Customer Relationship Knowledge Center

Our Articles on Communication

1. The Critical Missed Action

   Let's take a look at what critical action, when missed, causes sales teams and salespeople to miss quotas and lose income for their companies.
   
   Interestingly, that action starts with the close, which is where too many salespeople think the sale ends. In a shallow look, it makes sense. We won! The customer bought the product or service! We got paid! I got my commission! Woo-Hoo! Let’s go party!

2. Converting Your Customer Base into a Constant Revenue Source

   It’s only natural that, when a company is getting up and running, they’re going to be primarily focused on new business. There’s nothing else, yet—they haven’t been around long enough to have built up a customer base. And of course, new business will always be important.
   
   It’s a sad thing, though, to see a company that’s been around for several years that still concentrates solely on new business, without putting at least an equal amount of attention on their customer base. They are sitting right on top of but neglecting, a million-dollar endless source of income.

3. The Difference Between a Name and a True Referral

   It can happen that, when you have closed a sale, you then ask, “Who do you know that should be using our product or service?” Your new customer then provides one or more names and contact information.
   
   What do you now have? Well, you have just got a name. Sure, when you call them, you can “drop” the name of your customer. But it’s only a little better than a cold call—they still don’t know you and don’t even know if you really made a sale to the person who referred you unless they hear it from them. And on top of that, they do not know if your customer is a happy customer.

4. 8 Vital Actions That Must Be Part of Your Customer Relationship Program.

   When looking at how to revive some “mostly dead” sales, it is very important to take up the customer relationship. Especially now, customers have many choices. Recent studies estimate that customers are receiving 1000s of marketing messages each day. So, the relationship you create with the customer is VITAL.

5. The Lifelong Relationship Versus the “Quick Sale”

   If there is any fault with the run-of-the-mill sale, it is that it is viewed too shallowly: the contact, the pitch, the close, and we are done. Once the sale is closed and the customer has paid, the salesperson and company move onto the next prospect.
   
   As detailed in another of this month’s blogs, this is where things can go wrong. If there is an issue or problem with the product or service, the prospect is going to contact the last person they had a relationship with: the salesperson. The salesperson, not having enough time to really deal with it, is going to become weighed down and not be able to fully pursue other prospects.

6. How Do You Define a Sale: Where One Wins…or Both Parties Win?

   The Customer Relationship comes after the close. It is the successful transferring of the sale from you, as the sales rep, to the delivery team, who will now keep the customer as happy as you kept them throughout the sales process.

   When this is not done, the customer will come back to you with any questions or issues they have with the product or service. As a rep, you are not usually equipped to service the client in this way, and additionally, your attention will be constantly pulled from pursuing new deals to handle any customer service shortcomings.

7. Customer Relationship Tips and Tools
   (members only content)

8. Is Lack of Continuous Follow Up Affecting your Income?
   (members only content)

9. How to Properly Take Care of Referrals from your Clients

Our Webcasts on Communication

1. Become an Expert in Your Industry
   (members only content)

2. How to Handle Referrals from Clients
   (members only content)

Our Videos on Communication

1. Surveying Existing Customer’s Product Satisfaction
   (members only content)

2. Do you get a Consistent Flow of Referrals from Prior Clients?
   (members only content)

3. Do You Feel Like Sales is a Numbers Game?
   (members only content)

4. Would You Buy Your Product or Service if You Were the Customer?
   (members only content)

5. Optimizing Delivery and Avoiding Mistakes
   (members only content)

6. Services Provided After the Sale and How that Affects the Salesperson
   (members only content)

7. Getting Continuous Client Referrals
   (members only content)

8. Do you Have an Effective Quality Control Department?
   (members only content)

9. Having Integrity as Salespeople
   (members only content)

10. Do You Fail to Follow Up Because You Are Afraid the Customer Might Complain?
    (members only content)

11. Following Up with Your Client After the Purchase
    (members only content)

12. Tip Regarding Customer Follow-Up
    (members only content)

13. The Success Letter
    (members only content)