I was recently ordering a Mardi Gras King Cake from a great local bakery, The Dough Basket.   http://www.doughbasket.com/ Tanya Clark, the owner, knew that I was ordering the cake as a gift for a family with a small child. When I told her that I wanted to order my favorite flavor, the praline cream cheese, she pointed out that although that is a great selection, it might not be the favorite for a child since sometimes they don't like things with nuts.

"Thanks!" I replied, as I truly appreciated her insights as the expert king cake sales consultant!

Tanya truly listened to my order and went beyond just filling the order and filling that king cake with what I told her I wanted. She consulted with me to a BETTER purchase.

What insights are You giving YOUR customers when they call to order a product or service? Are you merely filling the order as requested OR are you listening for ALL the information and serving as a sales consultant?

Customers remember when you go beyond the robotic order taking mode. After all.... if all I needed was someone to "punch in" my request, why would anyone answer the telephone at The Dough Basket? Tanya could simply have an answering machine that said, "leave your order at the beep". Instead, she adds value to her product by looking for the best customer solution every time.

My lessons from this close encounter on the front lines:

• Listen to your customer for what IS and what ISN'T said
• Ask questions about HOW your product or service will be used
• Be a sales consultant not an order taker
• Know your products and your market and be a product match-maker!