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By Peter Livas (LinkedIn),
Governor at Large, NTEA Generation Next
This
article was originally published in the September 2023 issue of Generation Next
Edition.
What other industry offers more variety than the Work Truck Industry? I challenge you to find one.
In my professional world (which represents only a small part of the industry as a whole), I can go from customer-facing direct sales to climbing under a truck to learn about a new OEM update on a chassis frame. A few minutes later, I could be working with a fleet to understand a solution for their unique business or interviewing a new hire who left an entirely different industry and wants to learn our trade.
The importance of personal relationships and the drive to keep learning in our industry can’t be understated. As time-consuming as it may seem to answer every email, call every customer or vendor back, and say hello to every end-user who walks into your facility, the payback is priceless.
We joke about the customer who comes into our store looking to buy a simple cotter pin or a first aid kit because the local DOT is running inspections. Chances are, if you treat that dialog as an opportunity to offer service, that same customer may come back and buy a dump body or crane. And tell their friends and fellow business contacts something positive about the experience they had while speaking with you.
The opportunity to engage with our customers, whom I consider more than just the person buying the product, will create an experience – for you and for the person on the other end.
- The process may put you in a position to learn something you aren’t familiar with – use it as an opportunity to become an expect in a new area.
- The process may generate goodwill with a future or existing loyal customer – cherish it. A loyal customer can take years to cultivate.
- The process may involve a vendor or OEM – now you have a dialog and relationship for when you’ll need it in the future.
In a past life, my profession involved hospitality. The lessons learned about service, responsiveness and communication carry over more in the work truck industry for me than anything else. I tell our new staff to seize every opportunity to answer the phone, talk to a walk-in customer or reply to an online quote request.
Great communication is a skill that takes practice. The more you engage with your customers, the more you grow as an individual and the more you become an exceptional resource in our industry.
Here is a list of communication practices our team uses daily:
- Answer every phone call as if it’s the first time the customer is calling the company.
- Answer on the first ring. Be thankful and humble each time a customer calls you.
- You may not be able to answer a question right away. Give the custom regular updates on status of a quote, a sales order or a technical question.
- Be first out of the gate. Customers may be shopping around. If you engage right away and ask the right questions, chances are you will win them over.
- Use mistakes as an opportunity. No one is immune to making a mistake. When a situation is going sideways, get ahead of it as early as possible. Shock the customer with the level of exceptional service you and your team will offer to remedy the situation.
I leave you with this… what Success through Relationship strategy will you promote when you engage with the next customer, vendor, OEM, business neighbor, competitor or employee?
Peter Livas
Executive Vice President
Brake & Clutch, Inc.
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