After the Lovin'

by Pat Hassett, President, SalesNow! 

In a ballad made popular by British crooner Englebert Humperdinck in 1976, he sings, "After the lovin', I'm still in love with you." 

That may seem like an odd way to start an article about sales or customer service, but I think it describes what we must do to nourish strong relationships with our customers; and in turn foster the loyalty of our customers to us. 

In our efforts to sell our products and services, we spend a lot of time courting our prospects, methodically convincing them that we have the best solution for their problem. Typically, we stay in contact with them until they "see the light" and say yes. And that's the point at which many salespeople move on to the next challenge. 

But I think that's a mistake. You have invested your valuable time and resources to earn your prospect's trust and their business and you shouldn't just let it go at that first sale. 

It's pretty clear, and well documented, that your current customers are also your best prospects. So doesn't it make sense to stay in touch with them after the sale? 

Presumably you've established yourself in your customer's mind as a trusted advisor – someone they can trust to help them solve their problem. And hopefully you've delivered on that expectation. 

It makes complete sense, then, to continue in that capacity once the sale is complete. 

Are you guilty of failing to stay in touch with your customers after the sale? 

It's natural and relatively easy to stay in touch during the "honeymoon" period immediately after the sale. But many salespeople, and indeed many organizations do a poor job of staying in touch long term. 

Many think it's enough just to send a holiday card. While that may not be a bad idea, it's woefully short of being impressive. 

To really add value to your customer relationships, stay in touch all year long with relevant, meaningful information – things you know would be of particular interest to your customers personally and professionally. Depending on your business or industry those things might include: 

• Information about their industry or trade group;
• News or articles about their civic organization or hobbies;
• Notices about special pricing on products or services they regularly buy;
• Special offers for current customers; or
• Specialized knowledge you can share in the form of articles, white papers and newsletters. 

Most importantly, stay in touch with things that will help your customers reach their goals and grow their business. 

As a side benefit, communicating with your customers on a regular basis will make it easier for them to remember you when it's time to buy your product or service again. 

So let your customers know you're there to help them for the long-term. Show them you're still "in love" with them "After the lovin'…." 

Ó 2006 Patrick A. Hassett. All rights reserved. 

Pat Hassett draws on more than 30 years experience in sales, sales management and sales support roles across several industries. He stands ready to help you increase your sales, your profitability and your customer loyalty through the use of customer-centric sales methods, high level customer service and customer relationship management tools. To learn more about how SalesNow! can help you, go to www.salesnowonline.com or write to infalesNowOnline.com. 

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