The True Value of Responsiveness

When buyers decide to invest their time to purchase a product (or service) it’s to achieve a valuable business outcome (revenue or bottom line growth, increased market share, decrease time to market and so on).At such times, they rarely say to themselves, “Let’s see how long we can take to make this decision.”If the outcome they hope to achieve is meaningful, then they want to receive the value from that decision as soon as possible. What that means to the buyer is they want to quickly gather the information needed to make a good decision with the least investment of time and effort.In today’s competitive world, this ability to make a good decision quickly is a competitive advantage for buyers.If you’re the seller who wants to win this buyer’s business then you need to focus on your responsiveness.What does it mean to be responsive in sales? Responsiveness has two inseparable elements: value and timeliness. Take one away and you are no longer responsive.Thus, being "responsive” doesn’t mean just to be fast. A fast, but incomplete response to a customer’s need for information is the same as no response at all.If the buyer has a need for any information of value that will help them move closer to making their decision (a question, a clarification, an objection, etc.), then the first seller to provide a complete response in a timely manner, will have the advantage.Over the course of my career my responsiveness has been my single most important competitive differentiator. It was the one aspect of the sales process that I had complete control over. So, to be responsive, or not, is a choice you can make. Irrespective of whatever sales process or sales methodology you use.It’s also essential to remember that your responsiveness will be your buyer’s first real taste of what it will be like to work with you and your company. First impressions are powerful and sticky in the minds of buyers. As Christopher Marlowe said, "Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?" Or as everybody's mom said, "You only have one chance to make a good first impression.” Don’t blow it.- Andy Paul