Many professional sales people are engaged in relationship selling because this leads to customer loyalty. To truly embrace this sales approach means that you must put the customers first and foremost. The question is Do You?

Maybe you are automatically responding to this question with an affirmative Of course I do! Yet, do you really always put the customer first and foremost? To understand this question means that you must look at your behaviors that are the outward demonstration of your beliefs reflected through your attitudes.

One customer first behavior is how quickly do you respond to customer's calls as well as calls from prospects and suspects. Are you selective in making those returned calls? Do you have a voice mail that I will get back to you in a few hours and then never return the call or call back two, three or four days later?

Recently, I have had some serious problems with my local bank that was acquired by a larger regional bank. I met with the regional Chief Executive Officer. He even agreed to read a book - Fail Safe Leadership - that I gave him and would accept my call in 2 weeks. Well, two weeks passed, I made the call and he never called back. We are now at eight weeks after that promise and several additional calls have been made without any responses from him. Do you believe that he is fostering customer loyalty?

Another customer first behavior is follow up. Any promise that you make you take the necessary actions from emails to snail mailing articles. Again, relationship selling's goal is to build customer loyalty.

A third customer first behavior is always helping your customers before helping yourself. Maybe it is introducing your customer to another potential center of influence. Your focus in always on your customer and how you can help them meet their needs. The focus is not on how many more sales that you make.

If you are using relationship selling, them you will increase sales especially when you truly understand and more importantly practice putting your customers first. By taking such actions, you will achieve the ultimate goal of customer loyalty.

Do you want more sales? Then register for FREE professional sales skills assessment http://www.processspecialist.com/sales-skill-assessment.htm.

Are you where you want to be? To find out where you are, then M.A.P. for Success, a FREE email course may help you begin to chart a course of business, professional or personal success. Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/action-plan.htm.

Please feel free to contact me, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Your Chief People Officer and Business Coach, who works with individuals and organizations that are tired of not being where they want to be and truly want more for their businesses and their selves. 219.759.5601