Few things are more frustrating to a customer than a salesperson with no decision-making capability. The last thing a customer with a problem wants to hear is that they’re going to have to wait for someone else (who can actually make a decision) to get back to them, says Warren Greshes, author of “The Best Damn Sales Management Book Ever” (John Wiley & Sons, 2012).
One of the major reasons the people who are closest to the customers don’t get to make decisions is their managers or employers are afraid they’ll make too many mistakes and give customers more than they’re entitled to.
So what? Greshes aks. Pushing decision-making responsibility as far down as possible ensures quicker decisions; faster resolutions to customer problems; more motivated workers; and more contented customers who will provide repeat business.
And empowered salespeople talk about it amongst themselves. Thus, giving your sales reps more control not only helps keep your customer base satisfied, it separates you from competitors, which creates a recruiting advantage. Besides, Greshes points out, it’s really hard to give a customer, especially a good one, too much.
