Does this sound familiar?
After dozens of phones calls and emails-as well as several face-to-face meetings—you finally reach an agreement with a prospect who is intent on buying your service, product or solution.
“Whew! Another sale done,” you think to yourself.
But, wait.
Before you start counting your commission, it is critical that you keep the sale. Just because a prospect has agreed to move forward doesn’t mean the sale will move forward, especially if you sell a complex system or solution. Dozens of things can happen to derail your efforts. Your key contact may change companies or positions; the person you are dealing with gets cold feet, loses interest, or decides to change vendors; the company may be acquired or sold; a competitor may approach your prospect with a better offer. Anything is possible.
There is no such thing as a guaranteed sale, even if you are holding a signed contract. That means you need to ensure that you keep the sale. Here are several strategies you can incorporate into your business that will help you achieve this:
1. Send some form of acknowledgement or thank-you. This sounds like an elementary concept, but many sales people don’t think of doing this. They take the sale and move on to the next prospect. However, if you send a thank-you card or postcard immediately after you confirm the sale, you differentiate yourself with your competition. The key is to show your new customers that you value their business, and thanking them is just one small way of doing so.
2. Keep your new customers updated. Make sure to inform them about things like delivery or shipment status, and installation dates and schedules. If you sell a highly customized product, make sure you advise your customer on the progress of the product. The frequency of updates will depend on a few factors:
‚Ä¢ What does your key decision-maker expect or want? If he or she is detail-oriented, you should update them frequently. To determine this, simply ask. An obvious question, but one that will give you tremendous insight into your customer’s expectations.
‚Ä¢ What is the timeframe between your agreement and when your services will be rendered or your product will be delivered? The more time that elapses between these two, the more important it is for you to update your customer. For example, in my particular business, it’s not uncommon for a company to book me for a keynote speech or training workshop up to a year in advance. During the year, I try to send some form of update so the company knows I haven’t forgotten their event.
3. Send your clients additional information of value. This includes articles, magazine and newspaper clippings, or other information that is relevant to their business. You could send an article that mentions a strategic move one of their competitors is about to make, or an article on a topic that relates to your key contact’s interests. You may come across a piece about their company—clip it and send it their way! Chances are they’ve read it, but your gesture shows that you’re paying attention to their business. Most sales people don’t put in this extra effort. One word of caution though: do NOT send information about your product! This is not about you; it’s about giving your new customers a reason to keep the sale with you.
4. Depending on the size of the sale, you could send a book that will help your clients with their business. There are a multitude of books on the market today, addressing virtually every business situation. If your client enjoys reading, then it makes good business sense to send them something that will help improve their results. I have sent books to my customers that focus on communication, leadership, sales and customer service. Remember to attach a brief note explaining why you sent the gift.
5. Reinforce their buying decision. The easiest way is to send your clients testimonials from satisfied customers. An even more effective approach is to ask one of your existing clients to call your new customer. People want reassurances that they have made a sound buying decision. Just imagine the impact if they hear a voicemail message from one of your existing clients stating how satisfied they were with your product, service or solution.
These may sound like simple concepts. However, I know from experience that very few sales people actually use them. Integrating these strategies into your routine will not only set you apart from your competition, you will increase your odds of keeping every sale you make.
