Customers want to do business with salespeople who consistently deliver on their promises and who are willing to go the extra mile. They value the intangible aspects of their relationship with a supplier - dependability, professionalism, accessibility, and creativity - far more than the tangible factors related to a product or service.

Customers want to deal with salespeople who not only have customer service skills but who truly care about them and about building a long-term relationship. In interviews conducted with customers of leading sales organizations, we were told that customers want a salesperson who:

Puts their needs first
Is well informed about their business and industry
Is always courteous, friendly, and easy to do business with
Comes through for them
Maintains frequent contact with them
Expresses a desire to help their business grow
Doesn't pressure you to buy
Remains accessible even after a sale

We heard one story, for example, where a salesperson helped a client beef up an internal presentation she had to give by providing research support, developing attractive slides, and locating several subject matter experts to be interviewed. Though the presentation was totally unrelated to the salesperson's efforts to promote his product, his assistance to the client contributed significantly to demonstrating his value as a resource and his commitment to building a long-term relationship.

After a sales call, the best salespeople ask themselves, "How did the customer feel about the call?" "Did I give customer satisfaction?". Other salespeople ask, "How did I feel about the call?"