Black Sales Journal

We all have situations that demand it, and we all know the perils of not doing it.  Regardless, many sales professionals are still not adept, or consistent with their follow-up.  This is not a long topic, but it is an important one.

Many professionals, sales and otherwise, do not do proper follow-up after a sales call.  This is true of a prospecting follow-up, sales call follow-up, presentation follow-up, or any other type. After doing the hard work of prospecting, a sales professional will then risk negating that work by not doing timely and well thought out follow-up.

When I speak of this, I speak of the perfunctory sales calls as well as the questions that come up following any of the types of calls above.

Two Examples of Proper Usage

Follow-up, when done properly, can create the necessary evidence of professionalism.  Remember, if you don’t follow-up, the professional that consistently communicates like this will stand out.

Following the initial visit

This one requires a quick, almost instant response to the buyer.  I would say that you should do it within two days or less.  This is your chance to say how much you appreciated the buyer’s time as well as the opportunity to work with him or her.  I would keep it short and sensible.

If during the visit you came away with a listing of “to do” items, or some other things to check on, don’t hold the correspondence until you get them done.  They can be fodder for another note.  The key is to let the customer know that you are looking forward to providing solutions.  Here is some simple wording:

“Mr. Buyer, I appreciate the time you have taken to show me your operation and explain your (packaging, telecommunications, insurance, transportation, etc) needs to me.  I look forward to our meeting as we agreed on Monday, September 1^st to share the proposal with you.  If you have any questions or concerns prior to that, please contact me.

Sincerely, Sales Professional”

Remember why you are composing this note.  You want to make sure that he recognizes that you appreciate his or her time.  You also want to make sure that you reinforce the proposal date, and that if there are any changes or concerns that he or she touches base with you.

You could put together an epic memo, yet the idea is to make sure that you reinforce the meeting and your appreciation.

Following a Proposal

This one is very important.  If a buyer is getting four proposals, then there are four different sales professionals, attempting to make their mark with him.  They may even be getting more than four proposals and then your initial call may be less memorable.

Your goal is to have the customer to remember the importance of working with a true sales professional (you), along with some of the most important features and benefits of your product and your company.  Here is your chance to list the most important points succinctly so that they can be remembered.

Here is an example:

“Mr. Buyer, thanks for the opportunity to show you what ABC Company can do for your organization.

We are prepared to begin supplying your 14 Eastern State division with cartons if we are selected, and will begin the process of quoting your Southern division with the information you supplied to us.

Please keep these important points in mind:

• We are a nation-wide organization – able to supply all 5 divisions, coast-to-coast.
• Our “Flex” Pricing Program will deliver the lowest costs overall for cartons regardless of the volume in any particular division
• Our just-in-time delivery will save you 6% in inventory costs

I look forward to working with you, and I will use my 18 years of packaging experience to keep your packaging program “state of the art.”  Do not hesitate to call if there are questions regarding our proposal.

Sincerely, Sales Professional”

Notice here supporting the features with some bullets just to reinforce your sales points and getting a final shot in about yourself.

Degrees of Formality

Effective letter writing is essentially a lost art out there, but there are times when you should consider it.  If you make an election to write someone an email follow-up note, follow the same rules that a letter would follow:

• Keep it short and to the point
• Know and respect your level of familiarity with the customer/buyer
• Always be professional

If you are awarded the business, which is the “grand prize” then I think you proceed to use the fine stationary or card to send a personal note of appreciation.  You might want to take a look at Black Sales Journal 2/3/2011 Make Yourself Memorable to explore this.  It carries a significant amount of power and effectiveness.

The follow-up letter is a useful tool to keep close during the sales process.  Don’t let someone forget you, and don’t be overshadowed in the sales process.

Your comments are always welcome.

There are always gambits and tactics that you could learn from the best sales professionals.  Some of these useful tools might present ways to become more effective and some might be ways to be more persuasive.  Whatever the thrust is, there are procedures that are working for some of the highest earning sales professionals out there, and you would be missing something not to try them.

The best sales professionals have benefited from learning these things from others as well, although some of them have worked hard to construct the tactics.  I am a believer that the tactics are “fair game”, and the best will feel flattered that they are being ‘copied’.

