Sales people have a bad reputation. Why do you think this is? We have a bad reputation because industry wide the average sales person doesn't provide any service.
Service should be a simple part of a sales persons routine but in this day and age many sales people are out to make the 'quick buck' and they overlook the importance of providing good service to their prospective and existing customers.
Providing good service is simple, easy to do and doesn't require a lot of time or energy.
If you're a sales person this article will provide you with 7 simple ideas to revamp the service side of your day to day sales routine and ultimately help you close more sales in the long run because of your good service.
Step 1 - Schedule follow up calls
I recommend scheduling follow up calls with existing customers & prospective customers every month to three months. Follow up calls are a good thing to start because they show your customer that you care, give your customer the opportunity to bring problems they might be having with your service to your attention and if they are happy with your service give you the opportunity to ask for referrals. Follow up calls to prospective customers are also important especially to those prospective customers who tell you 'call me back in 3 months.
If you actually do call them back in 3 months not only will your persistence surprise them but also help you to be in the right place and right time when your prospective customer is ready to buy.
Step 2 - Schedule follow up emails
This step is very easy to do and can be easily automated if you purchase an auto responder program that will email your customer list for you periodically so you don't have to send out hundreds of emails to each individual customer.
Step 3 - Direct Mail
Direct mail adds a more personalized touch to the service process because it shows your customer that you took the time to mail them something instead of sending out endless emails that regularly end up in their spam folder. Most people are conditioned to delete spam email without even looking at it so at least with direct mail the customer will actually see your piece of mail before they either decide to read it further or throw it away.
Step 4 - Send a gift
If you send your current or prospective customer a gift this will make more of an impact on them because gifts are unexpected and if it's something tangible like a cool coffee cup with your logo, company pen, or other promotional item your company name will be in front of them regularly during their business day.
Step 5 - Take the time to listen
Most sales people these days don't take the time to listen to what their customer wants or needs because sales people would rather be closing sales and moving onto the next deal.
If you take the time to listen to what your customer is saying and even try saying two simple words "I understand" during the conversation your customer will appreciate the fact that you're listening to them and be more inclined to buy from you instead of the pushy, annoying sales person that keeps talking and doesn't bother listening to them
Step 6 - Give out your cell phone number
This is another easy to do and yet often overlooked tactic in the sales process. Why? Because many sales people don't want to be bothered at the close of the business day or on the weekend but what happens to the customer who works late night hours or weekends and isn't able to use your product? What if that customer can't get through to anyone in your office? If they have your cell phone number and can contact you I guarantee that you're going to be their new best friend and an example of stellar service when you help solve their problem. Most customers that I give my cell phone number to never call me. They just like knowing they can contact me if needed anytime day or night.
Step 7 - What else do they need?
If you take the time to listen to your customer you will find out that they have other needs that need to be served and these needs can be translated into more selling opportunities for yourself. Why have your customers purchase other products and services that they need from other companies when they can purchase them from you? Start asking your customers what their other needs are and start adding more products to sell to your sales arsenal and more revenue to your earnings each month.
