SELLING IS ABOUT 8 SIMPLE STEPS AND A LOT OF DISCIPLINE (Do it and business will grow a minimum of 15%…Guaranteed)
By Jim Hernandez
This is the seventh article based on a four part selling cycle that is further broken down into eight major steps.
The four areas focus on How to Find, Sell, Close and Keep More Customers. We will continue the series discussing step 7 of 8:
PART 4 – How to Keep More Customers
STEP 7 – Delivery
This is the moment for your customer. They have signed the contract, placed the order or handed over their money, and now your ability to really convert them from a customer to a loyal client is largely determined right here. You made the sale, they are buying from you, so how are you going to show them how much you care? How important are you going to make them feel? I can remember when we purchased our first home. The realtor had us pick up our keys for the home from her secretary and she never spoke to us afterward. It was a starter home and it felt as though she no longer had time for us. Therefore when you deliver whatever you sell, it is essential to make a memorable impression. You need to think, “am I going to make the person feel important?” For example, at Emeril’s upscale restaurant, they set down everyone’s dishes at the exact same moment; an automotive service department will give your car back impeccably washed and vacuumed at no cost; and the sales clerk at Tiffany & Co. or Nordstrom will walk around the counter to hand you your purchase and say “thank you.” Even if you are handing off a contract, making the client feel important is critical when building a relationship with them.
When delivering properly, you need to have the following to make sure it works every time:
- HAVE A PLAN – Think about how you will deliver what you sell. Everything in the world that people sell gets delivered, but some just do it better than others. Depending on what you sell, incorporate time to make them feel important, especially if the item is of high importance in their lives.
- TRAIN – Make sure that everyone in your organization understands the importance of how they make a customer feel every time you deliver something.
- INSPECT – As a manager and consultant, I am always observing how businesses deliver their goods and services to customers. Do they make it convenient for the customer? Do they show care? What is the customer’s reaction every time they receive their purchase?
- ASK FOR FEEDBACK – Getting feedback from a customer immediately after they have done business with you will help you learn how well you are doing in the entire sales process, but more importantly, reacting to that feedback is often key to keeping that customer. If you want to see a solution that can help you with this, take two minutes to watch http://sbcinc.info/oozeit.
The best tip I can offer for an excellent delivery is to never stop asking your customers how you can do it better. I have delivered services and products of various kinds, and how you make the customer feel is very important. Whether it is Business-to-Business or Business-to-Customer, never forget how essential this sometimes simple step is.
Look out for the next step, Follow Up – it is the step in selling that the most successful salespeople in the world are better at than anyone else.
