The key to meeting clients’ needs

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Those of us who work in sales constantly face the challenge of continued momentum and success.

The key to our success as entrepreneurs, small business owners or commission-based salespeople is to keep clients satisfied through honesty, being clear and straightforward, doing the best we can to meet their needs and knowing that the words we use affect the client and our business relationship.

An article at Aish.com, “Ethical Speech,” by  Rabbi Shraga Simmons,  speaks to “wronging with words.”

Simmons writes, “In Jewish consciousness, money is peripheral to self, but feelings are essential. That’s why harming someone with words  (Onas Devarim) is considered worse than harming their property….

“It is also unethical to deceive others, which is akin to ‘stealing thoughts.’  One example is offering someone bad advice. We must also be careful not to give a false impression.

“For example, when entering a store, realize that the salesperson now has a raised expectation to sell. If you have no intent of buying, you should make that clear from the start.

“We also strive for  ‘clean speech’ that avoids coarse or negative connotations. To illustrate, the Torah does not refer to a particular animal as ‘unclean,’ but prefers the subtly more positive formulation, ‘not clean.’ Every word has a powerful effect on the soul.”

Following are some tips to generate and keep client loyalty:

            Offer a high-quality product or service. The service or product has to be current and functional and help clients get their desired results. 

            Be available to your clients. You need to be there for them, within reason, when they have questions or concerns.

            Listen and adapt. As the needs of your clients change, you as the service or product provider need to accommodate those changes.

            Don’t sell. Focus on customers’ needs and you won’t have to sell. Instead, share your belief and excitement about your services and products.  

            Don’t base everything on price alone. I believe that in most cases, cost is not the determining factor in client loyalty. Clients will stay with you because they trust you, feel understood, feel supported and get results.

While it sounds trite, the cliché that “anything worth having is worth working for” is so true. Being successful in your business is like tending a garden: The results will be lush and rewarding if you do it day by day, row by row, paying attention to each sprout and each weed.

PATRICIA RASKIN, president of Raskin Resources Productions Inc., is an award-winning radio producer and Rhode Island business owner. She is the host of “The Patricia Raskin” show, a radio and podcast coach, and a board member of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.