Client Tips From the Pros #2: Create a Culture of Confidence (Sandy Gonzalez, MadeToOrder)

Here comes the economy, roaring back to life again, as it does, it brings new challenges. Pent-up demand is being unleashed on a struggling supply chain, so carefully managing clients and their projects through an economic rebound is vital for growth.

In this series, we’re sharing the best client tips from the pros who know how to navigate clients through fast-moving, turbulent waters. Our first tip was about the QTRly Connect, today, it’s the one message we all must hear, whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the biz!

It’s easy to lose your mojo. 

Supply chain woes, inventory challenges, mis-shipments, thousands of product options you haven’t mastered, the myriad of materials, the plethora of decorating options, sustainable impact, product safety regs, kitting, shipping, pricing - our industry is a complex beast, rife with challenges, new learnings, and in a constant state of flux.  

One unintended consequence of a complex supply chain is that our sales language can sound to the client (alarmingly) uncertain:

“I doubt that’s even possible with that kind of imprint but let me look into it.”

“I’m not even sure we can get it, I’ll have to check with my supplier.”

“I don’t know about shipping to that many locations.”

“Not sure we can get that in time, but I’ll make a few calls.” 

“I’ll have to check inventory stock but, you know, inventory is really hard to come by these days.”

When I asked Sandy Gonzalez, CEO at MadeToOrder, a successful, large distributor based out of California, that if she could share her number one tip that would help us guide our clients through this new season, without hesitation, she said: “confidence.” 

Sandy has worked with many salespeople in the industry and she noticed recently that confidence is the one common attribute all salespeople struggle with today.

Sandy shared a simple example about how confidence (or the lack thereof) can alter the customer experience, “At a restaurant, when you’re dining out somewhere new and you want to explore the menu, you often ask the server what they recommend. Servers who reply with vague responses and uncertainty begin to sour the experience. Rather than exploring dining options with delight, you’re left with doubt. That tiny moment matters. Because the server that responds, “Oh, you must try the house-made gnocchi with sweet carrot butter sauce!” Or, the one who replies, “I had the grilled trout wrapped in corn husks and it was divine,” does so with a strong opinion and conviction. That subtly matters because the server sparks the enjoyable moment you came to experience. The suggestions from the server might not even be the best meals on the menu, but you don’t know that, and guess what? if you order it, you’ll likely have an amazing meal and a relaxing, wonderful evening.” 

It’s true that there is a lot to be uncertain about in this business. You can’t have 100% confidence in inventory, 100% of the time. You can’t have 100% confidence in decorating capabilities when viewing complex artwork. You can’t have 100% confidence in timelines until you talk to the factory. There’s a lot to be unsure of, but memorable sales moments are not predicated on the known factors (if it were simple and clear, they wouldn’t need you!), the best sales opportunities are created by exploring the unknowns through the certainty of what you do know. 

And what you do know is that:

• You work in an incredibly adept industry with an astounding array of solutions.

• You have confidence that you and your supplier partners will find a way.

• You have confidence that you and your team will explore, research, and dig.

• You will find an answer, an option, an alternative, a better way, a new idea, an easier method, a simpler distribution, a fantastic product, and a game plan to meet the client’s objectives.

• You have confidence in your conviction that you will do whatever it takes to take care of your client and their projects because you have done so, innumerable times, in the past.

You could argue that now, more than ever, confidence is the one attribute your client wants to hear from you most. Confidence is something your client craves from you, they don’t just want to hear it, they want to feel it. The most successful salespeople know that confidence is an unspoken trait that connects empathy with trust, it’s knowing that your client is in a certain predicament that you can help with and the conviction that you will find the answer.

Confidence is not overconfidence, (overpromising and under-delivering), confidence is knowing the assets you have in yourself, your team, and your supply chain. Confidence doesn’t derail caution, both have their place, but you must stabilize caution with conviction. If you are a constant worrier with your client, if you exude uncertainty and ambivalence, your client will feel it and a crack of vulnerability will form in the bridge of trust. 

So, rather than allowing the current supply chain challenges to create a culture of fear and uncertainty with you and your team, rest in the talent of your team and partners, your passion for the craft, your history at making shit happen, and your incredible problem-solving skills. 

Are you creating an atmosphere of uncertainty with yourself, your clients, and your team? 

Or are you building a culture of confidence?