Now that I run a sales division, I have loads of salespeople pitching me on copiers, trade shows, marketing ideas and whatever else people sell these days. I welcome all sales calls and treat each and every one of them with respect. That is until I get an email like this:
Mr. Haddon,
I just wanted to see where we were at with that proposal...
Sincerely,
Joe Schmuck
XYZ Ltd.
"Useless tag line that offends me"
(XXX)-XXX-XXXX
What are salespeople thinking when they hit the send button after putting such little effort into earning my business? The fact of the matter is, they aren't thinking.
Email is a wonderful and easy way to non-invasively keep in touch with prospects and customers. It allows you, the salesperson, to separate yourself from every other salespeople. You can do this with minimal effort.
Sending emails like the one above; or emails with subject lines like 'touching base' or 'checking in', will fast track you to mediocrity. You must add value to the relationship and show you care. You can easily do this by sending links to e-zines, articles and useful tips that will help your customer with their success. Focus on them, not yourself or the sale. Everyone knows salespeople get paid on commission. Your customers know that every time you call, you are calling to check on your paycheque and see when you are going to get money out of them. Eliminate this feeling by caring about the customer's success and you will never worry about your paycheque again.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. How long have you not been the top earner in your organization? I guarantee if you send every single prospect an email that is useful to them, you will have greater success this year, than last.
Here's a link to some useful links, provided by Jeffrey Gitomer, my favourite sales authority.
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