As a sales rep, how do you ensure your clients don't get buyer's remorse?

Hi Lauren,

Dave makes a valid point in that many sales people are only focused on making the numbers, with not much thought to why the customer(s) bought the product/service/solution in the first place.

Based on my experience, the problem (and the solution) is much more fundamental than just short sighted sales departments. While the world has moved from manufacturing and production to the knowledge and information age, things like management philosophies, processes, ways of working, organization theory, etc etc hasn't developed as quickly. Case in point, for a business that mass produces products, there is much less need for cross departmental coordination (sales, operations, supply chain, etc) than for a company that creates customer specific solutions.

So what I see in many cases today is companies in the solutions business operating with a manufacturing mentality, i.e. large departments operating in silos mostly focused on reaching department targets. Instead the solutions business requires that the company as a whole, not just sales, focus on providing their customers with business solutions to ensure customer success. This requires smaller cross departmental (sales + operations + supply chain + finance + sourcing etc) teams focused on making customers successful, instead of departmental goals.

Unfortunately since very few people actually understand this, I think it will take some time before we see any real change.

So getting back to your question, “As a sales rep, how do you ensure your clients don't get buyer's remorse?”

In my opinion, ensuring clients don't get buyer's remorse is up to the company as a whole, not just the sales rep.

Just my 2 cents, hope this was clear.

Gosh. I had an answer in mind, and then Roger said it. So I'll shorten my answer by recommending his.

Part of the issue is how the question is framed "As a sales rep . . . " , which Roger addressed, and I agree. I've learned from hard experience that the enemy of customer satisfaction is often the general ledger chart of accounts. Once the sale has been booked, the departments responsible for support seek to conserve resources because it impacts their year-end bonuses.

Who invented this system?

I'm reminded of Churchill's quote : "Personally, I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like to be taught." So, the key is to make it the customer's idea.

I think a huge contributor is the nature of the sales conversation that leads to the customer's decision to buy. We've all had the experience of feeling pressured into a decision (it happened to me when I switched health insurance carriers a couple of years ago) which doesn't look so smart when we have time to reflect. Bottom line is, if it's your idea, buyer's remorse is much more likely.

When it's the customer's idea, they are going to much more likely to stick with it, defend it against criticism, and reinforce their own reasons for the decision.

How do you make it the customer's idea? Through a combination of an in-depth understanding of their situation and needs, and then through questions that unfold those needs and their consequences.

I certainly agree with the strategic upgrades that others suggest, and add perhaps the most important tactical element: do not omit or “leapfrog” any steps before the sale, during the sale, or after the sale.

When the reality or perception is that something was overlooked or ignored during the customer’s consideration process, the customer often experiences “residual doubt” … even if the product or service actually turns out OK.

Conversely, when the sales person/team attends to the details as well as the “big picture,” the customer usually likes the vendor as much or more than the product/service itself.