Remember when we were kids (and if I'm honest, even now for me), our parents would slice up an apple with some peanut butter and how good it would taste? Well, science has recently confirmed what parents have long known: kids are much more likely to eat apple slices than whole apples. According to Cornell's Food and Brand Lab study, kids ate 60 percent more apples served when cut into pieces. When it comes to whole fruit, the hardest part is getting kids to start eating them; to take that first bite, this is why slicing an apple makes it more appealing.
It sounds simplistic, but even the simplest forms of inconvenience affect consumption,
said David Just, a professor of behavioral economics at Cornell.
You may be asking, what does this have to do with me? More than you might think!
These kids ate apples at an exponentially higher rate because it was made easier for them. Are you "slicing the apples" for your customers and making it easy for them to do business with you?
A McKinsey customer experience survey of 27,000 US consumers across 44 industries found companies that focus on providing an excellent and frictionless customer experience – such as customer onboarding, account changes, and problem resolution – realized positive business results. These results included a 10-15 percent increase in revenue growth and a 20 percent increase in customer satisfaction.
You can take several steps as a professional salesperson to ensure you are "slicing the apples" for your customers.
Proactively Innovate When our Butler Street Research Division asks executives what are the most important assets a salesperson can have, being proactively innovative is always near the top of the list. They want help understanding what best practices are in the industry; or how you can help them accelerate their outcomes. How can you make it easy for them? As a salesperson, it requires focusing on creating meaningful value in all communications - email, outbound calls, and especially social media such as LinkedIn.
Share a case study about how you are helping other companies similar to them improve results.
Engage them with captivating data analytics that helps them understand how they compare to their competitors
Communicate and Actively Listen Whether it is before the sale, during the sale, or long after the sale, communication is the glue that keeps the relationship together. Facilitate communication through statements like, "Let me see if I understand what you're saying," or, "Just to make sure we're on the right track." Good communication happens when people really listen. Always seek to understand before asking to be understood as there is nothing more flattering than actually listen to another person…and we never learn anything when we are speaking.
Execute a Voice of the Customer Survey Your customers know the secrets to your success—all you have to do is ask them. The VOC consists of in-depth interviews of your most important relationships with your most important customers. Specifically, it produces a detailed set of customer wants and needs, helping to define your go-forward road map to help your customers achieve their specific strategies related to growth. It also provides deep insights into risk areas, actions needed to mitigate those areas, and definitive feedback on constructing a winning partnership. Is there anything easier than simply asking our customers what they need from us to be a great partner?
If you want to start slicing the apples for both your clients and yourself, Butler Street can help. Our virtual, Instructor led training sessions are interactive, relevant, and easily implementable. Avoid the hurdles of in-house surveys with a third-party survey conducted by Butler Street Research Division resulting in higher participation, receiving reliable data, and ensuring confidentiality. Contact us to learn more.
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