Learn the essential elements of developing a sales and customer service value promise.
A sales value promise comprises everything you communicate to your customer prior to their purchase of your product or service. Likewise, a service value promise comprises everything you convey to your customer after their purchase.
These promises tell your customers how they should do business with you in order to get what they want in the way of value (competitive pricing, customized service, complete integrity in information provided, a quick and efficient sales process, etc.).
Customers want to know what to expect from you and what you expect from them.
Unless you distill your promises into succinct yet thorough language and incorporate them into every manner of message you send to your customers, your customers will mentally summarize everything they receive into what they perceive your promise of value is.
When this happens, you lose control over the collective meaning of your messages regarding what your customers can expect from your organization and how best they can interact with you.
Being explicit and direct is critical to avoiding ambiguity and confusion in the mind of your customers. Ambiguity or confusion during the sales process gives customers reasons to say “no” to your efforts to build value in your product or service. When everything is clear regarding both the product/service and the process, customers are more comfortable in saying “yes.” They know what they’re doing because they know what you’re doing!
Take charge of the content of the messages you communicate both before and after the sale! You can do this by simply being intentional in crafting what you want to say, how it is said and in what manner (print, web, TV, radio, direct mailings, verbal, signage, etc.).
Ensure that all communications are integrated and consistent in conveying how you make it easy, convenient and pleasant for customers to do business with you.
Following are the essential elements that should be contained within any value promise that you deliver to your customers both before and after the sale:
“We promise:
– Innovative products that deliver obvious and outstanding value
– A welcoming, clean and comfortable retail environment in which customers can gather and study easily understood information and consider their choices at their own pace
– Responsible, courteous and dignified treatment as well as honest consideration of and respect for customer wants and needs
– Service before, during and after the sale that meets your specific requirements
– On-going care from committed knowledgeable professionals dedicated to delivering exceptional value and complete customer satisfaction”.
About the Author
Ken Wallace, M. Div., CSL has been in the organizational development field since 1973. He is a seasoned consultant, speaker and executive coach with extensive business experience in multiple industries who provides practical organizational direction and support for business leaders.
