Patience, Helpfulness Key To Driving Today's Sales

Online, October 10, 2012 (Newswire.com) - In today's slower economy, the tension between a salesperson's need to close a sale and the customer's concern over buying the best product at the best price, is more pronounced than ever. But creating positive first impressions and demonstrating a sincere willingness to help a customer - whatever the outcome - are critical steps to longer-term success, according to a new research summary produced by the business thought leadership organization, The Forum: Business Results Through People.

The report, "Sales Employee's Attitude Directly Affects Sales Outcome, is the latest in a new series of targeted and concise research packages designed for sales executives. The researchers, Dr. Frank Mulhern of Northwestern University, together with Don Schultz, Heidi Schultz, and Robert Passikoff, studied the relationship between employee attitudes and customer perceptions of a major international hotel chain and associated customer spending behavior.

They said that out of four key psychological drivers exhibited by employees, the most important attitude valued by the customer was the employee's attempt to try and help the customer (tries to satisfy). "Sales people in general, much like the personnel at the hotel check-in, must convey a positive first impression and the real - if not perceived - attitude of a willingness to help the customer," the researchers said.

The research summary offers several important messages for sales leaders to communicate to their sales force in the areas of creating a positive first impression, establishing trust, and finding a tactful balance between persistence and patience in dealing with customers.

To read the entire research summary, please visit The Forum's website, www.businessresultsthroughpeople.org .

Dive in: Forum's 'Think Tank' filled with ideas, insight
Rich content and laced with a deep layer of practical ideas to take home are part of the recently-finalized program for the fifth annual Think Tank, hosted by The Forum: Business Results Through People, in partnership with the Chicago Compensation Association. It happens Wed., Oct. 24 at The Motivation Show at Chicago's McCormick Place West. To learn more, please visit http://www.businessresultsthroughpeople.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=32

About the Forum
The Forum (www.BusinessResultsThroughPeople.org), affiliated with Northwestern University, is an organization for thought leadership advocating the most effective way business leaders create and sustain organizational value is through partnership with people