Never Lose Sales Again

Does this sound familiar? After dozens of phones calls, e-mails and face-to-face meetings, you finally reach an agreement with a prospect who is intent on buying from you.

“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 does not mean that the sale will move forward, especially if your solution is complex.

Dozens of things can happen to derail your efforts. Your key contact may change companies or positions. The person you are dealing with may get cold feet, lose interest or decide to change vendors. The company may be acquired or sold. A competitor may approach your prospect with a better offer. There is no such thing as a guaranteed sale, even if you are holding a signed contract. This means you need to ensure that you keep the sale. Following are several strategies you can incorporate into your business that will help you achieve this goal.

1.First, send some form of acknowledgement or thank you. I know this sounds like an elementary concept, but most salespeople don’t think to do it. They take the sale and move on to the next prospect; however, if you send a thank-you card immediately after you confirm the sale, you differentiate yourself from your competition. You can also use postcards. The key is to show your new customer that you value his or her business and a thank you is just one small gesture to demonstrates this.

2. Next, make sure you regularly update the new customers. Keep them informed about things such as production status and delivery or shipment dates and schedules. If you sell a highly customized product, make sure you advise them on the progress of the product development. Frequency of updates will depend on several factors.

• What does your key decision-maker expect or want? A detail-oriented person will require more frequent updates than someone who is less so. The easiest way to determine this is to ask this question: “How often do you want me to send you updates?” It’s a simple question but one that will give you tremendous insight into your customer’s expectations.
• Another factor is the length of time between your agreement and when your product will be delivered. The more time that elapses, the more important it is for you to update the customer. For example, in my particular business, it is not uncommon for a company to book me for a keynote speech or a training workshop a year in advance of the event. During this time, I try to send them some form of update so they know I have not forgotten about the event.

3. It’s also wise to send the customers 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 from one of their competitors or an article on a topic that relates to your key contact’s interests. You may come across a newspaper article about the clients’ company — clip this and send it to your customer. It doesn’t matter if they have already read the article because your gesture shows that you are paying attention to their business. And most salespeople do not do this. One word of caution: Do not send information about your product. This is not about you — it is about giving your new customer a reason to keep the sale with you.

4. Depending on the size of the sale, you could send a book that will help with the clients’ business. There is 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 a book that will help improve results. I have sent books to my clients that focus on communication, leadership, sales and customer service. Attach a brief note explaining why you sent the book.

5. Reinforce their buying decision. The easiest way to do this is to send testimonials from satisfied customers. An even more effective approach is to ask one of your existing clients to call your new customer. People want reassurance that they have made a sound buying decision, so just imagine the impact if they heard a voicemail message from one of your clients saying how satisfied they were with your product, service or solution.

These may sound like simple concepts; however, I can guarantee that very few salespeople actually use them. Integrating these strategies into your routine will not only help you differentiate yourself from your competition, you will increase your odds of keeping every sale you make.

Kelley Robertson, author of "The Secrets of Power Selling," helps sales professionals pinpoint how to improve their results. He conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs, contact him at 905.633.7750 or kelley@robertsontraininggroup.com.

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