Initiated by mass distribution, the SBAM method places customer relationships at the heart of sales.
During a sales discussion, a customer meeting, the nonverbal communication is as important as the verbal communication. Indeed, the consumer is sensitive to testimonies of respect and politeness, it is therefore important to offer him a climate of trust and to listen assiduously. Of sales techniques Like the SBAM method are there to help you.
What is the SBAM method in customer relations?
Who created the SBAM sales technique?
One might think that it has always been part of the codes of politeness but the reality is quite different.
The SBAM method was used for the first time in mass distribution. In the Eighties, it's the brand Auchan who trained her cash register hostesses in commercial and relational reception. The aim was to make direct selling more enjoyable for the customer. It is a way of to build trust and retain the customer.
Gradually, the other commercial and social fields understood the importance of this first contact and developed this marketing approach.
Today, we could no longer imagine cold and closed customer service.
What is SBAM? Definition
SBAM is 4 fundamental concepts in customer relationships: Smile, Good morning, goodbye, thank you.
These few gestures and words serve the customer relationship as a whole. These 4 steps form the fundamental basis of an interaction between sellers and consumers.
These elements may seem trivial but they return a relaxed, friendly and caring signal from the salesperson. These signs are signs of a good sales experience for the customer.
The SBAM method applies throughout the relationship between the two individuals. From the first contact to the final support of the sale, it promotes the establishment of a relationship of trust conducive to listening.
This approach technique is intended to natural and spontaneous, and it works. The customer adheres more easily to the proposals and is more open to discussion if he feels a real presence in front of him. Even better, he will more easily take initiatives on his own if he feels comfortable trust. Smiling and politely formulating these few phrases is 5 seconds of effort to capture the customer's full attention over time.
The company has every interest in training its employees to apply the SBAM method. Reception and support influencebranding.
The importance of communication in customer relationships
Contact with the customer goes through two channels: verbal communication and nonverbal. The signal we send back to a customer is decisive in the relationship.
Interpersonal skills start from first contact. Each sales representative or customer service reflects a team, a brand, a company. A bad signal can hinder the work of an entire organization. Nowadays, the availability, responsiveness and friendliness of sales teams Can count as much than the quality of the product or service.
These interactions facilitate thephrase needs and comments. It is a mutually beneficial process. Salespeople who are polite and open Attract but above all Retain their customers. Information is also easier to obtain because languages are unlinked.
However, the SBAM method can be difficult to apply in some cases. Sometimes salespeople lack the time, patience, or desire to implement all these procedures. These expressions of sympathy can become repetitive and impersonal. They then lose all effectiveness. Even if some situations or customers are not receptive to these signals, they must be perpetuated. In the long run, there is more to gain than to lose.
Humans are all different and have their own character. Social jobs require self-control.
Practicing the SBAM method gives the customer the impression of being considered One person and not a sales target. Any failure to make these simple efforts leads to a feeling of indifference or even rudeness. This lack of respect can lead to harmful consequences for company reputation.
SBAM: Smile - Hello - Goodbye - Thank you
How do I use the SBAM method?
The SBAM method is to be used at each encounter with a customer. In a few words, it defines the direction the discussion will take.
It's about Raise awareness among sales teams and customer services to the importance of these formulas and techniques.
Beyond teaching them to say them, which is often a mechanism inherited from classical education, it is about teaching them to To give meaning.
- Bringing feelings and emotions
Taken out of context, these expressions of politeness add nothing more than a form. Customer relationships require much more than simple exchanges Mechanics. To do this, the SBAM method must include personal contributions. This depends on the tone, the look, the smile or the look that the person shows when saying it. These figures of speech bring life to the exchange and reflect an open and caring image to the customer.
- Never relinquish these efforts
Work that requires repeated human contact can be exhausting. Sometimes employees Let go of polite phrases or forms of sympathy to focus on as concrete and concise as possible. This shortcut completely blocks the relationship and does not encourage theAdvance of the exchange. This technique emphasizes the importance of always using these signs of politeness.
The SBAM method is therefore applied by sales representatives and hospitality professionals. She intervenes in each speech. They learn to find The right volume and tone to express these 4 words. They are making these efforts in order to capture the most customers possible and of support them in the long term.
