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Meeting Your Client's Expectations isn't Enough
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Meeting Your Client's Expectations Isn't Enough
by Paul McCord
One of the current buzz phrases in sales and marketing is "exceeding the client's
expectations." This is a laudable goal, but one that is seldom met. And then to top it off, it isn't
enough. If you manage to exceed your client's expectations, you still have only succeeded in
meeting half of your obligation to the client.
Clients have more than simply expectations during the sale, they also have product or service
priorities. In order to have consummated a quality sale, you must have met both the client's
expectations of the sale and their product or service priorities. Many salespeople, business
owners and companies think these are one and the same. They are not.
Let's break these down into two distinct concepts.
Expectations: Every client has certain expectations about the sale. A client may expect a
number of things to happen during the course of the sale:
· they may expect to be kept fully informed of the progress of the sale
· they may expect any problems or issues that arise during the course of the sale to be
dispatched quickly
· they may expect certain things to happen at certain times, such as delivery or billing
· they may expect certain members of their team to be consulted about aspects of the sale
or installation;
· they may expect notification and coordination prior to delivery
· or any number of other expectations.
All of these expectations are related to the sales process. Different customers will have different
expectations. For example, one customer may expect to be kept fully informed of any problems
during the process but other than that doesn't want to be bothered with updates. On the other
hand, another customer may expect to be updated on a regular basis, and a third may expect to
have a daily update emailed to him or her. Three different customers, yet each with different
expectations about being kept informed of the progress of the sale.Of course, each customer will have several expectations, not just one.
Product or Service Priorities: In addition to their sale expectations, clients also have product
or service priorities–those things they fully expect your product or service to deliver. As with
expectations during the sale, each customer will have his or her own product and service
priorities. An example would be a client purchasing new delivery vehicles. One client's top
priority may be fuel efficiency; another may be visual impression (image), while a third may be
load capacity. Depending upon the product or service, the customer may have only a few or
many priorities.
Any sale that does not meet both the client's expectations during the sale and their
product/service priorities is a less than successful sale. Moreover, the most immediate recipient
of the client's displeasure and the one who pays proportionately the biggest cost is the
salesperson and his or her reputation.
In order to be able to expect referrals, develop a reputation of excellence, and to be viewed by
customers and clients as an expert source, you must make it your top priority to meet, and
hopefully exceed, both your client's expectations and priorities. Part of a referral-based business
model is the agreement with the client that if you meet their expectations and the product or
service performs as expected, you will get referrals. This is an agreed upon commitment
between you and your client. If you perform, you get the referrals you've worked for. Fail and
you haven't earned them.
How, then, can you make sure that you are fully aware of the client's expectations and priorities?
You must sit down with each and every client and discuss in detail exactly what his or her
expectations during the sale are and exactly what their product/service priorities are. There isn't
any other way of making sure that you are both on the same page.
An obvious solution?Unfortunately, most salespeople and their companies assume they know what the client's
expectations are. Ask most salespeople what their clients expect and they'll quickly rattle off a
list:
· friendly service
· no problems during the sale
· on-time delivery
· no unapproved add-on charges
· and the like.
This list, however, is nothing more than what they believe should be the expectations of there
clients. Furthermore, nothing has been said about the product/service priorities of the client.
Salespeople and their companies tend to view the sale as two separate and distinct transactions–
the product and/or service the customer has purchased or contracted for--and the sales event
itself. In reality, in the client's mind, these are one and the same. If either the sale, which is the
actual process of selling and delivering the product or service, or the product/service does not
measure up to the client's wants, needs and expectations, to the client, the salesperson has failed.
Salespeople must redefine their sale to include both aspects of the client's purchase. Although in
many cases the salesperson has little or no control over how the product or service performs, the
customer, based on the product/service performance, will judge the salesperson just as much as
they will judge the company. In other words, your client will hold you responsible for your
performance, your company's performance, and the product/service performance. Consequently,
you must know exactly what your client expects during the sales process and what his or her
priorities are of the product or service you sell. You must then make sure that you meet both
their expectations of the sale and that the product or service you have sold them meets their
particular priorities.
