Today on The Sales Evangelist, we’re going to talk about the steps you can take to make sure that your customer doesn’t feel like you only cared about the sale.
Continue the relationship.
I understand the need to keep your pipeline fed. The numbers game says that the more doors you knock on, the more opportunities you have to close a deal.
I want you to understand the need to move your prospect into a role as a client who is a happy, raving fan. I want you to understand the long-term approach.
Especially in industries with long sales cycles, you develop a certain level of intimacy with your prospects. You know about her family, about her work situation, about many issues that are personal for her.
Now imagine that she has paid for your product, and she’s ready to start finding solutions and implementing the product, and you’re completely gone.
The truth is that everyone must focus on their area of expertise. The implementation team doesn’t want you micromanaging their part of the puzzle.
So how can you help your new customer transition to the next department without feeling forgotten?
Take small actions.
1. Prepare your new customer for the next step in the cycle. If the implementation team will take over and help them begin using your product, prepare her for what that might look like.
Give her a map of what to expect over the next few weeks.
2. Send some sort of acknowledgement as a “thank you” for the business. If your industry allows it, consider sending a gift of appreciation.
Let her know how much you appreciate her business.
3. During the on-boarding process, check in on a regular basis. Perhaps call once a week just to make sure that everything is going as expected.
Ask if there’s anything you can do to help move the process along.
4. Move the conversation from email to something else. If you continue your relationship on LinkedIn, you can provide a recommendation for your customer and she may just return the favor.
5. Do something nice for your customer “just because.” If you see a book that makes you think of her, send it with a note.
Besides, if you have an opportunity to upset or upgrade later, you want her to know that you’re still around.
Episode resources
Salespeople can be leaders instead of being subservient. Our friends at Wiley have provided a free excerpt of the book Stop Selling & Start Leading which provides a blueprint to help sales professionals lead in the way that customers prefer. Read an excerpt of the book here.
After you’ve tried some of the ideas here, I’d love to hear how they worked for you. Email me and let me know what your results were.
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