Smile - Make your interlocutor feel at ease.
Before you even say a word to each other, the first contact established is visual.
A natural and spontaneous smile conveys an image of sympathy and listening. A salesperson who smiles at a customer means that he has noticed him and that he is available. It is a Welcome and welcome sign that reinforces the customer in their approach. This non-verbal communication shows that he is not bothering his interlocutor. On the contrary, the latter is ready to receive his request and to engage in a benevolent exchange in which he can Confide and To be advised.
Smiling is a powerful way to communicate. This proves that the interlocutor is open to discussion And is ready to listen. Customer fears are reduced. He knows he's going to get answers. However, the interlocutor, even with all his expertise and sympathy, may lack explanations. In this case, the customer knows who he is invited to come. He will be better able to give this collaboration a chance again. He knows he can indulge in your needs and desires. For the salesperson, this is an opportunity toencourage a business relationship by collecting information and building customer loyalty.
Knowing how to present yourself comes before you even know how to argue. The smile is also played in The look, the posture or in the voice. It is a attitude which can be noticed from afar, long before you see the mouth itself. In the same way, the tone taken on the phone invites more or less discussion. The voice changes when people smile. The mask is no excuse either! One false behavior can be noticed directly.
Good morning - Greet your customer with politeness
Just after smiling, it's the first word exchanged with the customer.
You might think that saying “Good morning” or “Good evening” depends almost more on automation than on a relational effort. However, the presence of the latter and the tone used can differentiate a mechanical greeting from a honest interaction.
When it comes to politeness, “Good morning” is the main way towelcoming the customer And of Invite him to talk of what brings him here. Far from being a neutral signal, it is a A sign of consideration and listening. Just after recognizing this word as benevolent, the customer will speak to explain their request. He feels confident and listened to.
This mark of politeness seems to be a societal evidence but is still neglected by some commercial or social workers. If this act comes to miss Or makes you feel like empty of meaning or even offensive, the customer is going to steal. He feels it like a disrespect And a The feeling of being disturbing. It is a simple formula that can freeze any hope of the evolution of this relationship and therefore the absence of results.
Goodbye - Close an exchange with politeness
After all the previous presentation and loyalty efforts, it would be silly to end up on a bad impression.
Regardless of the outcome of the discussion, the “Goodbye” is a required form of politeness in the same way as the “Good morning”. It's the Last image sent by the interlocutor.
It is a brand that Close the end of the current conversation. However, she must not close the door to another Future exchange.
Some discussions don't always lead to a deal or a sale upon first contact. It may happen that elements, information are missing, or that the expected solution is not available. In this case, the salesperson or the reception agent has everything to gain by adopting a always professional and friendly attitude.
A good expression accompanying the phrase “Goodbye” Invites him to come back. The customer will naturally execute if they have felt considered and listened to during this entire process. When leaving, he will keep a positive image of the brand and will think of Call on her if these needs change. He then knows that he will be welcome if he decides to contact them again.
Thank you - Thank the person for their time, a purchase, etc.
The “Thank you” does not really have a predefined place in the process of the SBAM method. However, it should definitely appear in the discussion, several times if necessary.
Even if you have to Assess the number of polite phrases at the risk of appearing false and caricatural, thanks can occur in several cases. The “Thank you” formula will be used for an appreciation, an answer to a question, to send a document or as gratitude after a purchase or information.
Giving thanks is a way of Give importance and recognition to the customer. The customer relationship is bilateral, with both parties involved. The interlocutor recognizes the investment and the help of the client in building and maintaining this relationship.
Even if no purchase is made, you have to thank the customer. In a way, he will have demonstrated interest in the brand and provided comments that may be constructive to the sales team or to the company's offer. No exchange is in vain, there is always something to learn and that is why we should be grateful.
Thank you can therefore take place at several levels of exchange, Written as well as spoken.
In the same way as for other forms of politeness, it can be personalized. It is even more relevant in view of its repeated use. This show of sympathy develops in the customer a feeling of recognition and even accomplishment. The effort made seems to have been understood and valued, the exchanges are not robotic but purely sensitive and humans.
The customer will more easily enjoy talking to this customer service and want to continue interactions with this team. This benefits the brand image.