The Client Who May Cancel the Order

One of the disappointments sales executives face is dealing with a lost sale that is already "sold". After a tough competitive fight, you managed to get the competition dumped and negotiate a large contract increase that would start at the beginning of the following year. When January came and the big contract started to roll, you were pumped. But a month later, the company president was pushed out and replaced by a change-agent who immediately pronounced the company a financial disaster. Draconian budget slashing began, the company was completely restructured, and 25 percent of the entire staff was laid off. A minor detail to this carnage was that your contract was cancelled.

Avoid neglect
Most sales are lost not because of restructuring, but because of neglect. Furthermore, most sold business does not go with a bang, but with a whimper. Most sales executives, so-called rainmakers, have fun going after the new business close, and often neglecting the maintenance required of current business. Evaluate the following selling strategies to avoid neglecting your client and the possible cancellation of an order.

Selling Strategies

Keep the romance alive.
Many salespeople are motivated by the thrill of the kill that winning new business brings, but in many sales territories the largest gains are made by increasing existing business. It is easy to say that one needs to spend extra time romancing the business one already has, but the practical side of maintaining a romance is more about time than sincerity. Prioritize how much time should be spent on new versus existing business, aligning your priorities with company goals. Here are a few other tips for keeping the romance alive:

Use personal entertainment. Golf, sailing, a special dinner, we all know it works.
Contact the client and don't sell anything. A service call sends the message to the buyer that they are more than just another order. Follow-up on the first order, did it go smoothly, did it arrive on time, what can we do to improve our service, or give him a tip on using the new product that he may not have thought about himself.
Send handwritten notes. This is one of the most time effective ways to make a statement about how you care about your client. Send him an article, send him a note, or write a personal message on a birthday or holiday card.

Don't stop selling.
When I started working with Ann Belle Rosenberg of Video Systems magazine, I was almost embarrassed when we would go on joint presentations to good loyal clients. She would give them a hard sell as if they were only buying from her competition. But Ann Belle could see what was coming in the future. Over the course of a few years I noticed that her contracts seemed to stick where others did not. It did not matter that the people in the room were already sold. By overselling, the contracts she sold survived personnel changes, budget cuts, and industry downsizing. It may seem crazy to be selling to people that are already sold, but it’s only crazy like a fox.

Monitor your competition.
Defensive selling means using your ongoing relationship as leverage to keep competitors out. The essence of defensive selling is to routinely (and subtly) monitor the feelings of your client regarding your competition. Find ways to bring up your competitors in passing conversation, and do not make it the primary reason of your visit. If you spend more time talking about your competition that your product, you may be indirectly helping (and selling) your competitors product.

Sell defensively.
If you are monitoring your competitors, then you will hear about their upcoming new feature or pricing strategy, or new product or service enhancement, or something that will offer competitive value to what they are selling. Speak to your client by bringing up the new feature or product and ask whether your client views it as important. You do not have to mention that your competition has this feature, especially if the client does not already know about it. By keeping the conversation in the abstract, client defenses will be lower. You may offer a way the feature is not as valuable as it initially seems, or it is valuable and your company is working on a similar feature and will be available in three months. By having the inside track to your client and discussing the feature before your competition does, you will plant a defensive barrier that protects your business.

Check for romance decay.
You may think that you have spent enough time with your client, but it is hard to know every detail, and it's easy to misjudge some situations. Here are a few warning signs that your romance with your client may be going into decay:

You are given no details. No details are volunteered when asking about future business. Does the client not have the details, or does it not want to share details that could reveal bad news?
It's harder to get through on the telephone. Is the client just too busy, or just too busy to talk to you?
There's a change in your client's tone when you do get him on the telephone. Does your client sound as if your phone call is an inconvenience?
The client does not have time for a visit. Does the client not have time to see you, or is he not making the time available?

Say thank you.
If a client spends $2,000 with you, you may think that he is a small client, that he is getting a good product for a fair price, and that that is reward enough. The client may be thinking that they just gave you $2,000, and you did not even say thank you.
Think about taking the client out for a thank-you lunch, or sending a card, or just remember to always say those two words, for forgetting them can send a negative emotional message. END

Read more about Josh Gordon and how to contact him for more information. This article is adapted from Mr. Gordon's book Tough Calls (AMACOM, New York). Website: www.JoshGordon.net