Caring - The Secret Sales Strategy

Sales information resource Just Sell, calls caring "sales love". Here's the meaning:

Sales love ('sAlz - luv): noun: 1: unselfish and loyal care for the good of a customer, prospect, reseller, and/or team member.

The only reason we are in business is to provide value to a group of people who care about the story we tell.

According to business guru Jay Abraham, in his book Getting Everything You Can out of Everything You Got, "A successful business starts not with just a great idea or product. Rather, it starts with the desire to provide a solution to another's problem."

Client means, "Under the protection of another." Customer means, "One who purchases goods and services."

Everyone who does business with you must be a client. Never serve people merely as customers. They are too important to you.

Falling in love with your client is where sales and marketing really begin.

* Care about your clients more than yourself.

* Love your clients; not your business.

* Always ensure complete client satisfaction, no matter what.

Take time to understand what the client REALLY needs and make recommendations that solve their immediate problem; even if it means less profit on the initial sale.

Follow up demonstrates you care.

To truly care, you must become an expert at follow up. That means you:

1. Check in by telephone or in person regularly. Not only after a sale, but ongoing, every month.

2. Become an information resource on the latest trends in your industry.

3. Follow up on all client phone calls, correspondence and emails quickly.

4. Provide personal communication and focused ideas that demonstrates you care enough to take the time to fully understand your client.

Follow the action steps below to add care to your marketing and sales arsenal. You'll increase your closing ratios, top line revenues and referrals simultaneously.

Follow These Action Steps to Add Caring to Your Sales Effort

1. Understand the lifetime value of every client. On average, how long does a client keep doing business with you?

What is that business worth in dollars and cents on an annual basis?

2. What is the value you provide others? Practice articulating it until you become comfortable talking about value instead of features and benefits.

3. Study your client database. Make sure everyone has been personally touched (communicated with) this year.

If they haven't, write a letter. Apologize for not staying in touch. Tell them you'll call to check in. Stay with it until you make a connection. Show them you care.

4. Have a plan to follow up with every new client, starting today. Here's an example:

* 24 to 48 hours after a sale, call to thank them. Make sure all your promises were kept.

* One week later, make sure your product or service is still performing as expected or better.

* One month later, check in for complete satisfaction again.

Stay in touch regularly. Make sure your valued client is overjoyed by their experience of doing business with you.

5. Help your fans (overjoyed clients) spread the word. Provide clients with articles written by you or other industry experts. Provide methods and instruction to help clients remember to spread the good news (your service and information) to people they know.

6. Respond to all client communications quickly. Respond to clients on the same day they communicate with you.

7. Continuously comb your database. Be aware of everyone in it. If you're not sure about someone in your database, call them. Clarify their wants and needs. If they no longer fit, take them off of your list. Keeping a "clean" database ensures your clients are cared for consistently.

8. Every database entry has a follow up action scheduled or you remove them. No action = lack of care.

While it may seem like extra work, turning strangers into friends and friends into clients requires dedication.

Maintaining and expanding client relationships is the shortest path to extreme sales success.

© Copyright 2005, Bill Gluth, Develop Your Vision, All Rights Reserved.

Bill Gluth is the motivator of focused change. He is the first to specialize in teaching small business owners how to be extraordinary in a commodity driven world.

Since starting Develop Your Vision in 2001, Bill has helped business owners achieve balance, satisfaction and profit with freedom by understanding the unique "vision" that sets one business apart from their competition.

Bill teaches strategies that turn dreams and goals into accomplishments by successfully reaching tightly defined niche markets using inexpensive, creative, Human Touch ideas and methods.

To find out more about Bill Gluth, Develop Your Vision, visit his website at http://www.developyourvision.com or his Blog at http://www.billgluth.com