How Important is Follow Through in Selling?

-
In tennis shot, basketball throw, and golf-swings, follow-through is as important as the actual swing that is intended to hit the ball. It will determine how effective the shot will be.  In sales,  follow-through is important to reinforce the sales process and help steer it until the sale is finally closed.

                                          
                                                   Photo courtesy of capitaltennis.net

Follow through in sales is as important as the other steps in the sales process. In prospecting, follow-through is imperative because a salesperson needs to persistently make follow-ups on prospects at some future date until they are ready to buy the product or service.  Follow through consists of giving prospects a call every now and then, or paying them a visit.

During sales presentation, the follow-through consists of a probing-listening-probing process to handle objections until it leads towards the closing of the sale.  Trial close is another form of follow-through after the handling of objections.

During sales negotiation, follow-through involves the salesperson to capture negotiation specifics preferably in writing, and reiterate it when necessary. This is important when negotiation was not finalized; and there is a need for another round of negotiations, especially if other vendors are being considered or there are items that need to be clarified with upper management.  Follow through until its conclusion is important.

In the final consummation of the sale where products and services are already delivered to customers, follow through comes in the form of after-sales service to see if the client is satisfied with the product or service. This will ensure future sales.

In all my years in sales, I have experienced that follow-through is important.  I have committed some omissions on this aspect during my early days, and have paid for it dearly with lost sales. Poor follow-through almost always results in the "sale" that got away.

Please leave your comments below or share the article if you find it interesting.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Seventies - The "Disco" Era

-
Image
The seventies was undoubtedly the "disco" era.  As a teenager, I listened and danced to the distinct sound of that era. When "Saturday Night Fever" hit the movie theaters in 1978,  I became an avid fan of the Bee Gees and other bands that played the disco sound.   Besides listening to disco sound, I also mimicked dance steps like the "swing" and "L.A. shuffle" from a local popular TV show the "Penthouse Seven." I strutted my stuff every time  I danced with a partner at birthday parties held in friends' residences. Bands that dished out disco tunes during the '70s were  ABBA  with their  song "Dancing Queen";   Donna Summer 's   goosebumps-raising song "Last Dance."  Other bands like  KC and the Sunshine Band ,  The Trammps ,  Van McCoy ,  Gloria Gaynor ,  The Village People ,  Chic , and  The Jacksons   also flooded the radio airwaves in the '70s .   I even followed their progress over...
Read more

Grandfather@50

-
Image
I will be turning 50 before the  end of this year, and what better way to usher in my golden boy status is becoming a bonafide grandfather.  I now have a grandson, his name is Samien. He was born on April 25, 2012. His parents say that the name means "to be heard".  I guess their choice was right because when Samien cries, he is really heard by everybody. I noticed remarkable things in Samien.  While just a new born, he showed to us that he has strong legs and arms.  He can push himself upwards in the crib and was tireless in raising his small arms every  now and then.  Also, he is not the quiet type because he always cries and laughs unlike other babies inside the nursery who are peacefully asleep.  At three months old, he speaks amusing although unintelligible syllables.  Also, at three months, he is rather long for babies his age and quite heavy for a three month old baby.  He weighed in at 5 kilogram during his visit to his pedia...
Read more

Organic Rice in the Philippines For Healthy Living

-
Image
Do you prefer healthy living? Go organic rice! Health buffs would like to get their hands on real organic rice. If you're one of them, do you know which ones are authentic organic rice? This blog will tell you all you need to know about organic rice. Some people think that organic rice is red and brown rice variety only.  Not really. It comes in other varieties and colors such as white, black, etc.  The idea that red and brown alone are organic rice is wrong.  These rice varieties are now sold under specific brands in leading supermarkets in the Philippines, however, not all of them are organic rice. But how will you know if you're buying organic rice or not? Organic rice is farmed without using synthetic fertilizer and chemical pesticide inputs. Besides the inputs, there are other things to consider such as -  How was it planted? What were the farming methods used? Was there contamination along the supply chain until it has reached the end consumer? There...
Read more