Do You Put Off Selling? Feel Like You're Pestering People? Having Trouble Getting Through? Would You Get The Same Results Talking To Your Shoe As You Do On The Phone?Whether you're in sales or not, the business you work in needs a constant flow of business.
And when you need more sales, the natural thing to do is sell. Perhaps by picking up the phone, calling a client, and asking them for an order.
A Neat Way Of Generating Goodwill And Sales WITHOUT Selling
Quite simply, don't sell. You don't always need to. And if all you ever do when you speak to a client and prospect is ask for a sale, how long will it take before they stop taking your calls?
And that's the big mistake people make. In fact nowadays, many people I speak to are becoming increasingly desperate.
They are associating sales activity with sales (quite naturally).
But goodwill can soon evaporate.
A very good example of non-sales activity that sells, is saying thanks. If you had the time, you'd ring all your customers 2, 3 or maybe 4 times a year just to say "thanks" for being a loyal customer.
But that isn't always possible no matter how good your intentions are. For a start, you won't get through to them all, so some of your customers will remain unthanked.
Quite naturally, because deep down you know you won't get through, and because more important things like closing sales get in the way, you may not even bother.
What Happens When You Say Thank You?
Have you ever had a letter or email from someone you've bought something from saying thanks?
Even if you haven't imagine receiving a thank you from a supplier. A simple "thanks for your custom" message without asking for anything else.
How did (or would) you feel? I bet you'd feel a little different.
Now imagine that came from someone like a stationery supplier, your accountant, the people who supply your mobile phones...in fact anyone you buy from.
Would you be more or less likely to stick with a supplier who appreciates you?
And that's the primary goal or a simple thank you message. To genuinely tell your customers you appreciate them.
The Knock-On Effects
I listened to Drayton Bird relating a story about a bank who did a test on saying "thanks". They examined two lots of clients. One lot has received a thank you letter. The other hadn't.
I forget the percentage, but when they looked at the level of repeat business a few months later, they discovered they had sold significantly more products to those they had thanked.
And that's a pretty useful side-effect. If your business relies upon repeat business, just saying thanks can remind people you're still there. Rather than ordering from a competitor, you're more likely to receive a call with some business.
And I've seen "thank you" letters and emails completely out-perform sales-based campaigns.
Action
You cannot lose anything but a little time doing something. Why not now? Or why not put a space in your calendar to spend a bit of time:
- Calling
- Emailing
- Or even writing a letter to your clients
Just say something simple like:
Sue,
Just a quick note to say a big thank you for your continued custom. Myself and the team get busy making sure you and all of our other clients get the best possible service that we sometimes forget to say thanks.
So again, "thank you!".
Your loyal custom is so much appreciated by us. Because of you sticking with us, we've been able to continue to invest in making sure you get the very best service we can deliver.
So please keep coming back. We won't let you down
Regards
Bob
So endeth this little tip.
