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One of the best ways to enhance your career as a sales executive is to stay up-to-date with training. Sales Training offers you new ideas and techniques to become the sales guru in your field.

Sales Training Basics: Selling More Because You Follow Up


A Sales Training Primer: by Bob Beck - Sales Training PrimerA company called me last month, inquiring about my sales training programs. After a brief conversation, I agreed to provide them a proposal, and did so within three days. I also sent along a hand-written note, and explained that I enjoyed speaking with them and would be following up on the proposal within four days.

And then what happened? I actually did it. When I telephoned, the company representative sounded a bit surprised, he said, "I didn't expect to hear from you, everyone says they will follow up ... but you actually did."

Before hanging up, I arranged another time to call back and follow up on the status of the proposal.

And then what happened? I actually followed up again.

Eventually, I was awarded the business, so additional following up to close the sale was no longer necessary.

Something about this experience has stayed with me, though, as I think about how many times I have been hired, just because I continued to follow up.

Sales Training: Strategies For Making Following Up Easier


1. Start at the beginning
When you are discussing anything with a client, do not end that first conversation without some plan for following up. Get permission to contact them again in three or four days (or however long they need) and then, actually do it. As a trusted advisor your goal here is to keep the dialogue open, and to keep the relationship going.

2. Be strategic and proactive
This means that you make the best use of your follow up time- ask questions and find out what concerns or objections exist. Then, be proactive in helping the client get the information they need to make the decision. I have personally located statistics and other information for the client, in order to speed up the process and position myself as a trusted advisor, not just a salesperson. I recommend this approach to all the companies I train. Make it as easy as possible for the client to say yes to you.

3. Continue to follow up
Gaining ongoing permission and commitment along the way helps. One of my clients complained, once, that he had to follow up numerous times over a six month period, and the sale still wasn't finalized. What I reminded him of, though, is that each contact he had was an opportunity to build the relationship, and, impatience or rushing would not serve him well. When the client finally did sign, the contract was for three times as much as the original conversation. This was directly related to patient, helpful, and consistent follow up.










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BobBeck 		Latest page update: made by BobBeck , Mar 14 2009, 7:40 AM EDT (about this update About This Update BobBeck Edited by BobBeck

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posted by BobBeck   Dec 22 2008, 7:32 AM EST
Sales Training with Bob Beck