One of the reasons for which I enjoyed taking Sales Force Management course was because our course’s syllabus was not restricted to any one specific course book or a set of ready-made slides, rather we were given the opportunity to read from different authentic forums, make professional presentations and practically apply our learning of both sales force and consumer behavior concepts to practical life.
This course encouraged me to read extensively and to learn more about how companies successfully apply Sales Force Management concepts in collaboration with other relevant strategies. So I recently read this book called Customer Mania which talks about building a Customer-Focused Company the Right Way! The author of the book has highlighted four points which ensure the success of any company, a success which is not just focused on making money but on building strong relations with customers as well. By drawing on examples from the world’s largest restaurant company, Yum! — owner of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s, and A&W Restaurants — the authors explain how any company, large or small, can develop a unified, people-first, customer-oriented culture. And the most interesting fact was that all the four steps ensuring the company’s success were people related i.e. the primary resource for the success of any company is its workforce and its customers.
Now let’s talk about the four steps that have been highlighted by Ken Blanchard. Step one is to set a company’s sight on the right target and vision. Step two is to treat the customers in an amicable way. Step three is to treat the employees in an appropriate manner and the last step is that the company should have a strong type of leadership.
First step states that a customer-focused company with its sight set on the right target should be the Provider of Choice and should focus on taking care of its customers. Secondly, it should be the Employer of Choice and should aim at creating a motivating environment for its people. Thirdly, it should be the Investment of Choice and should have a register go ca-ching. And the most important thing is having an agreed-upon, compelling vision of the company.
Coming towards the second step i.e. treating the customers in an amiable way, the company has to make sure that it does whatever it can to satisfy its customers. This in turn would aid them in acquiring customer loyalty in the future. Blanchard has stated this thing several times in the book that the company should listen to what its customers have to say. The salesmen should be trained to ask questions from the customers in a polite way so as to gain customer trust. It is very imperative for every company to be creative in discovering what customers want. After knowing what they want it becomes easy for a company to include their suggestions in the company’s vision. By giving them what they want, a company can create raving fans who would brag about how nicely the company treats them.
Step three is another essential step which is also very much related to what I learned in my sales force management course. This step states that if the company treats the workforce in the right way, only then would the workforce in turn, treat the customers in the right way. For making this cycle work, it is suggested that the company integrates four human systems: recruiting and hiring, training and development, performance management and career planning. By doing this any company would be successful in recruiting and hiring the right people on the team. Effective training along with constant motivation would help in improving the performance of the workforce. Also, performance management, if done in the right way, would help the workforce in getting help when they need it and in accomplishing their goals which would ultimately lead to the company’s success.
Last of all is having a plausible kind of leadership.There are two aspects of leadership: vision and implementation. While top leadership sets the vision and direction, anyone who is in a position to influence can be a leader. There are two kinds of leaders. Driven leaders who happen to be self-serving whereas as servant leaders are those who take responsibility of developing a compelling vision; then invert the pyramid and move to the bottom as cheerleaders, supporters and encouragers. Every company should remember that leadership is not about them, rather it’s about serving the vision of the company and people who make it come true.
In short, this book helped me in knowing how important it is to focus on good customer service which many businesses fail to focus on. Also, the fact that if one gets the title of a leader, it doesn’t mean that one is all-knowing and omnipotent. Every leader should know the art of identifying the strengths of people around him and bringing out the best in each one of them.
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