You've completed a sale. That's it. You're done!
Right?
Wrong.
Any good salesperson will tell you that you've only completed the first real step. An important step, definitely, but the following stages are the ones which will increase your sales exponentially.
Sales is an ongoing relationship. During the first part of your pipeline you have crafted and refined your relationship with your client. This relationship has ideally been built around your expertise on the subject and two-way communication, be it questions about the market or simple friendly banter. When your customer thinks about their product, they'll think of you.
This is a connection that you want to keep alive. There are a number of reasons for this:
If they ever have a problem with your product, you want them to come to you immediately.
This is a key to keeping the customer happy. This is the most obvious benefit to keeping in touch after the sale, but many businesses still do not actively keep in touch. They believe that customers will come to them with problems. This is, unfortunately, not always the case. Customers have busy lives, and if a problem arises, it's possible they will immediately begin looking for alternatives. Don't let it get that far by staying in touch with them.
Tip: After the sale, schedule yourself a task to follow-up in 2 months.
They will mention you when their friends are looking to buy
Your customers are not just your best advertisers, they're the only ones who actually pay you. They're also the most effective and reliable advertisements. If you have a product worth talking about, it will be talked about, I can assure you. People always want to make sure their friends get the best of the best, and they always like being the one to recommend the best of the best. This means that a great sale has the possibility of bringing in more sales, which can themselves bring in more sales, which continues indefinitely.
Tip: Ask customers if they know of anyone who may be interested in your product during the follow-up(s)
You can always improve your product. And they know how.
Since your customers are actually using your product, they are going to find where it's lacking. It may just be minor things, those which aren't problematic or damaging to efficiency. They might even be small enough issues that they still like your product plenty. But these points are valid, and may be deal-breakers for future customers. The thing is, you're not going to find out any of these issues unless you are still in contact with your customers. So be sure to talk to them and find out!
Tip: Send along feedback forms to your customers, asking them to be brutally honest.
As you can see, these are some major advantages to staying in touch after the sale. Customers who see that you care about your product will have a higher opinion of you, and your reputation will improve as a result.
It's not too late to start following up with your most recent sales! Go check in on them and make sure that they're happy. I assure you, you'll notice an improvement immediately.
Sign up to receive updates in your inbox