Login
ISCOVER
Highly sought-after trainer and speaker Debbie Mayo-Smith shares strategies on how brokers can rekindle relationships with customers to grow their business and strengthen sales.
I did it in November. By 1 January, I had double the normal number of forward-booked speaking engagements than I ever had before.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Looking for more benefits? Become a Premium Member.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Looking for more benefits? Become a Premium Member.
An email arrived late yesterday afternoon from my November efforts, with another booking.
So what magical thing did I do?
I reinstated a tactic that I had let slip. No, it wasn’t the monthly newsletter. No, it wasn’t that I slipped posting to LinkedIn and the like. I have been (for too long) neglecting the phone. I didn’t pick it up to call my past clients.
A while ago I listened to a taped teleseminar session “Power Selling”, an interview with Steve Waterhouse, from the American company Waterhouse Group.
The main point Steve made is simple. You pick up the phone and call old customers.
He believes every business can double their sales and never add another client. Here is a suggested opening phrase from Steve Waterhouse:
“I am so sorry that I lost touch with you. I just wanted to call and say how are you? I was looking through my database and I was so surprised to see your name and I remembered working with you.”
You can ask questions like:
• What has changed since we last worked together?
• What’s new? How are you?
• What else? Why?
• What do you want to accomplish?
• What are your struggles?
Then listen. Do not pitch for business, listen. This call is to rekindle the relationship.
I had fallen into the habit of relying on my email newsletter doing the selling for me. However, I can promise you — pick up the phone for some seriously good results from the people who already know you and have used you in the past!
Let me turn the table around. Does this shoe fit for you? Have you let your personal touch slip with your clients? Getting in touch gives you opportunities — for more business with them (their situation might have changed), for referrals or even for simply deepening the relationship.
If it seems too onerous a task, it’s easy to break it into small pieces or actions and then incorporate into your daily routine. Making three to four calls a day won’t feel overwhelming. Yes, you might have a few awkward conversations, but so far my calls have been 95 per cent positive and as my experience shows it produces spectacular results.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION