If you think about it, the hardest part of selling a new client is getting them to talk with you, meet with you, and trust you. Depending on the business you’re in and the size of transaction you’re proposing, this can take weeks, months and even years.
To successfully sell something to someone for the first time, you need to convince that someone why they should do business with you at all.
A new client’s assessment as to whether to engage with someone or something new will always encompass a wide range of considerations and expectations.
Most B2B sales people work really hard to get that first sale. Once closed, it’s time to relax. You’ve made the sale, there is a contract in place, and it’s in the bag. Right?
Getting a first sale is a good start but more importantly, it’s where real opportunity begins. Nobody, or at best few, have ever made a fortune by selling someone once. You need to look much further down the road.
For those who have seen Steven Spielberg’s new film “Lincoln”, you’ll recall a scene where Lincoln becomes exasperated in a meeting, losing his cool for the first time. His frustration: that his cabinet members and colleagues fail to see the big picture. They are – like most people – thinking only one, maybe two and at most three steps ahead. Conversely, the President has thought the challenge through all the steps ahead; anticipating the long-term chain of events and the ultimate goal, to secure what he wants most in the end.
Having made the initial sale, you now have an incredible opportunity and that is to work on the next succession of sales. Now you really and truly have the clients attention.
What are they looking for? There looking to see if you’ll deliver on what you promised. They’re looking to see if you’ll keep your word. In essence, they are waiting for the ball to drop.
Once the first sale is made, the stage is set to prove that you and your product or service is all that you said they would be. You can re-enforce and solidify the client’s confidence in their decision to have chosen you and from there, you gain entry into their circle of trust.
It is post first sale, and only then, that clients become truly immersed with you and your organization because they must. The dice was rolled long ago. They took the risk and chose you.
Here is what I do once I’ve made an initial sale.
1) Whenever possible, I over deliver
2) I constantly think of ways to help or add value once the sale is made, rarely with any concern as to an immediate financial benefit for my company
3) I always put the client’s interests first.
4) I always respond to clients quickly; they never have trouble contacting me
5) I turn down opportunities to make a sale if I don’t believe it’s the right choice for the client. While this could be interpreted as a selfless act, it’s not. In fact, it is selfish, knowing that to do otherwise would hurt my pocketbook further down the road. Think “Lincoln”.
6) I am straightforward and consistent with my advice and council in keeping with my area of expertise, even if it’s not what the client wants to hear.
Always remember, winning a few battles is not the goal. Winning the war is.