I had some drive time last week here in the Twin Cities and was blown away by James Altucher’s podcast interview with Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone. There were so many great moments captured in this podcast, but the most impactful thoughts focused on the relationship between sales and the customer. As Ken shared, “The goal is not to sell something to somebody. The goal is to make somebody happy and satisfied that they came into the store.”

This week’s reminder is this: If you prioritize the customer and their experience over focusing on the sale, and never deviate from this path, the transaction will naturally follow.

Put people first.

Langone had made a simple but profound point. When we put our focus on the customer experience and exceeding their expectations, great things will come after. It goes beyond merely meeting their needs – anyone can do that. The combination of happy and satisfied Langone is referring to implies creating an environment where the customer’s satisfaction shows up as the result of our ability to:

  • Listen – Understanding their needs, struggles, and aspirations
  • Serve – Working for the customer and putting them first
  • Provide – Bringing them the solutions they are seeking

Easy, right? Yes, but here’s the reality. There is pressure every day to perform and to sell. Those sales are not bad in themselves. They allow us to provide for our employees, impact our communities, provide for our customers, and grow. Sales are a good thing, even a great thing. When we’re selling the right products or services, we can change the lives of our customers. The issue lies in living in a society where “making the sale” equals winning. Even that phrase, where we “make” the sale, makes it sound like we’re forcing the client to buy. Once the sale becomes more about us and less about the customer, no one wins.

Wouldn’t it be better if our customers felt so good about their experience, about our desire to put their needs first, and about their confidence in our solution, that they wanted to buy? Wouldn’t it be better if we won together rather than having to compete for the win? Wouldn’t it feel better for us to serve and give?

The Takeaway

Focus first on making your customers feel happy and satisfied. The sales will come.

Want to check out the full interview with Ken Langone? Check out: jamesaltucher.com/2018/06/ken-langone/