A surprisingly large number of salespeople rush through the presentation and "sale" of the
product or service without gaining a complete understanding of exactly what the customer's
needs and desires for the product or service are. They focus so strongly on the sale; they fail toanalyze the product or service in terms of the client's priorities. Most often, they fail to discover
what their client's priorities are, or, they believe that getting "close" is close enough.
Recognizing the importance of meeting both the client's sales expectations and their
product/service priorities puts a huge burden on the salesperson, though not a burden that was
not already present. Most of us operate blissfully unaware that we are being judged based on
both how we perform and how our product or service performs. We tend to think of ourselves as
being responsible for how we deal with the client–this is, that we keep the promises we
personally make to the client, not that we are personally responsible for how well or poorly our
product or service performs based on the client's needs. We tend to think of the product or
service as something that is separate from ourselves and is between the customer and our
company.
In order to be able to know exactly what your client's expectations are during the sale and their
priorities for the product or service, you must have a frank and open discussion with the client.
This discussion is not one to be rushed through. The client needs to know that this is the
defining discussion of the whole sales process. You must ask in no-uncertain terms exactly what
their expectations of the sale are and exactly what their priorities for the product or service are.
By all means take notes and then, after the client has had the opportunity to define for you their
expectations and priorities, repeat them to your client in exactly the way you understand them.
If, for instance, your client states that the delivery date is most important during the sale, with an
expectation to be kept fully informed and that he be notified of any issues that arise immediately,
and that his primary priority for the product is that the vehicles be capable of carrying X load, at
X fuel economy, and at X price, you need to recite to him that your understanding is that his
primary expectation is that the vehicles must be delivered on or before the agreed upon date, that
you communicate with him either by phone or e-mail at least weekly, and that if any issues arise
with the purchase you will communicate those to him with X number of hours after you discover
the issue; furthermore, you understand that the vehicles upon delivery must be capable of hauling
X, that they must get X miles per gallon, and that the agreed upon price should not change in any
manner. If you know you cannot meet these sales expectations or that your product cannot meetthe stated priorities, you must find a solution at this point or you will end the sale with a less than
satisfied customer.
Once you understand and agree to the client's expectations and priorities, get his verbal
agreement to your understanding of each and very statement. If you have misinterpreted
anything or if the client rearranges his expectations or priorities, go over them again. Once you
have his full agreement on each expectation and priority, ask again for his commitment to
provide quality referrals upon completion of the sale. A simple statement such as, "(client's
name), we're in agreement that if I meet these three sales expectations and the product/service
meets your priorities, you will provide me with 5 quality referrals as we had defined them
previously, correct?"
Even though at this point you have discussed with your client their expectations and priorities,
and have a verbal agreement as to what they are and that you will have earned the referrals if you
meet them, don't stop there. Take one final step and once back at your office, send the client a
brief e-mail listing his sales expectations and his product/service priorities. Do not put them in a
format that appears to be documentation. Simply send an email that reads something like "Don,
thank you taking the time to go over your expectations and priorities with me this afternoon.
Since every client is different and each has different wants and needs, it really helps me meet
your wants and needs if I know exactly what your expectations and priorities are. My
understanding is that you (then list his sales expectations and then his product/service priorities
again, just as you did when you were with him). If, upon further reflection, these aren't quite
right, please let me know."
Once you have clearly defined what your client expects and what his priorities are, you can
take dead aim at meeting his wants and needs precisely, without any doubt as to which activities
and issues you must pay particular attention to in order to have fully met, and hopefully,
"exceeded your client's expectations."
Paul McCord is a leading authority on prospecting, referral selling, and personal
marketing. He is president of McCord and Associates, a Houston, Texas based sales
training, coaching, and consulting company. His first book, Creating a Million Dollar
a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons,
2007), is an Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-seller and is quickly becoming
recognized as the authoritative work on referral selling. His second book,
SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar will be released inFebruary, 2008. He may be reached at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com or visit
his sales training website at www.powerreferralselling.com
Copyright 2006, Paul McCord. May be reproduced without change, with proper
attribution and brief bio. Notice of when and where article is to appear to
pmccord@mccordandassociates.com
by Paul McCord
One of the current buzz phrases in sales and marketing is "exceeding the client's
expectations." This is a laudable goal, but one that is seldom met. And then to top it off, it isn't
enough. If you manage to exceed your client's expectations, you still have only succeeded in
meeting half of your obligation to the client.
