by Don Sanders, 10/22/2004
Making contact with people is the first step in the successful selling process, but what takes place after the initial meeting is even more important. Nothing derails the selling process faster than the lack of follow-up, which must be done in a timely manner when selling promotional products.
It has to be done.
Both you and your prospects experience many distractions everyday. In order to be successful, you must make yourself stand out in a positive way from everyone’s trials and tribulations. By having a follow-up policy in place, you will ensure that your sales presentations will not be ignored. Here are some suggested ways to keep your sales message on the ‘front burner:’
Be quick with your actions.
If someone asks for information, get back with him or her immediately. Never wait around once something has been requested.
Deliver requested materials in person.
When personal delivery is possible, take the opportunity to deliver requested samples and literature to prospects and customers yourself. By doing so, you will be certain that your customer received the proper items.
Take care of problems as fast as possible.
The majority of problems can be turned into positives if quick action is taken.
Enter new orders on the day of commitment.
When someone places an order with you, never wait to write it up. Frequently customers will decide that they want to move up the delivery date. If you wait several days to place the order, you are taking a risk that you cannot afford.
Get those thank you notes in the mail.
If a supplier makes a special effort to help you with an order, be sure to send the appropriate person a hand-written thank-you note. Don’t just make it a generic one; write each one from the heart.
Always find out the results.
Each sale, whether new or repeat, should be followed up to make sure everything went according to plan. A personal visit is ideal, but a phone call will suffice if you can’t go in person. If all went well with the order, then you are proving your efficiency; and if there is a problem, you will be able to resolve it more quickly.
Making things move faster
Today everyone lives at a break neck pace and there are more choices to consider than ever before. To cope with all of the choices, many business decisions are now made by committees or groups that have the ability to slow down or change the sales process along the way. Prompt follow-up helps all of the involved parties make a faster decision. When you are in these types of situations, make sure to find out a project’s timing, and react promptly to every request. The faster you get back with people, the faster you can make the sale.
Since people are faced with hundreds of decisions a day, it is often difficult for them to focus on what you are telling them. Good follow-up helps them more than you know. When you are visit or call in a timely manner, you are helping them do their job better, since most decision makers can simply not afford to make mistakes. Increased down-sizing and company layoffs have made many people fearful about losing their jobs. In many instances, your are getting back to them helps speed up the decision-making process and free them to focus on other matters.
How to follow-up
Take these steps to ensure proper follow-up:
Try to communicate with your client in person, rather than on the phone. Face-to-face contact strengthens relationships much faster than repeated telephone calls.
When someone asks for a sample, drop it by in person, instead of putting it in the mail. Many times items sent by mail do not reach the correct party.
If you must phone someone and they are not taking your call, drive over to see them. Saying that you were in the neighborhood and decided to drop by, is a better alternative than waiting for the call that never comes!
When a customer pledges to order something on a certain date, don’t wait longer than the date promised. Call them on the day of commitment, or go by their office.
If a customer says that they have a lead for you, make sure you secure the name quickly. Never wait for them to have to get back with you. By the time they do, the lead may no longer be prevalent.
When phoning is the only way
Keep these things in mind when following up by phone:
Get quickly to the point.
Never loose control of the call by getting off on a tangent. Get to the point quickly, focusing on what you have to say.
Tell them the purpose of the call.
Have a standard line ready when the prospect or customer takes the call. Let that phrase tell them that you intend to stay on point and not waste their time.
Do they have the time?
Doesn’t it burn you up when a telephone solicitor calls, then launches into a presentation? Never be like the telephone solicitor who does not ask for permission to speak with you.
Make calls to prospects on land based lines.
Avoid cell phones for follow up calls. Since you never know what the reception is like on the other end of the line, do not take the chance that you may sound like an old record.
Avoid speaker phones like the plague.
Nothing to say here but this, just do not to do it. Coming across sounding like John Paul Getty talking from a cave, is not going to get you anywhere.
If you must call someone on a cell phone, never do it while driving.
If you must call a prospect on your cell phone, never do it while in motion. Pull over and make the call from the side of the road. Sales concentration is not possible while avoiding red lights.
Don’t make sales calls in front of other people.
Keep your business to yourself. There is nothing worse than the big-shot type who calls prospects while dining with others or from crowded places.
FOLLOW-UP must always be your commitment
By following-up with people you call on, you will move far ahead of your competition. There is no part of the selling bible that has been torn apart more than the failure of salespeople to come back to the people they pitch. By planning and actively pursuing a set pattern of follow-up, you will be mining the sales gold mine. Don’t miss out on the treasure by forgetting to get back to people in a timely manner.