This example illustrates one of the solution strategies that the sales force in Istria is using to meet its customers’ challenges:
1. Making clever use of METRO’s broad product portfolio
‘Thanks to the wide array of products at METRO, we’re always able to offer the customer alternatives that meet their needs in terms of quality, processing and pricing,’ says Iva. When it comes to new solutions, too, such as the grating machine in the example, METRO, as a wholesaler for both food and non-food products, offers the necessary variety as well as network connections to suppliers from all over the world.
2. Carrying solutions over to other products
‘When we’ve identified a challenge faced by the customer based on a certain product, it’s always worth considering how we can adapt our other product offerings in the same way,’ says Iva. A pizzeria that lacks staff to grate its cheese may logically also need pre-sliced sausage and peeled onions – or pre-baked cakes for dessert.
3. Analysing and planning ahead
The sales force draws on two important sources when planning what to offer – what the customers say and what the figures say. Experienced sales force managers can see the relationships between the two. ‘How were the previous day’s sales? What margins are achieved with which products? How are the customers doing with their payments?’ says Iva, the sales force manager, outlining the routine questions she starts her working day with. Her staff talk to one another continuously about customer wishes and product trends. And when summer is over in Istria, the preceding months are analysed as a basis for planning the next season.
4. Showing empathy and listening
‘Not everything can be solved from a purely professional angle,’ says Iva. ‘Our customers are people and we learn a lot about their lives.’ Listening with a sympathetic ear can help, as can ‘diverting the conversation to the weather or to football to take the customer’s mind off their stress for a while.’ When it comes to potentially delicate matters like finances and dates of payment, too, it’s about tactfully choosing the right time for a frank talk, she says.