Post Sales Call Communications Are Important
By: Dave Clossey / T.J. Tedesco
For: High Volume Printing
Published: March, 2004

What happens after a typical sales meeting? If you're like most sales people, you get the standard "follow-up machine" in gear. Perhaps you send out a handsome package complete with a few of your spiffiest samples. If the prospect is actually more of a suspect, perhaps they'll get a standard corporate packet, or maybe just a letter. Of course, there are some salespeople who simply send nothing to follow up a sales call - no matter how well it went.

Today's qualified prospects are too valuable to waste golden sales opportunities. Differentiation doesn't stop once you've walked out the door after a sales call. Post-sales communications that are personal and relevant will help you overpower the competition. If you take the time to do this, your customers will know they've been heard … and that will get you at least halfway to winning all-important new business.

Personalization Makes it Effective
Your customers receive a barrage of marketing messages every day - just as you do. By using compelling personalization on your communications, you give them a much better chance of standing out on such a crowded playing field. Here are some tips for adding personalization that matters:

- Take plenty of notes: During your sales meetings, keep detailed notes of what you and your prospect discussed. You may even want to devise a "cheat sheet" that helps you collect and organize important information, such as project details and customer names. Keep in mind that the more personal and detailed the information, the more memorable your communications will be. Even little things, such as a favorite vacation spot or pet peeve, can be woven into your post sales call communications to give them the greatest impact possible.

- Ask for samples: Nothing shows what you can do for your prospect more than making your communication relevant to the work they've already done elsewhere. During a sales call, make a point to grab a few samples of their recent work. Then, snap some digital photos of the pieces once you get back to the office. Imagine your prospect's surprise when they receive a color brochure with proposed solutions showing their own samples!

- Do a little research to fill in the gaps: A personalized post-sales call communication is impressive and memorable when done properly. But including incorrect information can have the reverse effect. Before you place a tidbit about a prospect's favorite hobby, or mention that it was great to meet his wife Linda, do a little research to make sure you're sure you know what you're talking about. Visit the company website to check the spelling of any names. Going for the home run? Give a quick call to the prospect's administrative assistant to confirm that Brahms and not Beethoven is indeed his favorite composer if you're planning to include a CD with your piece.

- Strike a proper balance: While personalization is a powerful post sales tool, its efficacy can be reduced if it doesn't directly correspond to a meeting or conversation. For example, referencing recent relevant and successful projects is an ideal use of personalization. Frequently repeating a prospect's name, or that of their company, can look forced. Your personalization should let the prospect know you've listened to their needs without over doing it.

New Technology Makes it Possible
Personalized post-sales call communications can take a variety of formats, from a simple email or letter to a completely customized, digitally-printed four-color brochure. While any of those mediums can be designed to include personal touches, they vary in the level of impression you're trying to make. Regardless of which medium you decide to use, the key is to articulate your differentiated selling proposition as clearly as possible.

At Grow Sales, Inc., one of our popular post-sales personalized "one-to-one" communication solutions is a digitally printed, four-color, four-page brochure that combines personalization with key information. This allows our clients to quickly place a compelling communication into the hands of impressed prospects.

The process begins as soon as one of our clients has finished a meeting or phone call with a key prospect. They will then let a Grow Sales, Inc. business advisor know as many details regarding the conversation or meeting as possible. We use this information to craft a one-to-one brochure that includes:

• A letter that references specific details about the conversation that just occurred.
• The prospect's logo on the cover of the brochure clearly identifying the piece as a personalized solution from our client.
• Images of samples that our client has produced that are relevant to the specific needs of the prospect.
• A description of our client's services and other pertinent general information.

The result is a highly-effective piece that's unique for each prospect. By taking advantage of digital printing technology, the piece can also be produced quickly to ensure that it reaches the prospect's hands while the conversation is still fresh in everyone's minds.

That's just one example of a post-sales follow-up communication format that associates your name with attention to detail and insightful solutions. The bottom line is your prospect will know that they've been heard, your company will be the preferred solution, and you will win more business!

T.J. Tedesco is a “hands-on” marketing, sales, coaching and training consultant to the post press industry. He is the author of Binding, Finishing & Mailing: The Final Word, and Win Top-of-Mind Positioning, both published by GATFPress and available at Amazon.com. T.J. can be reached at (301) 294-9900 or tj@growsales.com.