Clients have more than simply expectations during the sale, they also have product or service
priorities. In order to have consummated a quality sale, you must have met both the client's
expectations of the sale and their product or service priorities. Many salespeople, business
owners and companies think these are one and the same. They are not.
Let's break these down into two distinct concepts.
Expectations: Every client has certain expectations about the sale. A client may expect a
number of things to happen during the course of the sale:
· they may expect to be kept fully informed of the progress of the sale
· they may expect any problems or issues that arise during the course of the sale to be
dispatched quickly
· they may expect certain things to happen at certain times, such as delivery or billing
· they may expect certain members of their team to be consulted about aspects of the sale
or installation;
· they may expect notification and coordination prior to delivery
· or any number of other expectations.
All of these expectations are related to the sales process. Different customers will have different
expectations. For example, one customer may expect to be kept fully informed of any problems
during the process but other than that doesn't want to be bothered with updates. On the other
hand, another customer may expect to be updated on a regular basis, and a third may expect to
have a daily update emailed to him or her. Three different customers, yet each with different
expectations about being kept informed of the progress of the sale.Of course, each customer will have several expectations, not just one.
Product or Service Priorities: In addition to their sale expectations, clients also have product
or service priorities–those things they fully expect your product or service to deliver. As with
expectations during the sale, each customer will have his or her own product and service
priorities. An example would be a client purchasing new delivery vehicles. One client's top
priority may be fuel efficiency; another may be visual impression (image), while a third may be
load capacity. Depending upon the product or service, the customer may have only a few or
many priorities.
Any sale that does not meet both the client's expectations during the sale and their
product/service priorities is a less than successful sale. Moreover, the most immediate recipient
of the client's displeasure and the one who pays proportionately the biggest cost is the
salesperson and his or her reputation.
In order to be able to expect referrals, develop a reputation of excellence, and to be viewed by
customers and clients as an expert source, you must make it your top priority to meet, and
hopefully exceed, both your client's expectations and priorities. Part of a referral-based business
model is the agreement with the client that if you meet their expectations and the product or
service performs as expected, you will get referrals. This is an agreed upon commitment
between you and your client. If you perform, you get the referrals you've worked for. Fail and
you haven't earned them.
How, then, can you make sure that you are fully aware of the client's expectations and priorities?
You must sit down with each and every client and discuss in detail exactly what his or her
expectations during the sale are and exactly what their product/service priorities are. There isn't
any other way of making sure that you are both on the same page.
An obvious solution?Unfortunately, most salespeople and their companies assume they know what the client's
expectations are. Ask most salespeople what their clients expect and they'll quickly rattle off a
list:
· friendly service
· no problems during the sale
· on-time delivery
· no unapproved add-on charges
· and the like.
This list, however, is nothing more than what they believe should be the expectations of there
clients. Furthermore, nothing has been said about the product/service priorities of the client.
Salespeople and their companies tend to view the sale as two separate and distinct transactions–
the product and/or service the customer has purchased or contracted for--and the sales event
itself. In reality, in the client's mind, these are one and the same. If either the sale, which is the
actual process of selling and delivering the product or service, or the product/service does not
measure up to the client's wants, needs and expectations, to the client, the salesperson has failed.
Salespeople must redefine their sale to include both aspects of the client's purchase. Although in
many cases the salesperson has little or no control over how the product or service performs, the
customer, based on the product/service performance, will judge the salesperson just as much as
they will judge the company. In other words, your client will hold you responsible for your
performance, your company's performance, and the product/service performance. Consequently,
you must know exactly what your client expects during the sales process and what his or her
priorities are of the product or service you sell. You must then make sure that you meet both
their expectations of the sale and that the product or service you have sold them meets their
particular priorities.
