Have you ever had to sit and wonder whether someone will be contacting you, paying you, coming through on promises… and did it cause additional stress in your life?
The following topics, regarding open communication, will set you apart in all of your endeavors for the better. A key factor to recognize is that when you are able to eliminate stress in your prospects’ eyes, you will enjoy a larger clientele. On a side note, you are encouraged to do a self-examination of how you rate on the topics discussed below.
Punctuality
When you promise to arrive at a certain time or deliver by a specific date, it is your obligation to either do so, or forewarn the other party well ahead of time as to why you are unable to do so with a reasonable explanation included. Then ask permission to proceed. Should a new date be required, ask for a longer time period than you actually believe you need in order to avoid another delay. Two times in a row of being late will deter future business. Asking for forgiveness once is almost always granted.
Honest Dialogue
Throughout the sales cycle, be of the mindset to not hide weaknesses. Instead, be forthright and suggest other ways in which you compensate and override the perceived shortcoming. Then ask if your way for delivery will still satisfy needs. Upon hearing a “Yes”, you have one of 3 mini buy-ins needed to hear Sold!
Follow-through
Deliver everything as anticipated by asking upfront for all expectations of you. When all appears reasonable, deliver as expected, and on time. Make certain nothing is missing, and possibly surpass what was expected. Once everything is finalized, check in for level of satisfaction.
Search for Root Cause of Problems
Problems invariably arise during or after transactions. Focusing on the root cause to correct the situation produces a grateful clientele.
It is said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again without seeing desired results.” Retrace your steps to learn where the difficulty began in order to avoid the same in the future. The more refined and well practiced this becomes, the more prominent will be your personal brand.
As you become more open minded to refine your practices, increased possibilities will be presented to you. Embracing the idea of resolving issues in order to advance your progress will soon have you leveraging all that is possible.
Follow-up
After the sale, and after fixing problems, keep the other party up to date on your company news, and make inquiries regarding theirs. By sharing status reports, you have a friendlier business relationship. This makes it easier in the long run for developing future business.
Appreciation
Thank everyone involved for helping you to achieve either the sale both verbally and with a handwritten note. The appreciation doubles as you come across as seemingly easy to work with and a team player.
Open communication is a key sales strategy for earning a long-term clientele along with referrals and testimonials ~ the definition of
The Smooth Sale!
Thoughtful Leadership:
