The document outlines the importance and benefits of credit personnel traveling with sales teams for joint customer visits. It emphasizes that such interactions foster collaboration, enhance customer relationships, and improve company ROI by allowing credit professionals to observe, understand customer needs, and present a unified front. Additionally, it discusses the processes involved in effective customer visits and the necessary preparations and follow-ups to ensure successful outcomes.

1. ER$ Consulting ServicesIn Collaboration with CMAPresentsTraveling with SalesSeptember 22, 2009WebinarCopyright © Eddy A. Sumar 2009

2. ER$ Consulting ServicesIn Collaboration with CMAPresentsCredit and Sales Joint Calls:How Can This Improve Your Companies’ ROI

3. Credit and Sales Joint Calls:How Can this Improve Your Companies’ ROIQuestions:Are you currently traveling with sales?Does your company allow credit professionals to travel with sales?Do you have a company policy of conducting joint visits to the field with sales?

4. Credit and Sales Joint Calls:How Can this Improve Your Companies’ ROIAgenda:Why should credit personnel go on sales calls?What are the benefits of traveling with sales?How does your attendance ensure success of the call?Who should you meet with and why?Reasons when an in-person meeting is imperative.Why your company needs a policy for conducting joint visits.

5. “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.” Chinese Proverb

6. AIMCredit becoming Sales SensitiveHelping Sales to become Credit sensitiveWhy?This can improve your company ROI

7. Why Should Credit Personnel Go on Sales Calls?It creates a team spiritEngenders cooperation and collaborationPresents a unified front to the customer (Sales & Credit become one)Enhances the chances of closing the deal and making the sale (two or more minds better than one)Helps sales, credit, and customer consider more optionsHelps credit build a relationship with sales customers

8. Why Should Credit Personnel Go on Sales Calls?Helps credit strengthen and maintain a relationship with sales and customersAllows for fact-finding, information gathering, instructing & trainingEnhances and facilitates problem-solvingAn opportunity for customer service & building goodwill and loyaltyFacilitates collectionExpedites credit decisions

9. Why Should Credit Personnel Go on Sales Calls?Will allow you to employ six honest serving men…

10. Why Should Credit Personnel Go on Sales Calls?Is a NEED not a WANT

11. Why Should Credit Personnel Go on Sales Calls?Nothing replaces the power of direct observation and face-to-face encounters. You can gain so much information from watching people in their actual work environment and capturing the unuttered, non-verbal and unarticulated needs. You see their facial expressions, their gestures and real-time reactions.

12. Why Should Credit Personnel Go on Sales Calls?It is a key vehicle to change the misperceptions about credit

13. Why Should Credit Personnel Go on Sales Calls?It allows credit to learn the language of sales and become involved in the sales process; it also allows sales to learn the language of credit and become involved in the credit process.

14. What are the Benefits of traveling with Sales?Build mutual understanding and engenders empathyAllows credit to walk in the salesman’s shoesHelps increase sales and market share through credit and creative optionsExpedites cash flow Results in lower bad debt and write-offsStrengthens company image and improves ROIHelps to build partnership and alliancesCan facilitate contract and terms negotiations

15. How does your attendance ensure success of the call? It introduces the credit perspective…bringing the expert…presenting as a teamIt brings new options and alternativesIt eliminates distortions and misunderstandings when it comes to credit offerings and processAllows the credit professional to explain the process and ask for the needed requirements [Apps/ FS/ Docs]Allows for first hand observation and assessment without intermediariesAllows credit to meet the decision makers and financial personnel

16. How does your attendance ensure success of the call? By understating the three stages of the call and being prepared

17. Effective Customer VisitsStagesPre-visitThe VisitPost-visit

18. Effective Customer VisitsStage OnePre-visit: Preparation stageGather information on the customer, the issues, the situation, the feelings, etc.

19. Study the information to determine the needs. Get to Knowthe needs, the people (personality type), and the issues

20. Determine the alternatives

21. Set your goal(s) for the visitEffective Customer VisitsStage TwoThe Visit: Personal interaction stageIntroduce yourself (to as many as possible and meet influencers and decision makers—at all levels)

22. Connect with the person (reconnect on subsequent visitsby taking time to catch up)

23. Listen, listen and listen

24. Define the issues from the customer’s perspective

25. Migrate to their views

26. Understand their needs, position, and attitude

27. Re-define the issues from your perspective: inform, educate, instruct, and incentivize

28. Present alternative solutions

29. Link them to your goal(s)Effective Customer VisitsStage ThreePost-visit: Assurance & Follow-up stageThank the customer (by phone, e-mail, or letter)

30. Assure the customer of your support & understanding

31. Reconfirm the actions to be taken

32. Follow-up periodically until issue has been closed

33. Reassure customer of your continuous supportEffective Customer VisitsDos and Don’tsDosBe humble

34. Listen, listen and listen

35. Attack the issues not the person