A surprisingly large number of salespeople rush through the presentation and "sale" of the
product or service without gaining a complete understanding of exactly what the customer's
needs and desires for the product or service are. They focus so strongly on the sale; they fail toanalyze the product or service in terms of the client's priorities. Most often, they fail to discover
what their client's priorities are, or, they believe that getting "close" is close enough.
Recognizing the importance of meeting both the client's sales expectations and their
product/service priorities puts a huge burden on the salesperson, though not a burden that was
not already present. Most of us operate blissfully unaware that we are being judged based on
both how we perform and how our product or service performs. We tend to think of ourselves as
being responsible for how we deal with the client–this is, that we keep the promises we
personally make to the client, not that we are personally responsible for how well or poorly our
product or service performs based on the client's needs. We tend to think of the product or
service as something that is separate from ourselves and is between the customer and our
company.
In order to be able to know exactly what your client's expectations are during the sale and their
priorities for the product or service, you must have a frank and open discussion with the client.
This discussion is not one to be rushed through. The client needs to know that this is the
defining discussion of the whole sales process. You must ask in no-uncertain terms exactly what
their expectations of the sale are and exactly what their priorities for the product or service are.
By all means take notes and then, after the client has had the opportunity to define for you their
expectations and priorities, repeat them to your client in exactly the way you understand them.
If, for instance, your client states that the delivery date is most important during the sale, with an
expectation to be kept fully informed and that he be notified of any issues that arise immediately,
and that his primary priority for the product is that the vehicles be capable of carrying X load, at
X fuel economy, and at X price, you need to recite to him that your understanding is that his
primary expectation is that the vehicles must be delivered on or before the agreed upon date, that
you communicate with him either by phone or e-mail at least weekly, and that if any issues arise
with the purchase you will communicate those to him with X number of hours after you discover
the issue; furthermore, you understand that the vehicles upon delivery must be capable of hauling
X, that they must get X miles per gallon, and that the agreed upon price should not change in any
manner. If you know you cannot meet these sales expectations or that your product cannot meetthe stated priorities, you must find a solution at this point or you will end the sale with a less than
satisfied customer.
Once you understand and agree to the client's expectations and priorities, get his verbal
agreement to your understanding of each and very statement. If you have misinterpreted
anything or if the client rearranges his expectations or priorities, go over them again. Once you
have his full agreement on each expectation and priority, ask again for his commitment to
provide quality referrals upon completion of the sale. A simple statement such as, "(client's
name), we're in agreement that if I meet these three sales expectations and the product/service
meets your priorities, you will provide me with 5 quality referrals as we had defined them
previously, correct?"
Even though at this point you have discussed with your client their expectations and priorities,
and have a verbal agreement as to what they are and that you will have earned the referrals if you
meet them, don't stop there. Take one final step and once back at your office, send the client a
brief e-mail listing his sales expectations and his product/service priorities. Do not put them in a
format that appears to be documentation. Simply send an email that reads something like "Don,
thank you taking the time to go over your expectations and priorities with me this afternoon.
Since every client is different and each has different wants and needs, it really helps me meet
your wants and needs if I know exactly what your expectations and priorities are. My
understanding is that you (then list his sales expectations and then his product/service priorities
again, just as you did when you were with him). If, upon further reflection, these aren't quite
right, please let me know."
Once you have clearly defined what your client expects and what his priorities are, you can
take dead aim at meeting his wants and needs precisely, without any doubt as to which activities
and issues you must pay particular attention to in order to have fully met, and hopefully,
"exceeded your client's expectations."
Paul McCord is a leading authority on prospecting, referral selling, and personal
marketing. He is president of McCord and Associates, a Houston, Texas based sales
training, coaching, and consulting company. His first book, Creating a Million Dollar
a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons,
2007), is an Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-seller and is quickly becoming
recognized as the authoritative work on referral selling. His second book,
SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar will be released inFebruary, 2008. He may be reached at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com or visit
his sales training website at www.powerreferralselling.com
Copyright 2006, Paul McCord. May be reproduced without change, with proper
attribution and brief bio. Notice of when and where article is to appear to
pmccord@mccordandassociates.com
