Making Customers More Valuable [Part 5 of 5]: Close Strategically

Making Customers More Valuable [Part 5 of 5]: Close Strategically

August 30th, 2017 // 11:28 am @ Scott Manning

Here’s something I have never talked about before. I’m not sure why, because it is probably one of the biggest opportunities for making customers more valuable to your business.

My great mentor and personal friend Dan Kennedy coined the incredible phrase about “making a sale to get a customer whereas most people get a customer to make a sale.” Here he states the value is in the person acquired through the transaction not the money that transaction results in.

This is powerful because it changes the way you look at everything you do.

Last week, we talked about being shortsighted when you are writing checks. Again, most are very shortsighted as business owners and sales people when closing deals, making sales and acquiring customers because they do not think about the post sales experience.

I teach my dentists that when the patients first visits are over, the experience is just beginning. We made it through the introduction, chapter one, that is it. Because what happens next (whether they bought or delayed or any other outcome)… the next visit, the next interaction is going to do more to keep those patients long term, encourage them to refer, get them talking positively about you or upgrade their treatment – than anything else.

“The AFTER Sales” is ignored, neglect or non-existent.

In addition to that, you have to think about what’s next for buyers and non-buyers.

For buyers, is there an upsell, is there a membership, is there a pre-pay, is there any strategy whatsoever that is necessary to make sure this customer, client or patient is successful. What can you do to trigger dramatic increases in their value to you quickly.

For non-buyers, is there a down-sell to keep them in motion, is there a follow-up appointment, is there something structured to extend the conversation or move it in another direction.

Skilled professionals, entrepreneurs and sales people should see this as the most important part of everything they do – taking control of the sales experience so there is strategy in the close and it is done purposefully so there is an opportunity to increase value, circle back and keep the deal alive.

The best news about this is: if done right, if truly about a relationship and not a transaction then you do not really have to “sell” (at least in the way most people think of the word – convincing, coercing, crafting ways to get people to part with their money), because the strategy should be ending with your customers wanting to give you money and then buy more.

I’d love to hear from you if you or people on your team and in your company would be interested in a unique and dynamic training on exactly this. It is my favorite thing to do and talk about and we can go through all five value creators and especially this ‘selling without selling’ concept with the right strategy for you.

It is something that must be customized completely and it would be fun to do it (with a small group of course). I’ll let you decide, if there is enough interest (and there should be but then you should be interested in a lot of things) with serious people we’ll proceed.

Next week we begin an incredible breakdown of ways you are probably losing money and not even knowing it. Consider this like a MBA crash course on profitability and keeping more of what you make. All will benefit, tune in next week.

Category : Blog