According to Jay Conrad Levinson, 68% of all business lost in America is lost to apathy after the sale. We are in essence ignoring our clients to death.

Here are a few suggestions so you can reduce that risk!

1) Say”thank you” creatively and often: Make sure you’re sending a handwritten thank you within 24-48 hours of every order you deliver. Has your boss and/or top management expressed gratitude to your client? Think we can express too much gratitude? Think again! William James once said “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated” Who the hell are we to argue with a dead dude who had a knack for saying some great sh*t?
2) Follow Up: Are you calling to follow up? Are you making sure everything arrived on time and in one piece? Are you taking their temperature to make sure they’re happy or are you waiting for them to complain or disappear? Be proactive!

Stop trying to meet client expectations and start focusing on how you can provide them with a “Wow” Don’t know? Why not ask?

Here’s a thought . . . ask your customer, right now, how you can provide them with a “Wow”!

3) Inform your client within 90 days of a similar product or service. It’s a no brainer that we can easily become pigeonholed and limit our opportunities if we don’t educate our clients. We can also lose business because someone else comes along showing how they can provide a one source solution. Think about it, buyers are stretched thin these days because of downsizing.  Aside from conversations with your clients, consider using a newsletter, “Did you know” style fact sheet or one with attitude like I did. Click here to check it out.

4) Account Review: Every 90 – 180 days. This is where I believe we’re missing the boat big time! Hopefully, when we initially met to discuss doing business, we did a thorough needs analysis, but how long ago was that? Even so, business moves at the speed of light, and I guarantee you that something changed and they have new challenges and new opportunities.

Oh,  and since the world seems to be keeping us in a “virtual” electronic relationship, there’s no downside in showing your pretty (or handsome) face with a good old fashioned, “real time” meeting. During the account review you should be showing how your product or service has impacted their business, doing the equivalent of an exam on the client, checking overall satisfaction, sharing new products or services etc. While you are there, when was the last time you toured your client’s facility? When was the last time they toured yours?

Your Turn . . .

What’s missing from this list? What can we add?

Please reach out to me if I can be of help to you in any way paul@yoursalesplaybook.com

Attention Sales Leaders . . .

We have an online Sales Management course that will be kicking off on November 28th. Please click here for all the details!