If you train your staff, there's a risk they'll leave; if you don't, there's a risk they'll stay.
...
Why... be connected? I've often talked about my love of trade shows and the value of business relationships, which are...
May is National Bike Month. Here are five bike-friendly products and apparel to purvey for the next two weeks....
The Great Gatsby finally opened over the weekend. Does the unbridled glamour of 1920s-inspired fashion translate to the promotional products...
A promotional products distributor recently wrote me and asked how to handle clients that have figured out the industry's pricing...
Entertainment and promotional marketing: A pairing that normally reminds us of being forced to eat Hulk-colored Taco Bell at gunpoint...
When we communicate with others—through a presentation, through graphics or through text in an article—the use of color can truly...
Do you work in Michigan, or do you sell into the restaurant industry? I want to hear from you....
Getting out of the commodity game requires hard work, thoughtful work and requires learning new skills and work habits. You...
Or "Detective Fiction, Sales and the Art of Listening."...
Performance clothing has changed over the past 10 years: silkier, stretchier, more mesh, even less stinky in some cases. So...
Steven Covey reminds us that when setting goals ... "Start with the end in mind." That is to visualize the...
The Super Bowl has also become the Ad Bowl, where brands duke it out to see who has the funniest,...
It takes a single negative image to undo even the most successful campaigns in the eyes of your customers—and many...
There aren't many distributors who would describe themselves as manufacturers. But under CPSIA, the majority of promotional products distributors—at least...
What would happen if you woke up in the morning and your first thought was, "I am never going to...
It's hard to believe, but there are fewer than 100 days left to achieve 2011 goals! Are you on track...
A few weeks ago, I had dinner with Executive Apparel's president and its director of product development in Orlando, Florida....
|
Well it's Valentine's Day and there is no escaping it, so Happy Valentine's Day! While I am not the best one to ask for romantic advice, I do have a few tips when it come to building relationships with your clients, like the the ABC's of a solution's based sales cycle. In case you missed it, the ABC's are Always Be Connecting.
Relationships these days are so much more complicated. There are so many different channels of communication and so many rules around how to leverage each one. I mean, why is it inappropriate to poke someone you know on Facebook? (Just kidding, but seriously?)
All joking aside, it is inappropriate to poke someone you know on Facebook because you haven't built up report with that person. There has to be some level of courting and the same goes for building relationships with clients.
Now before we go much further I want to make it clear that when I talk about social channels I am not just talking about the online channels. I am talking about all channels, online and offline. Everything from phone calls to tweets, "thank you" notes to blogs and even face-to-face meetings.
The reason I am talking about all these seemingly different channels is that the key to building strong and loyal relationships with your clients is to broadcast a consistent message across multiple touchpoints.
What's a touchpoint, you ask?
A touchpoint is any opportunity you have to reach out to your client, whether it be online or offline. The more touchpoints you are able to have with a client, the stronger your relationship will be. At Kaspo we have a touchpoint goal of 5 touchpoints per client who enters our solutions-based sales cycle and here is how it works.
The Kaspo Courting Process
New Client Meeting
Touchpoint 1: Phone call to set meeting
Touchpoint 2: Connect on LinkedIn and confirm details of the meeting
Touchpoint 3: Face-to-face meeting
Defining Solutions
Touchpoint 4: Email to set up second meeting to present solutions
Touchpoint 5: Connect with brand on Twitter
Presenting Soultions
Touchpoint 5: Face-to-face meeting confirming objectives
Touchpoint 6: Order processing (order confirmation email with expected ship date, email with tracking)
Follow Up
Touchpoint 7: Confirmation phone call
Touchpoint 8: Thank you note
By striving to connect with our clients on at least 5 different channels we are building a rapport that shows we care. Just like in any relationship, the other person wants to know you are thinking of them and that they are your top priority. By committing to consistent connection with your clients throughout every stage of the sales cycle, you are sure to earn their life long brand loyalty. Hey, and who knows, maybe this advice can also help you land the Valentine of your dream!
|
COMMENTS
Click here to leave a comment...