. Before I left he said, “when you get back, tell me 5 things about the person you are meeting with other than business one of which include the color of his tie”
Young and eager to impress, I walked into his office not thinking about our company, not thinking about my presentation, and not thinking about what I was going to say. I walked into his office thinking, “I need to learn 5 things about this guy and crap, he’s not wearing a tie” When I left the meeting I was amazed at how much I learned and quite frankly, how little I spoke. I was too busy listening and observing. In just 30 minutes I knew that he…
1. Was married with 3 daughters
2. Went to Michigan St.
3. Had a golden retriever
4. Liked to golf
5. Didn't wear ties
More important than any of those details, I learned how to focus on the customer and what it actually meant to do so. I learned that the word “focus” in regard to “customer focus” is a verb not a noun. It is the action of focusing your thoughts and not just a central point of attention. I understood what it meant to be externally focused instead of internally focused and I learned how critical that really was when engaging with clients.
