Smart Selling: Distributor Sales Strategies From HIDA
Elizabeth Hilla
By Elizabeth Hilla, Senior Vice President, Health Industry Distributors Association
I’ve talked to some really terrific sales reps who say that the secret to their success is providing A-plus service to every customer, big or small.
I admire their commitment, but I actually embrace a different strategy: A-plus service for A-plus customers.
Admit it, we all have customers who earn a “C” at best. They make frequent, small-quantity orders that cost more for the company to service. They want special items, ask for extra discounts, call or email frequently, and are more prone to complain. Sound familiar? As sales professionals, we want to make sure that even these needy customers get great service, figuring that their business will grow or perhaps that they’ll recommend us to their contacts at other accounts.
The problem is that taking care of these customers eats up time that should be spent on our best customers.
Think about it. Customers who buy in greater volumes and use more efficient buying practices (like buying what’s in stock and consolidating orders) are more profitable for our company. They generate more commissions with less selling time. They’re golden! So, we need to do everything we can to maintain and nurture these customers. These A accounts should be the ones for which we go above-and-beyond.
Our high-volume, high-profit customers deserve “heroic” service, as distribution expert Bruce Merrifield calls it. That means making sure:
- A-plus customers get A-plus sales attention. They are the ones who always get a quick callback, the first to hear about new products or new resources available from our company, the ones we check in with more frequently, the ones we sometimes do special favors for – because they’ve earned it.
- We understand these accounts inside and out. That means learning about their patient base, knowing what challenges they face, and establishing relationships with multiple decision-makers and influencers within the organization.
- Everyone else in the company knows who the A-plus customers are, so that the accounts get the very best operational service. That means, for instance, that if the warehouse is running low on a particular product, these accounts receive full orders before we fill requests from customers who buy from us only occasionally.
- We make really stellar recoveries for service mistakes, should they happen to these customers. This should include a sincere apology, a quick fix to the problem, and usually some kind of compensatory credit to make up for the hassle and irritation experienced.
Your biggest current customers aren’t the only ones to put on your “VIP” list for white-glove service. I recommend including any new accounts that you’ve worked hard to win over, and anyone else that you think represents a significant sales opportunity. But don’t be afraid to move them down the priority list if your efforts don’t pan out.
“But wait,” you say, “our company can deliver top-flight service to every customer.” If that’s true, congratulations and carry on with your strategy! As long as you have the commitment and the systems in place to make sure your very best, most profitable customers always get your very best, no-mistakes, white-glove service, you’re positioned to keep and grow your business.