Pat Malone writes about the decision makers in this thoughtful article. It is a must-read for animal health pros. He writes:
When your customer goes into decision-making mode, he/she is being influenced by two considerations:
- What do I know? This is the logical side of our brain calling up all the data and facts that we have that pertain to the decision at hand.
- How do I feel about what I know? This is the emotional side of the decision-making equation.
Each of these considerations will exert some influence in the decision-making process depending on the importance of the decision.
Source: Vet Advantage, October 2017.
You cannot see an attitude. The good news is that attitudes translate into actions, and that is something you can see in your customer’s body language, you can hear in your customer’s voice and something you can then correlate to their words. Since your role is decision-getting, you want every customer to end up with a confident, well-informed decision.
INSIGHTS: Sales reps will recognize many of the decision maker types profiled in Malone’s article. Retail associates and veterinary hospital personnel can learn a lot from understanding the decision-making thought processes customers exhibit. Rushing a decision maker often results in a lost transaction or lost customer.
Listen. Be Patient. That’s most people ‘s mistake. Too eager, too fast… Hear what your customer has to say to you about their needs, their reservations and their concerns. #listen #excellentcustomerservice