The pink Post-It note of an excellent salesperson

My immediate reaction was a small pulse of adrenaline, and the thought, “Oh great! Someone's bashed into my car.”

So I made the call as I drove home along the N1. A female voice answered, and said, “I saw that you had a crack on your windscreen. I was wondering whether you might like to bring that to our company to have it repaired.” She then offered to call my insurer on my behalf, and ask what the excess would be.

Had to smile

In addition to a small sigh of relief, I had to smile as well. This was precisely what I had been teaching in one of my sales courses that day: Make it easy for your customer to buy from you.

This lady was already one step beyond prospecting. She was showing me how little effort it would require from my side to ‘let her' solve my problem. She was making it easy for me. Now that's salesmanship!

It's worth using that philosophy to re-examine our own businesses. For instance, log onto your website. Like every site, I'm sure it has all the pertinent information about how great your company is, and what it is that you offer. Sterling stuff! But here's a question: can customers easily buy from you? If the site is all they have, does your site make it easy?

Or do they have to search for contact details, and, having found them, will they call through to a switchboard, where the receptionist isn't sure how to handle the call? If so, you are putting up barriers to your sales.

Another simple example

Another simple example, at retail level, is the almost innumerable stores that don't put price tags on things. That drives me nuts! I might have bought your product, but now I'll have to stand in a queue to find out whether I can afford it. I guess I'll just leave it. Barrier. Business lost.

It's worth your while to think of ways in which you can make it easier for customers to do business with you. Are you selling financial products that require your client to take a medical exam? Offer to set it up for them.

Whenever your business model faces logistics that can be an obstacle to purchase, you should be the one that provides the solution. Don't just hope your customers will do the work. Find a way to do it for them.

Catnip is to kitty

Not only is that a clever approach, but it's the beginning of a relationship. And relationships are to sales what catnip is to kitty.

Start today. Do an audit of the ways in which customers can approach you. Find out whether there are any opportunities to make it easier for them. Then use it as a competitive advantage.

The lady with the pink Post-It notes understands that principle. And for that reason, her company will be repairing my windscreen.