12 Lessons You Can Learn and Benefit From

We all have certain tricks of the trade.  The best sales professionals have some rather simple ones that they brag about.  I think that the ease is in knowing them, and that they can be effective. You will need to remember and practice them, as they don’t necessarily come naturally.

Remember that you are not without your own time-proven gambits, yet these can supplement anything that you have been doing.

• Before You Leave – Secure the Next Appointment
• Each Meeting Have an “Action” in Mind
• Be an Effective Listener
• Know When to Say “I don’t know”
• Be an Expert
• Recognize that Rejection is Part of Sales
• Show a Personality
• Always be Dressed for Business
• Have multiple “touch points” at Each Customer
• Prospect Every Single Day
• Develop Deep Enduring Relationships
• Be Responsive

Before You Leave – Secure the Next Appointment – Never walk out without the next chapter being planned.  One of my favorite sales authors, Stephan Schiffman (101 Successful Sales Strategies, 2005 Adams Media), makes this suggestion about the first call.  I certainly suggest it for a first appointment, yet suggest as well for much of the early going with a customer.  End each session setting up the next encounter.

Each Meeting Have an “Action” in Mind – Know your end game for each session.  Make sure that you have an action step in each meeting.  Your update to the customer keeps you in contact, and keeps things moving along

Be an Effective Listener – The best sales professionals let the client talk.  They ask open-ended questions that generate complete thoughts and answers.  They let the client completely finish those answers before giving their input.  Then…they listen! Customers know when you are listening, and they appreciate it.

Know When to Say “I don’t know” – No customer expects that you will have an answer for every problem during your call or meeting.  It is safe to say that you don’t know.  Follow-up is the key, be responsive and do your research.

Be an Expert – You all know my sentiments about being an expert.  It is that angle that you can take which can define you in the future.  Everyone needs expertise in some particular area, and once they have it, the recognition and acclaim begins to flow.  Whether it is an industry, geography, or a product, you should recognize that “expert power” is effective and can mesmerize a customer in addition to giving the requisite value.

Recognize that Rejection is Part of Sales – A sales professional does not take rejection personally.  The Black sales professional needs to be able to separate rejection in the sales process from preference and prejudice.  They are different!  Rejection is part of the process, and the more you have rejection, the more you are able to determine its common nuances,  Don’t sweat it.

Show a Personality – Don’t put on a show, but show that you are a human being.  If the only thing the customer/prospect thinks is that you want his check, you have missed an opportunity.  Remember to be personable, not personal.

Always be Dressed for Business – Dress as if you are serious, and always dress for the part.  Business dress is your “uniform”.  Don’t find yourself being lulled into dressing down as you are on a mission.

Have multiple “touch points” at Each Customer – The “deeper” your contact points go into a customer, the more assured that you can be of having an “ear” in an organization.  When there is change in your customer’s organization, you will appreciate this suggestion.  Know more than one solid contact in each of your customer’s organization.

Prospect Every Single Day – Every single day you should be preparing for the future.  Prospecting is not the sole source of new business prospects, but it is most effective use of your time on a daily basis.  It needs to be a planned routine and it needs to consistently be executed.  Only then can the “law of large numbers” work for you.  Religiously execute the prospecting plan.

Develop Deep Enduring Relationships – Everyone that most of us sell to is a current customer and a potential repeat customer.  Relationships “rule” in the end and can change “preference” as two whom one prefers to do business with.  Develop relationships with a purpose, and work at them.  If you are truthful, and give value, they will start to increase in depth.

Be Responsive – The best sales professionals are responsive to the highest degree.  They answer their phones, return missed calls methodically, respond to questions and do all follow-ups against the clock.  Responsiveness does not mean that you grant all wishes, but it gets answers so people can move to the next important item.  It is always appreciated, and creates an expectation that many sales professionals cannot match.

I know that there are probably more things that could be learned, yet if you live by these simple rules you can generate more success.  If you are good at internalizing them, the difference will be reflected in a professional demeanor and the success should follow.

Maybe you are doing many of these, although maybe not all.  Try them and let me know the results.

We welcome your comments.