I found this last week and thought it was an excellent narrative of what a successful sales process entails. This is from RainToday.com:
The Anatomy of a Sale: A Step-by-Step Review of One Success Story
Let's call the client Sandy. She was first referred to me by an instructor in the professional training program she was taking. (Hint #1: Develop referral partnerships with other businesses and professionals who serve your clients.) Sandy called me in March to inquire about becoming a client. (Hint #2: Clients who are referred to you are often more ready to buy.)
I asked Sandy about her situation and what she needed, then told her how my services would help. (Hint #3: In a sales conversation, listen more than you talk.) We discussed the cost. (Hint #4: Communicate the benefits of working with you before quoting prices.) Sandy thought she would be ready to get started in June, so I asked to follow up with her then. (Hint #5: Get permission to follow up with prospects.)
I sent Sandy a copy of my print newsletter with a note summarizing our conversation. (Hint #6: Maximize every contact by following up promptly.) I called her at the beginning of June to see if she was ready to become a client. (Hint #7: Follow up when you say you will.)
Sandy returned my call with a voicemail message. It was the wrong time to get started; maybe six months from now would be better. But could she order a copy of my book? (Hint #8: Capture your expertise in a way clients can sample it before hiring you.) I mailed Sandy the book with a personal note and also sent her an email, suggesting we talk again in six months. (Hint #6 again.)
If I thought I could reach Sandy by phone, I would have called her, but she was a busy professional who sent every call to voicemail. (Hint #9: Use any available medium to make your follow-up contacts.)
Three months later, I sent Sandy another email, asking if I could subscribe her to my email newsletter. She responded by email saying yes. (Hint #10: Get permission before adding prospects to your email list.) Three months after that, I called her again. (Hint #11: Find a way to follow up with prospects at least once per quarter.)
Sandy replied by voicemail saying that things had changed for her, and she was no longer interested in working with me. She thanked me for keeping in touch. (Hint #12: Consistent follow-up makes you appear professional.) I left a voicemail reply thanking her for her interest and asked her to keep my services in mind for her colleagues. (Hint #13: Ask for referrals when prospects don't buy.)
I continued to send Sandy my email newsletter each month. Three months later, Sandy referred me a colleague, who became my client. I sent Sandy a thank you note for the referral. (Hint #14: Always thank your referral sources.) Later that same year, she referred me another colleague who also became my client, and I thanked her again.
Several months went by, and a third person in the same field contacted me, and became my client. My new client named someone I knew, but wasn't in touch with, as the person who referred her. I contacted the referrer to thank her, and discovered it was Sandy who had told her where to find me. (Hint #15: Find out who your referral sources really are.)
I thanked Sandy again. It was now two years from our initial contact. At this point, with no prompting from me, Sandy finally decided to become my client. (Hint #16: Following up still works even when no selling is involved.) The dollar value of my relationship with Sandy—the fees she paid me plus those of the people she referred—to date has totaled approximately $35,000.
In addition to the hints I've dropped while telling this story, there may be more to learn by asking yourself a few questions.
- Where in this process might you have given up?
- Would you have written Sandy off after she told you she wasn't interested?
- Might you have considered yourself a failure at selling because Sandy kept saying no for two years?
Notice that in all this time, Sandy and I had talked live only once. Do you stop trying when you can't reach people by phone?
Before she became my client, I sent Sandy a print newsletter, four handwritten notes, three personal emails, and eighteen email newsletters. I never did send her a brochure. Might you have sent Sandy a marketing packet after the first contact, and stopped there?
The next time you get discouraged because a client says he's "not ready" to get started, or you feel like follow up is a waste of time, remember Sandy. I contacted her twenty-five times over a period of two years. Each of the seven personal contacts took less than five minutes, and the eighteen email newsletters were sent by an autoresponder. Thirty-five minutes of follow-up resulted in $35,000 in sales. What do you think: Was it worth it?
C.J. Hayden is a Contributing Editor for RainToday.com. She is also the author of Get Clients NOW! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at Get Clients Now. You can reach C.J. by email at: coachcj@getclientsnow.com.
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