As a business coach for the promotional products industry I hear lots of challenges that promotional sales professionals are facing. Here’s a recent dilemma that a new coaching client came to me with. Perhaps you can relate.
Have you recently lost a big sale or an important account that you thought was a sure thing? Maybe you’ve gotten complacent and you weren’t nurturing the relationship as much as you should. Perhaps the company changed hands. It could be any one of numerous reasons. Regardless of the cause, the reality is, in today’s highly competitive promotional products business environment you can’t take anything for granted.
Here are 7 things you can do now to get back on track and win more sales.
1. Analyze what went wrong. You can’t get every sale, but you can learn from the sales you lost. Learn from your mistakes; everyone makes them. Is there anything you could have done differently?
2. Ask for feedback. You may learn something that will help you with the next big sale. Asking questions such as: Is there anything I could have done differently that would have helped me keep your account? What went into your promotional products buying decision? You may wish to schedule an in-person meeting at a future date.
3. If appropriate, apologize. You may get feedback that you acted inappropriately or made a major blunder. Accepting responsibility and a sincere apology can go a long way in winning your customer back.
4. Provide value that is meaningful to your customer. This goes with tip 2. Without an understanding of what is truly valuable to your customer, you will always have a hard time winning sales. Promotional products buyer’s need change, stay on top of what is most important to your most-wanted customer by asking powerful questions and listening, and you are sure to win more sales.
5. Make your customer aware of all the services you can provide. It’s not uncommon to lose a sale because a customer didn’t know you could provide an additional service they were seeking. List your services in all your marketing materials. And when you can’t provide a service, seek to form alliances with businesses that can.
6. Keep in touch. Keep the door open for more sales by always being professional, courteous and upbeat. Keep in touch with the customer via newsletters, articles of interest, special offers, virtual and spec samples, and occasional phone calls. You never know when another opportunity will present itself. Companies change hands frequently, the next person in line may give you another opportunity, or your lost account may get back in touch with you.
7. Upgrade your selling skills. Work with a business coach or mentor, or join a coaching group. Attend sales training classes at industry trade shows. Stay current with the latest trends in promotional products sales. The top sales professionals are always learning and upgrading their skills. Above all, never give up. Learn from your mistakes and keep on selling. Instead of feeling discouraged because you lost a sale or important account follow these 7 tips and get back on track. Your next big sale or important new account is around the corner!
What have you done when you lost a sale or important account? Have you been able to win a customer back? Please comment below.
Looking for more ideas to easily increase your sales? Get a free Skyrocket Your Salesaudio download with non-stop ideas to increase your sales from industry experts and my new special report “10 Big Mistakes Promotional Professionals Make and How to Avoid Them and Double Your Sales” at my website www.promobizcoach.com.
