After many hours of wooing a customer, you’ve finally gotten them to agree to do business with you. But, even if you have a signed contract, they could still slip away. Here’s what you need to do to be sure the deal stays sealed.
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 it does not mean that 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. 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.
I know this sounds like an elementary concept but most sales people think of doing this. 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 you’re your competition. You can also use postcards. The key is to show your new customer that you value his or her business and thanking them is just one small gesture that demonstrates this.
Keep them informed about things like delivery or shipment status and installation dates and schedules. If you sell a highly customized product, make sure you advise them on the progress of the development of their product. Frequency of updates will depend on a few factors.
This includes articles, magazine and newspaper clippings, or other information that is relevant to their business. You could send them 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 newspaper article about their company-clip this article and send it your client. It does not matter if they have already read the article because your gesture shows that you are paying attention to their business. And most sales people 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.
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 a book that will help improve their 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 this book.
The easiest way to do this is to send them 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 so just imagine the impact if they heard a voice mail message from one of your clients stating how satisfied they were with your product, service or solution.
These may sound like simple concepts. However, I can guarantee that very few sales people 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.
Related Articles
5 Tips For Closing The Sale On Your E-Commerce Site
by Team ZenBusiness, on October 28, 2024
5 Ways to Save Money as an Online Seller
by Team ZenBusiness, on November 08, 2024
How to Lose the Sale, Quickly and Easily
by Team ZenBusiness, on November 05, 2024
4 Secrets for Selling Value Instead of Price
by Team ZenBusiness, on November 07, 2024
How to Sell Without Selling
by Team ZenBusiness, on November 06, 2024
10 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Selling
by Team ZenBusiness, on November 25, 2024
The “5 Guys” Fries Trick That Will Blow Your Mind (And Sales!)
by Team ZenBusiness, on November 14, 2024
Start Your LLC Today