Sales trainers do not have drive-thru windows. Our offerings take time and, quite frankly, are worth the wait. Everyone, however, is in a rush. So, to serve those of you who want sales success, but want it RIGHT NOW, I offer the following three menu-of-ideas items for building some sales volume.
1. Connect—Your fastest sale is with the client you already have. When is the last time you did an account review? If you are assuming you already have that customer locked up, you might want to start looking for its replacement because that thought process is deadly.
Why not research your existing accounts and see where they are going. Sign up for a Google Alert and keep informed of what they are up to.
What about making May the, “I’m going to make sure everyone knows I sell > so that I never have to hear the six most feared words —‘I didn’t know you did that!’— again.”
Finally, speaking of assumptions, why not check on customer reorders and call them instead of waiting for them to call you. Reexamine the assumptions that made that particular solution the best one and remind the client why they buy from you.
2. Reconnect—Any account that you have not heard from in, say, six months should be considered “dead” and therefore worthy of a phone call. The number one reason why we lose a customer is neglect. A related thought (and the subject of next week’s sales tip) is to check on lost bids.
OK, sure, you didn’t get that order in January, but how did it go? What an extraordinary phone call to make: “Hi, I was just checking to see how that run went. Were you completely satisfied with your choice? Can we talk about a better solution?”
3. Pursue—Are you actively pursuing referrals? How are your networking skills? Are you tapping into every vein you possibly can? Have you considered the similarities between existing accounts? Are there any verticals among them that you could attack? Finally, are you asking your existing clients about new technologies in OUR industry? It doesn’t cost anything to establish the need before signing up for a new piece of equipment.
Sorry to hear that you are in a rush. Please pull forward to the first window. Thanks for stopping by. Perhaps you ought to be visiting our sister restaurant. It’s speciality is time management. I’m not saying you are looking a bit chunky in that area, but...
Bill’s Sales Challenge program starts Wednesday May 4. Check it out at www.AspireFor.com.
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Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.