When it comes to follow-up – Don’t be this guy!

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I had just transitioned from inside sales to my first outside sales position where I was selling some high end estate planning vehicles in the home. My clients all had net worth’s in the 5-10 million ranges, and appearance was everything. After a week or so it became clear to me that my lifted Jeep was not going to work in this environment. Besides the fact that it did not send the image I wanted to project it got wretched gas mileage, was bitter cold to ride in the wet Pacific Northwest weather, and was just not very comfortable. After a short conversation with my wife we decided we wanted to get a V6 extended cab Ford Ranger 4×4 that would meet both my lifestyle and career needs. Anyways, all that to say I NEEDED a truck, and I know what I wanted, so after work I dropped by the Ford dealership to go get a truck. I told the salesman what I wanted and he showed me everything on the lot EXCEPT what I told him I was looking for. Frustrated I ask him if he even HAD anything like what I described to him and he said not right now. Knowing there were two other Ford dealers within 20 miles or so I left him with some simple instructions: Do a dealer search for me and call me tomorrow with prices and descriptions of three or four trucks like this and I’ll be back tomorrow night to drive two and buy one.”

I felt that I had given a sufficient buying signal and waited all day for the call… It never came. So after work I went back to the dealership and was quickly greeted by my “Salesman” from the night before. I asked him “Did you do the search?” And he said no, he had been busy. Based on the activity I saw both times I had been there I assumed that meant “I have been smoking by the door all day”! Still I was busy and really wanted this to be easy so I gave him the SAME instructions, and headed off to see my wife.

I thought for sure he would do the search this time, but still no call, undaunted, I stopped by after work and there he was “busy” by the door again. With a look of disbelief he greeted me again. I ask if he did the search today and again he said he had been very “busy”. He assured me he would do it tonight and call me the next morning, but I told him that’s ok, I guess I’m not really “That” serious anyways and got back in my Jeep and headed 15 miles down the freeway to the other Ford dealership. About two hours later, I stopped back by the first dealership and met my salesman again in my new truck and let him know I didn’t need that dealer search anymore.

This story is sad because it’s true… but this guy lost a sale because he failed to do his follow-up work. He was too “busy” waiting for the easy sale that he missed the REALLY easy one right under his nose. With all of the CRM tools available to us it is silly to make this kind of mistake. A simple reminder in his to-do list, PDA, or CRM system would have reminded him to make two calls worth a grand or so to him.

Remember when it comes to follow-up is not just about filling the pipeline, it’s also about keeping what’s in your pipeline moving to the next level of commitment. Don’t let YOU be the reason you fail to close the deal.

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1. Want to Sell More? DON’T Follow Up
2. The Sometimes Painful Art of B2B Follow Up
3. Bring More to Your Follow-up
4. Anticipating Objections