Salespeople are asked to prospect for new customers all the time. Businesses spend fortunes in advertising as they try to entice new people in to spend their money. Both business owners and salespeople regularly totally neglect the best ongoing source of constant sales.
No, it's not cold calling, radio, television, newspaper or other media advertising. It's not pay per click if you are doing business on the internet. It's not even referral business. Plain and simple, it's previously satisfied customers who will remain loyal to the product, the store and the salesperson. These clients will buy again and again as long as they are treated with respect and followed up on an ongoing basis.
Unfortunately, many businesses and a very high percentage of salespeople drop the ball when it comes to taking care of their previous customers. There was a time when follow-up was all done manually and customer files were packed away in file cabinets or in cardboard boxes between contacts. Still, many businesses did a good job of maintaining ongoing personal relationships with their clients.
Today, with the power of computers, there is no excuse for poor follow-up. More and more businesses are making the attempt but most individual commissioned or performance based salespeople are still dropping the ball. Many do not maintain a database of their customers. Most rely on the follow-up program that their company uses, if one even exists.
Salespeople who function at mastery are definitely not content to put their future earning potential in the hands of someone else. They keep their own records. They collect their client's e-mail addresses. They utilize simple and inexpensive autoresponder technology and e-mail programs to maintain regular ongoing contact with their most valuable resource and best prospecting source.
They understand that these customers will pay them again and again and they also understand that getting paid is good, today and tomorrow.
