If you only rely on old steady customers to keep your business going then you won’t be able to expand or grow. Conversely if you only get new clients all the time and only do single projects for them then you’re really not fulfilling their needs and once the project is done they will go elsewhere.
Getting new business in the door and keeping existing clients happy and coming back for more is a huge part of sales and customer service and one of the keys to making your company successful.
You have to go beyond just selling your product or service and really becoming an adjunct to your client’s success. Becoming that “go to” resource in your field is a huge compliment and will keep you in the thoughts of your client long after the project is finished.
But how do you connect with a potential client? Firstly by answering their inquiry. Astonishing but true, there are salespeople out there that ignore client requests. A good example was when I first started working out, I gave my number to a gym staff person and they passed it on to a trainer. 2 weeks later and nothing. I went back and verified that my phone number had been shared but the trainer never called back. Something very basic but ignored is that you have to accommodate yourself to your client’s time table and if they come to you with an inquiry that timetable is now.
Next you need to listen to what the client wants, expects, and needs. Three very different things.
The client wants what they think will solve their problem. They may or may not have a good grasp of what that is. They may get good or bad advice as to what to get. You need to listen to them first to see what their frame of reference is.
They expect that whatever it is you sell will be a “turnkey solution”, something that will be easy to incorporate into their project and as foolproof as possible.
What they need from you is for you to use your knowledge and expertise to bridge the gap and give them your expert advice as to what you can provide and how that product or service will make their life a lot simpler and get their project off and running.
Once you have made the sale, your job isn’t finished. You have to tell the production team what you’ve sold, what the client’s level of expertise is, and you need to discuss the client with the production or account manager. Is the client an easy-going individual? An exacting taskmaster? Do they have special requirements or needs that have to be met? What sort of time line are they working on?
Here you enter a new phase in the sales process. Maintaining the client. Making sure that they’re satisfied with the end product and interacting with them to see if this met their expectations and needs. You can’t just walk away after the sale. This isn’t a grocery store or a fast food joint. If you expect to have that client return when they need your product or service then you need to make that client think of you and only you when the need arises again in the future.
Becoming that go to person is hard work and it does take a lot of effort but ultimately this is the key to growing and expanding your footprint in whatever field that you’re in.
Recent Comments