Is there customer loyalty in business today? I sincerely believe it is harder today to keep your clients happy than it was 10 years ago. We can thank all of the social media outlets for attributing to this.

It has been engrained in copier sales reps heads retaining your customers is low-hanging fruit. However, understanding how to create loyal customers so you can retain them is one of the most important things for a dealership. For starters, it’s critical to know the fastest ways to lose customers so you stop making these mistakes and start retaining your customers.

The best representation of this is according to KISSmetricts "71% of consumers have ended their relationship with a company due to poor customer service."

Would you all agree as copier reps we are involved in an extremely service oriented business? Let's continue on...

  • 61% of consumers take their business to a competitor when they end a business relationship
  • For every customer who bothers to complain, 26 other customers remain silent

Here is a great link for copier reps as you all must wrap your heads around the fact we operate in service oriented atmosphere.

"Customers overwhelmingly show appreciation for great service with their wallets."

As a copier recovering copier, I am here to share with you all an untapped source of providing excellent customer support while protecting your M.I.F. (machines in field). I found out the power of integrating the use of LinkedIn to Connect,Collaborate and Converse with my current clients. Simply integrating these 3 C's you can socially surround and socially care for your clients in ways traditional methods lack.

"If you are not continually educating your clients somebody else will. This somebody else is your competition!"

Copier Sales Reps Can Protect Their MIF (Machines in Field) Integrating The Use Of LinkedIn

Protect by connecting on LinkedIn

As a copier rep I am going to challenge and encourage you all to start socially connecting to your current clients. I realize all copier reps believe they provide exceptional levels of service and have their accounts on lockdown.  Let's peel back exceptional levels of service. Is it delivering toner to your clients when they run out? Is it helping to solve an invoice issue? Is it providing training help? Is it just being a facilitator? I would agree this is all part of the equation.

The missing link in helping to protect your base is socially surrounding the account to avoid invasion by your competitors. Just how many people within your current accounts do you know real well? We all snuggle up to the decision makers and maybe an executive admin person then think we own the account. 

I am a huge fan of The Challenger Sale and the Corporate Executive Board. Inside the Harvard Business Review, within the article, "Making the Consensus Sale"CEB determined on average there on 5.4 people involved in today's B2B purchasing journey.

"Copier sales reps... you can't see all of your accounts every single day but they can see you if you connect with them on LinkedIn"

Take-away for copier reps... socially surround and connect to at least 6 people inside your current accounts. Go wide and deep creating a fortress around your clients. I truly believe this is attainable. Think for a moment... Decision Maker, Executive Admin, IT Manager, Facilities, Marketing and Purchasing Manager. Get the picture?

Protect by collaborating and integrating LinkedIn

Leveraging all your customer information is the only way to succeed in the world of B2B sales today. Insight is one of the key points in differentiating and creating your personalized customer engagement approach. Gaining a deep understanding of your customers and the key influencers within helps as you start to recognize their buying behaviors, wants, needs, and expectations.

Through collaboration and socially connecting, copier sales reps can start to anticipate customer behaviors by discovering hidden trends, understanding motivations, and gaining insights into what is top of mind to them.

Hello... your current clients are throwing social breadcrumbs out on LinkedIn. These breadcrumbs may be the social hints you all need to increase your selling opportunities before your competition finds them.

"Your customer information is there for the taking, it is how you use it that counts!"

Protect by conversing with your clients using LinkedIn

I am a firm believer your job as a copier rep is not over at point of installation. The journey has only begun. To truly provide exceptional levels of customer service you must continually teach, tailor and educate your clients.

Continually educating your clients by providing ongoing advice on new issues and outcomes can elevate your status immediately as the go-to-person and industry expert. 

Connecting, Collaborating and Conversing with your clients on LinkedIn takes time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is relationship building with your clients. Posting relevant educational content on LinkedIn provides your clients unique insights about how they can best compete in the marketplace. It’s an opportunity to provide valuable perspectives, share in-depth industry knowledge, and best practices.

Think of the 6 people you are connected to socially on LinkedIn and tailor your message to each stakeholder across their company. Socially guide and help them to see and realize the individual value to their line of business or specific department.

Isn't this a great way to have daily conversations and be seen by all of your clients? Let's acknowledge we live in an information age. Your clients can find out anything they want at any time by simply opening up their web browser.

Say hello to them every day by socially engaging with them on LinkedIn. 

Be different, teach, tailor, and control engaging with your clients. Connect,Collaborate and Converse are three essential tools a copier sales reps needs to protect your base, strengthen your relationships while continually providing value to your clients.

If you need a gentle nudge or some guidance I am always here to help or lend an ear if you ever would like to have a conversation.

If you enjoyed please share your comments. Look forward to connecting and starting a conversation.

Check out more at the Social Sales Academy blog site.

Please enjoy my other posts on LinkedIn Publisher and on SlideShare

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach copier sales professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help independent office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy