The Power of Picking Up the Telephone…

We always want what we can’t have. Chasing rainbows. It’s human nature. Even though we know logically and rationally that they live beyond our reach we still run.

The same is true for potential clients who didn’t buy. They didn’t say yes. Our ego’s are hurt. We chase them wondering why.

We survey them and they don’t respond. And when they do, they are usually not fully honest.

It takes a real effort to find the real and honest reasons why someone didn’t buy from you.

Sometimes we even grow a pair and pick up the phone. We call them to ask them why? If you aren’t doing this, you need to because you’ll learn a ton! Yes, it’s painful, but it’s absolutely essential. DO NOT PASS THIS OFF TO AN UNDERLING!

We need to pick up the phone when we can and dig into they why’s.

But there’s more!

This group that didn’t buy is only half the picture. And when it comes to the current money you have in the bank it’s…well, none of the picture.

What could be even more important than knowing why someone didn’t buy from you?

Yes…Understanding the reasons why your customers did buy from you took that critical step and opened their wallets.

Why is this important?

Because more often than not, your customers buy from you for reasons that you’d never guess.

Like the salesman who made a 7-figure software sale. It was January and this sale put him at the top. He thought he was the best salesman in the world.

In fact, this salesman thought he was hot. He knew all the reasons why the guy was buying. For the next several months he based all of his presentation on these reasons.

What he later learned after not closing a sale for the next 8 months was that the guy who did the deal did so because he was being let go from his position. He was pissed and wanted to give it to the guy who was taking over. By purchasing the software from the salesman he was successfully able to bleed his departments budget leaving the new guy little to no money to spend that year. OUCH.

The moral of the story is not only do we need to know why people “do not buy”, but we also need to know the reasons that they do buy.

Sometimes we make sales for completely illogical and irrational reasons – and if we can understand these reasons we can include them in our sales messages.

So where do you start?

Set aside 15 to 20 minutes per day to call current clients. If you’ve got more time for this, great.

Maybe you’ll contact 1 and have a meaningful conversation, maybe you’ll have 3 or 4.

What do you ask?

Ask them to try to remember where they were when you first spoke or met with them. Not physically where they were but mentally. What were they feeling and what were they looking for in a partner that does what you do for them?

Then ask them if they were considering any other options? Did they talk to others? Did the get quotes or bids from them?

And then finally, the big one. Why did they chose to work with you? Really let them think about this.

Was it simply that they connected with you? Did you make the feel confident that you could get it done where others had failed?

At the end of the day some will say price – but it usually goes beyond price – and the reasons beyond price are golden.

And now the kicker bonus of making this call…

After they’ve shared the reasons why with you ask them two things.

#1 How can I/we do a better job? Where are we falling short?

This will not only tell them that you care and give them a feeling that you are striving to really meet their needs, but it’ll also tell you where you can improve.

#2 If you think about your other needs that are on the fringes of what we do for you – what are some other areas you think we’d do a good job at?

You’ll likely hear all kinds of answers to #2. And if you do this enough, you’ll hear common threads. Your customers will share their needs with you and if it makes business sense for you to offer these services to them go for it. Because other than finding new customers, another great way to grow a business is to expand outward – so let your existing customers tell you what they need – and then let them buy it from you.

If you’ve got any stories to share or feedback, please leave them. We learn every day and it’s the stories that pass the knowledge.