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Who does not value genuine appreciation? Who does not enjoy a warm smile and a sincere thank you after doing something for someone else. In a sales context, that "something" might be as simple as another person agreeing to meet with you.
One begins to transmit our thanks in the expression of our initial greeting. A sincere smile, a firm handshake, direct eye contact and expressing genuine appreciation for their time is always a winning way to start off a meeting.
Once a sale is completed, salespeople have an unhealthy tendency of paying less attention to their customers. A follow up call or subsequent visit goes a long way toward guaranteeing customer satisfaction.
Service after the sale is often critically important. It is via this attention to their overall satisfaction that we say thank you as well. People will long forget their purchase but not their experience. We also say thank you when we seek their best interests, keeping them abreast of new products or services that will benefit them.
After several meetings with the plant engineer, project engineer and machining-cell manager, I sold a machine-vision system which was intended to ensure critical measurements and overall product quality. These particular individuals, though familiar with the technology, had no practical experience using it. They purchased the system from me not simply because of the merits of the technology, but because of the promised support after the purchase, support which they would need to successfully implement the system.
Being a capital goods purchase, they were sensitive to the scale of their impending purchase and the fact that they were "sticking their neck out" working with an unproven new vendor.
This was my first sale to this new customer. I remember the purchasing manager calling me, wanting reassurance that their purchase was indeed what they needed and would work for their application. She was concerned about the price and the fact that I was a new vendor. I explained to her that the product was only part of the sale, that we would fully support this technology with proper training and working with their engineers to ensure the results they were looking for. Our engineer would not leave their plant until the vision package was working as promised. I further explained that this sale was our first opportunity to be of service to their plant and we were determined to provide more than they expected so that they would feel comfortable about working with us in the many additional applications in various departments in their plant. I thanked her for both her interest and scrutiny.
Not only is this customer appreciated, but they know they are. I have made it a point to show my appreciation for the opportunity to serve their needs. This is not done through buying meals or gifts, but by verbally saying than you and delivering more than they expect. They know that our company values their business. Furthermore, they know that they can count on us to so what we say.
One more thank you opportunity, often overlooked these days, is a thank you note. Whether it is an email or a rare, memorable, genuine hand-written card, customers notice. They notice because so few salespeople do it. Be different.
Saying thank you and demonstrating your appreciation is always a winning strategy. People do business with people. People also like to be appreciated. Remember that, and you will enjoy what you do and your customers will enjoy doing business with you.
Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive experience in sales, training, marketing and personal development spanning a successful 25 year career. Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com
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