Feedback. It’s a big topic in sales. Often we are quick to listen to what our peers think of a sales call, or our manager's feedback during 1:1s. But how about the customer, what about their feedback? From my experience, after someone has become a customer, it is critical for the sales rep to seek out feedback about the buying experience. The feedback that customers provide you will be worth tenfold what anyone internally might say.
One of the reasons that feedback from a new customer is so powerful is because, in most cases, they will be 100% honest with you. Think about it: someone who has gone through a sales cycle, whether the cycle is three days, three weeks or three months, now has the relief of knowing there is nothing left to be done--they have received what they wanted and now it is time to implement. They know it is incumbent upon you, the salesperson, to ensure delivery of the product you sold them and they look forward to blasting off and being successful. Given this situation, there is no reason for someone to hold back during a critique. There is no further discount that is going to happen, there are no more people of power to introduce into the cycle, it is now only the word and reputation of you, the salesperson, that is on the line. Because of all these reasons, I’ve found that customers will be completely honest with you about the sales cycle, what they liked, what they didn’t like, what the competition might have done better, what they wished you had done better. And this commentary will help you become a better seller in the future.
The second reason you want to solicit this feedback is to demonstrate that you continue to listen. This is especially important for Enterprise sales, where the sales cycle can take months, even years, and you want to continue to grow the spend of the account. Once someone has signed on as a customer, show them that you will continue to listen to them, take their feedback and make it actionable. Customers love this because it makes them feel like they’re having an impact on improving the product that they use.
Getting feedback from your customers is important. After the ink has dried, set aside time to speak with them 1:1 and receive their detailed feedback of your sales process. Sometimes the information they tell you will surprise you---and it might not always be what you want to hear. However, it will be honest and insightful and help you continue to grow your sales skills.