To truly understand the value of your frontline do yourself a favor, go out and work on the frontline for a day. Is it really that easy to balance sales and service? Is it really that easy to keep a positive outlook after five consecutive rejections, three of which came from irate and disgruntled customers?

The pressure to repeat the process 10, 20, or 100 times a day can be exhausting, to say the least. Most decision makers in sales and service organizations were not promoted from the frontline, and have therefore never actually spent much meaningful time there. Putting yourself on the frontline will provide you with a completely different perspective and appreciation for what really goes on and what it takes to be successful.

Understanding and appreciating the challenging nature of frontline work is a critical first step to executing a successful sales and service program on a universal scale.

Most companies have four to six customer touch points and related sales opportunities.

If you map out all of your customer contact points, you will find that many of them present substantial revenue opportunities, and all of them provide significant service improvement opportunities.

Look at each of your customer contact points and figure out what influence your frontline can have through them.

When an angry customer begins to complain about his or her experience the most important action a frontline representative can take is to listen.

Studies have shown the biggest concern irate customers have is the inability to be heard. Utilizing the following dialogue with a dissatisfied customer will set the stage for a service recovery.

“Before I am able to assist you, I must first listen to what you have to say.”

Establishing a bond with an irate customer that began by listening will set in motion the process for winning the customer over. Remember, to make an error is a very human occurrence. To recover from an error is divine!

Hiring the right frontline associates can make or break a business, so it is imperative you know what to look for. Here are a few key attributes qualified individuals should possess:

• Personality – A great personality is a must for a job that is all about dealing with people and being able to influence their buying decisions. 
• Positive Attitude – The team member you want on your frontline is the one who not only shows up for work with an outstanding attitude but can maintain it in the midst of trying circumstances.
• Confidence – Look for self-assured individuals with a strong, positive self-image.
• Sharp Image – Appearance has a huge impact on professional image. The success of any business encounter begins the second someone lays eyes on your frontline, often long before either party speaks.
• Communication Skills – Seek individuals who enjoy carrying on a conversation, who listen actively and who are concise when needed.
• Motivation – You need people who are hungry to make money and driven by a competitive spirit to be the best.
• Sales Background – While it is helpful, it is not a prerequisite. Sales skills can be taught to anyone who has aptitude, desire, sincerity and integrity.

Defining a theoretical frontline strategy for high profitability is not a difficult thing to do. Getting people to do it, and do it consistently, is.

In order to optimize sales and service performance, you must embrace three primary areas of actionable focus:

• Creating the Right Environment
• Ensuring the Right Personnel Fit
• Executing the Right Action

Changing behavior and sustaining high-performance sales levels cannot happen by training or effective coaching alone. A whole solution that is effective, efficient and systematically implemented over time is required.

Each of the three elements listed above – Environment, Fit and Action – are interdependent. They feed and build on each other as one element supports the success of the other. The Right Environment makes it easier to attract the Right Fit, which in turn makes it easier to produce the Right Action. Only by addressing all three components will your organization reach its full performance potential.