How many ways are there to express your appreciation and show your customers you love 'em? That's up to you. Just as Paul Simon suggested that there are "50 ways to leave your lover," there are countless ways to show your sincerity to the relationship. Let's consider a few: a simple phone call, a note on their invoice or delivery box, a delivery of balloons, cookies, chocolates, a fruit basket, a lottery ticket, a corporate treat (logo'ed pens, hats, shirts, note pads, golf balls, etc.) a gift certificate for two at an upscale restaurant, a copy of this book, (yes, that was a pitch, I couldn't resist!) or any other publication or magazine, tickets to a sporting or community event, the list goes on. Highlight any that may have triggered some ideas to pursue with your customers. "We love you and appreciate your business" should show in your every deed, because business usually stays where it's appreciated.
Read More..Ten Follow-Up Letters
Don't underestimate the power of the humble thank-you note. Thank-you notes clearly indicate to the recipients that you've made an effort to think about them and thank them for their support. Consider the last time you received a handwritten invitation or note of thanks. Feels good, doesn't it? You can use thank-you notes for a variety of occasions. They confirm your commitment and help solidify your business relationship, making it more difficult for your competitors to replace you. Use handwritten notes for just about any situation or occasion. I offer you these ten suggestions for follow-up notes. Feel free to modify or tailor these notes to your specific situation. I offer these as guidelines only.
- After a purchase. Thank you for giving me the opportunity of providing you with the benefits of our product. I am confident that you will be happy with your investment and I will endeavor to offer excellent follow-up service. I do appreciate your support.
- A first meeting. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I enjoyed our visit and the opportunity to learn more about your business. I look forward to our next meeting.
- Telephone contact. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me on the telephone.You'll soon receive all the information we discussed. I look forward to following up with you next week to discuss the details of our proposal and the possibility of a win-win agreement.
- After a presentation/demonstration. Thank you for the opportunity to showcase our products and services to you (and to your committee). My presentation highlighted the key benefits of our product and outlined the mutual benefits of an association of our firms. I look forward to our follow-up meeting next Wednesday at 2:30 PM. See you then.
- A turndown or they buy from someone else. Thank you for taking the time to analyze my proposal. I regret being unable, at this time, to demonstrate our capabilities. However, we are constantly responding to our customers' expectations and to new trends, developments, and changes in our industry. Thus, I will keep in touch with the hope that in the near future we will be able to do business. This classy tactic clearly shows your professionalism and encourages the customer to seriously consider you for next time. A great tactic to become #2.
- A gatekeeper. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to meet with Mr. Smith. Our meeting was productive and there may be an opportunity for our companies to do business. I will let you know how things work out.
- A referral. Thank you for the valuable referral. I look forward to meeting with Ms. Jones. You can rest assured that I will exercise the same level of professionalism that I have with you. I will let you know how things work out.
- A turndown but they offer to give a referral. Thank you for your generous offer to provide me with a referral. I am saddened to hear your immediate plans do not include us but I will keep you posted on new services that may benefit you.
- An anniversary. Thank you. It's with pleasure that I send this note on the one-year anniversary of your patronage. Your support is appreciated—clients like you contribute to our success. I have enclosed an update on our latest advancements and I'll give you a call next week to discuss them further.
- A cold call. Thank you for making the time to chat with me when I visited your office recently. I learned a great deal about your business needs and expectations. I look forward to following up with your people next week. I'll stay in touch.
Follow these six suggestions to maximize the impact of your note:
- Handwritten. Personalize it with your own handwriting. If your penmanship is sloppy, write slower.
- Don't use company letterhead. Buy some nice stationary that doesn't scream "business letter." It must be a personal gesture.
- Handwrite the envelope too. Personalize the whole package.
- Buy stamps. Use a stamp. Don't put it through a mailing machine. A typed envelope with a corporate stamp on it takes away from the personal touch. It also looks lazy.
- Include your business card. It clearly indicates who this note is from. A handwritten note simply signed by you may cause confusion or uncertainty as to the sender. Your customer may not know you all that well—yet.
- Don't expect a response. Although it may seem your efforts have gone unnoticed, your customers do appreciate it. In these busy times, customers simply don't have time to pick up the phone and thank you. I once sent a note and heard nothing back but the next time I made a call my note was displayed on her credenza.
Business will stay where it's appreciated.
