Is The Customer Always Right?

Last week I presented a Masterclass webinar for the Top Sales Experts titled “An Inconvenient Truce”, dealing with the need to combine and use the best of Sales 2.0 and traditional selling.  During the webinar I was asked the following question:

“When it comes to Social Media and Sales 2.0 – is it not the case that we have to sell to our customers as they wish to be sold to? Isn’t it arrogant of us to make that decision for them?”

My brief answer was basically that this was not necessarily accurate, that it is a relationship among peers, and as such both the buyer and the seller need to be accommodated.  Having had a few days to think about it I would like to add a few things.

To expand on something I said then, as a professional sales person (as opposed to order taker), we are not only experts in sales but also experts in the field our product plays in.  The truly professional wireless sales person know as much if not more than most buyers of the service, be they IT or business buyers.  The same is true for a logistics/supply chain provider, they know more about trends, developments and opportunities in improving the movement of goods than most people buying their services.

I want to be clear, I am not saying better, but we are experts.  We are witnesses to best and worst practices and as such an invaluable resource for those trying to make a quality decision for their companies.  Conscientious buyers are actively seeking people with expertise of the level of top sales people.  Top sales professionals bring more knowledge and expertise to a given situation than many consultants; I am always reminded of the UPS commercial where two consultants had to admit their in ability to execute or go beyond advice.  Many of my customers rely on my expertise, opinion and direction long after there is a transaction involved, and I am happy to provide it.

As long as a buyer remembers that they are dealing with someone who is ultimately paid for selling, they can really benefit from the wisdom of top sales people.  Usually one of the things that make them tops in their field is that they are not mercenaries, but professionals delivering full value to their customers and employers; and buyers deserve to deal with experts.

So I don’t think you have to sell to “customers as they wish to be sold to.” Nor do I think it is “arrogant” to help the customer come to a decision in ways over and above they initially conceived, as long as sales people we keep mutual value the centre piece of the interaction. 

What do you think, how would you answer the question posed?

Tibor Shanto
What’s in Your Pipeline?