ALLBUSINESS.COM: RETAINING CLIENTS: THE NON-BUSINESS BUSINESS CALL
AllBusiness.com’s John Mongillo suggests salesmen familiarize themselves with the non-business business call 30 minutes a day. Just call your client to see what’s new in their world. It can make a big difference and develop your relationship.
AllBusiness.com Excerpt:
You’re a salesperson. You dial Bill the client, he picks up, and you identify yourself.
What flashes through Bill’s mind?
Does he mentally sigh and think, “What’s this guy going to sell me today?”
Surprise, Bill! Nothing. That’s right, I’m going to sell you nothing today.
Salespeople are always thinking of ways to retain clients and to generate more revenue, but they don’t always think of the client first. Instead, they place their call and jump right into the pitch, never bothering to ask what the client’s been up to. Instead, it’s all about I-Me-Mine, and don’t think for a moment that Bill doesn’t see this. It’s as clear as day, and depending on his mood it can be a big turnoff.
I know what you’re thinking. We’re salespeople, we’re supposed to be dialing and pitching and closing. True. But how about dedicating twenty to thirty minutes a day to what is known as the non-business business call, the “friendly” call? During that dedicated time you can reach out to your best clients, the ones who help you pay the mortgage.
Is this time well spent? Well, number one, it’s not a lot of time, and it’s not really a lot of calls. Ten calls a day. That’s fifty calls a week. Two hundred calls a month. Twenty-four hundred calls a year. Aren’t your clients worth this extra attention? And if you’re targeting prospects, don’t you know think you’ll be able to convert some of them. Absolutely.