The Ultimate Sales Machine - Chet Holmes [120]
Follow-up Step 5: Send Another Fax/Email/Letter/Card
If you get top-of-mind awareness, you need to never let it go. With un-ceasing follow-up you’ll never lose a client to a competitor. If you’ve just had a meal with your client or she’s attended a party or event you’ve sponsored, follow up immediately with another letter. Here’s an example:
Dear Gail:
You make a great lunch guest. I wish all my clients had your sense of humor.
I was intrigued by your thoughts on direct mail, so I’ve asked for some further research. I’ll let you know when it comes in. Meanwhile, stay away from those anchovies.
Regards,
Kevin
These letters are short and interesting. Be personal and complimentary, and tell them what the next step will be in your relationship. Kevin’s letter to Gail tells her that he’ll take the next step by doing some extra research for her and let her know when it comes in. At that point, he has set himself up to share another meal with her so he can present that information to her.
Exercise
What is going to be your standard fifth follow-up after the buyer buys? Write a letter that would be the perfect follow-up to a meal, party, or gathering.
Follow-up Step 6: Plan Something Fun That Can Include the Family
If you’re business-to-business and your clients are big enough to warrant it, you can invite your clients to join you in fun activities such as boating, tennis, hot air ballooning, or scuba diving. I have done all of these and more. The more memorable the experience, the cooler it can be, the more likely the client will not only go, but will talk about it to others. You’re becoming part of their lives. At a convention in Hawaii, we rented a catamaran and took 30 clients out for a cruise with drinks and food. It was an awesome bonding experience. I had five salespeople with me and we bought wild-looking cardboard sunglasses that had palm trees coming out of them. Then we took photos of all our clients wearing them and passed them around at the trade show.
At another trade show (where clients are all in one place), we had a gambling night and made paper money with a photo of a different client on each bill. They got such a charge out of those fake dollars that they took them home to show their families.
You could take clients to see a play or have a picnic. If you’re business-to-consumer you could throw mass parties or buy blocks of tickets to a comedy club, sporting event, or concert. The goal is to become part of clients’ lives. Look for something exciting that you can do together. It might be your nature to do these things, but if it’s not or if you have salespeople, you need to build them into procedures.
Exercise
What is going to be your standard sixth follow-up? List 10 fun events you could do with your clients and their families. Write a letter or phone script you could use to invite your clients to these events.
Follow-up Step 7: Offer Something to Help Their Business
Can you be the king or queen of networking? Great companies are always finding ways to help their clients succeed. Can you hook up two clients to form a referral network? When we sold advertising, we would take up-and-coming companies and get them together with much larger companies. This often resulted in relationships that were of value to both players. For that reason, my clients always took my calls—always. Since they never knew what cool new thing I was going to offer, they always welcomed, and even looked forward to my calls. Be a resource.
Can you provide an idea to help your client succeed? Put helping the client above all else. Perhaps you can sell more product or ser vices in the process.
Exercise
What is going to be your standard seventh follow-up? Think of your top clients. What could you do for them to help them improve their businesses? Are there ways that you could connect