The following is a partial list of characteristics that would identify prospective clients who could best benefit from the services provided by Professional Sales Management (PSM):
Small sales force (1-6 individuals) either unmanaged, led by a non sales professional, led by someone not exceeding (reasonable) goals or led by someone who merely needs mentoring
A customer (also known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services. However, in certain contexts, the term customer also includes by extension any entity that uses or experiences the services of another. A customer may also be a viewer of the product or service that is being sold despite deciding not to buy them. The general distinction between a customer and a client is that a customer purchases products, whereas a client purchases services.
You may have a difference in opinion on when to use each term and how they differ. Basically from the provider of a service or a seller of a product they are both one and the same.
We usually look at a customer as a person who goes to a store and buys a product and we typically think of a client as someone who receives some sort of a service from a learned professional in some specialty business.
The difference between a customer and a client is that a customer can be just a patron, while a client is a patron who also seeks advice. In today's business world, we don't just have customer service, but we have "client care" or "client service" departments in many corporations. Most patrons of a business want to be informed, but those who depend on their relationship with a business such as a client with a lawyer, need a protective type of informative business relationship. A client looks to follow the advice and professional knowledge of a business leader, while a customer may only purchase goods and services from a business. The difference between a customer and a client can at first seem quite confusing. Some people say there is not much difference, while others say it depends on the industry as to whether the term "customer" or the term "client" is used for business patrons. However, the difference between a customer and a client can best be seen in terms of an ongoing business relationship.
A customer/client goes into an office or store or online for that matter to get something that will help them. Every person should be respected accordingly and if the management doesn't set a policy of the minimum level of customer service then the customer can and often will find a better provider to fulfill their needs elsewhere.
When an employee is instructed on how to work with a customer the management must make it very clear on what they expect the employee to do and how they want the service to be done. An office employee makes the visit by a client to be pleasant and let them know when they will be seen and provide an answer to the concerns of they may have. A clean and nice atmosphere for the visitor will go a long way when they tell a friend about the service that they received at such and such a place.
How about a customer at any of the chain stores, have you ever interrupted a clerk that was busy on the phone talking to their friend or in their native tongue about who knows what? After spending many years in Japan where all employees of all stores invite you in and thank everyone as they walk out the door, it was a shock when arriving back in the United States. One the first stores that was visited there was a clerk and she was talking to her significant other for an unbelievable amount of time and never helped the customer. Needless to say this customer walked out after making an appropriate comment to said employee.
That was a basic problem that the employer needs to cover in their training sessions with the employees. Hang up the phone and treat a customer with the respect that you yourself would at least expect from a person
Customer and client, while they essentially refer to people who buy things, have different shades of meaning.
Clients are people who have a long term relationship with a service provider whereas a customer has a short term relationship.
Clients sometimes also have a relationship of protection or additional services with their provider while this is not present in a customer-provider relationship.
The word client usually has a connotation that implies professionalism and stability while customers are pretty connotatively neutral.