Ask: How have I demonstrated my appreciation?
Read More..
Follow-Up: You Never Call or Write Anymore
Have you ever heard that line? I have. Your parents and friends sometimes say it to you, but your customers have a different way of saying it. Customers complain with their feet; they walk. If a customer ever says it or suggests it, you had better pay attention. It could be the death knell for your relationship.
Effective follow-up after confirmation and successful negotiation means going that little bit extra for your customer. The little things often move a relationship forward. The result is a win-win-win-win. The win for you is anchoring a solid client, a source of referrals, and second-selling opportunities within an existing account. When we treat our customers with respect and appreciation we feel good about ourselves. At the same time, our customers feel good about working with us. A long-term business relationship is forged.
It's a fact that customers will forget you within 27 days. Your parents might even forget you every couple of months. You have worked hard through Steps #1 to #9 and now it's time to use all your resources and tools to protect your newly acquired asset. You must build a fortress of loyalty to keep the watchful eye of your competitors out. I have often said that getting the first sale is easy. It's getting the repeat orders that truly validates your performance as a sales entrepreneur.
Keeping your customer happy and satisfied requires conscious effort. It is part of the ongoing process of assessment, feedback, and reassessment that makes you continually responsive to your customer. It's difficult to coordinate the pursuit of new customers while servicing and growing existing accounts. I think this anonymous quote says it well: "A relationship will deteriorate over time. A natural tendency of any relationship (business or marriage) is toward erosion of sensitivity and attentiveness. It requires a solid effort against the forces of decline." A powerful statement indeed.
Follow this reading to continue:
Ten Follow-Up Letters
I Still Love You
Customers Don't Shoot the Messenger
We no longer live in times where they behead the messenger, although I'm sure that on occasions customers are tempted. In the eyes of customers, the salesperson is ultimately responsible for seeing that the product or service is delivered when promised. If problems arise when filling an order (and this is not unusual), customers should be informed promptly. The progress of the order or any possible back orders should also be monitored and communicated to the customer so that if something goes wrong alternative arrangements can be made. Customers may not jump for joy at the news, but they will certainly appreciate the opportunity to take corrective action.
Customers can become disgruntled for a number of reasons, most of which turn out to be minor when handled properly, tactfully, and in a timely manner. Dealing with panic-stricken customers demanding instant satisfaction can be an emotionally draining exercise. These intolerable nuisances, if left unresolved, can easily and quickly escalate into a mountainous catastrophe. Unfortunately, human beings tend to focus on the negative—what went wrong versus what went right. Your phone call will go a long way to prevent the proverbial poop from hitting the fan. Be the bearer of bad news before your customers call you. When you call they will be easier to manage, but when they call it's too late—they're in no mood to listen to your blamefest.
Monitoring order processing and other after-sales activity is critical to developing a partnership. A Purchasing Magazine study indicated that failure to follow through after the sale was the second-biggest complaint of buyers. What was the first one? Talking too much.
Many specific activities are essential to ensure customer loyalty and satisfaction. Sales entrepreneurs must be jugglers. Continue to build trust, monitor proper usage, assist in servicing the account, and provide expert guidance and assistance. Adopting an empathetic attitude to a real or imaginary problem cannot be overemphasized.
My People Need to Talk to Your People
All parties must understand their roles and responsibilities and work in harmony for a smooth implementation. It's a good idea for both you and your customer to identify all parties involved in the implementation: "This is what I'll do, within this time frame, and these are the people to involve." Parties involved may include management, operations, accounting, manufacturing, engineering, shipping/receiving, inventory control, technical people, delivery people, and so on. You can't do it alone, so draw on the strengths of your internal customers and your customer's people to ensure a smooth, speedy, hassle-free implementation. With all parties working in harmony, the story of these four people becomes a reality:
This is the story of four people: Everybody, Anybody, Somebody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Nobody was sure that Anybody would do it but instead Somebody did it. Nobody got angry because it was Anybody's job. There was no need for Nobody to blame Anybody—Somebody did the job Anybody could have done. Nobody made excuses but Everybody was satisfied.
Communication at the best of times is fraught with uncertainty, biases, and individual perceptions. Effective communication is a topic onto its own. Poor communication often results in costly oversights and mistakes. Communication is a very delicate, fragile process. As responsible sales entrepreneurs, we need to ensure an effective exchange of information.
For larger, more sophisticated deals, I suggest both parties safeguard themselves against the normal pitfalls of communication and consider drafting a letter of intent or a letter of agreement. I don't mean a legal document that requires hiring a lawyer at $50 for every three minutes, I simply mean putting a letter together on your company letterhead outlining the logistics of the deal. Who is doing what and by when? You and your customer can review it for accuracy and completeness, signing your respective copies.
Part of your responsibilities also include avoiding, or at least minimizing, user error. To do so you must evaluate your customer's abilities, technical or otherwise, and recommend training if necessary. Research suggests that up to 30% of the time customers are wrong. Reported product and service problems resulted from customer error, product misuse, or failure to read the instructions. Customers do screw up, but as professionals we have to allow them to maintain dignity. It takes a strong attitude to let certain things go while biting your tongue. You must also make your customer aware of the break-in period, the time required to fully appreciate the benefits of your product or service. This may not be apparent initially. True happiness will only come once everyone is using your product correctly.
Create an action plan.
Ask: What are my implementation strategies?
Action Plan: Implementation
Congratulations on your successful negotiation. The customer said yes, you reached a win-win-win-win agreement, and now it's time to take action. This is what you have been working so hard to achieve, the opportunity to showcase your company and your product, and to deliver on all the benefits and promises you presented earlier. However, in many ways, your job is just beginning. Just as in a marriage the, "I do" should be, "I will do."Your customers have high expectations—don't let them down. In fact, the more they spend, the higher their expectations. People expect their purchases to be perfect and hassle-free.
Surprisingly, the details of an effective action plan are often overlooked in the euphoria of finally anchoring the deal. Nevertheless, your role now is to quarterback all the activities necessary for a smooth, seamless implementation rather than race to the car, dig out a calculator and excitedly work out your commission and/or bonus. It's important that you identify and delegate responsibilities to ensure a timely, hassle-free delivery of your solution. A big part of what your customer just purchased is peace of mind about a worry-free delivery. Customers need to feel they have made a wise, intelligent investment. Initially they may feel a little uneasy, insecure about their decision. After all, you have convinced them to embrace change.
In this section you will read:
My People Need to Talk to Your People
Customers Don't Shoot the Messenger
Low of 10 Options
A few years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Jim Rohn, an international motivational speaker, speak at a sales conference in Calgary. One of his many suggestions was to be guided in life, and in sales, by the Law of Ten Options. His point is this: with a cancellation or postponement of an event, there are always ten other options—ten alternatives to consider. For example: if you and your spouse had planned an evening out with the Jones but at the last minute they gracefully declined due to sickness, you now have ten options to consider—go see a movie, see a play, visit other friends, clean the garage, read a book and so on. All is not lost because of a sudden change in plans. The first five or six options may present themselves quite readily, whereas the final three or four may require some creative thinking—perhaps even some alternatives outside your comfort zone. It works well. My wife and I often discuss our ten options and frequently come up with options that are as enjoyable or more enjoyable than the original cancelled event.
Rohn's law can be applied to all situations and it can be particularly useful in pursuing the spirit of creative negotiation. Have some fun with it. Anyone with teenagers will immediately understand how effective it can be—teenagers exercise the Law of Ten Options on a daily basis.
Negotiation is not a game with a single objective but rather one step in building effective long-term relationships. It is only one of the ten steps in your Sequential Model but it can be the pivotal point in your relationship and your success. During negotiation you forge an agreement—like taking the relationship from a courtship to a marriage. "Will you marry me?" may not be your actual request but your final confirmation (the five magic words) certainly suggests the commitment and responsibilities of a marriage.
One of the surest ways to successful negotiation is to be well prepared. It's essential, but planning is often overlooked in the excitement of approaching the finish line. It's like training and conditioning to run a marathon but then running out of steam at the 24-mile mark. So many salespeople come close to the finish line but fail to complete the race because of a lack of training and preparation. We cannot afford to ignore the dire consequences of inadequate preparation. Planning is not an isolated step of your Sequential Model but is a prerequisite to successful graduation of each and every step—including creative negotiation.
The skills outlined in this chapter will help you to build confidence and reach your business and personal objectives. Understand not only how to negotiate, but when. Review the five principles regularly and continue to fuel your confidence to not only run a good marathon, but to finish it.