Keeping in touch

17th October 2012

Keeping in touch with past clients and leads is so important, as you never know when people’s circumstances change, and therefore how a “no” to your services at one point could become a “yes” at another.

This was brought home to me recently, when I was discussing an issue with one of my clients. He had been looking for a container/portacabin for a new office, and had budgeted for quite an outlay to get what he wanted. However, initially he found that what he was looking for was rather more expensive than he had planned, and despite going through websites and doing a lot of research was resigned to having to fork out a large lump sum, putting a considerable pressure on cash flow. Fortunately an acquaintance of his told him of a supplier who they had bought from several years previously, and suggested he go there. So back to the internet, but again with no luck, and it wasn’t until he went through an old yellow pages, that he found some details to contact them. As it turned out they had changed their company name, which was why it had been impossible to find them on the web. In the end my client found exactly what he needed from them, and at about 50% of his budgeted amount, so everyone was happy.

However, had my client not been so persistent, he would never have found them, and he wouldn’t have made his savings, and they wouldn’t have made the sale. If they had simply sent an email or a postcard to all their past customers (a very small investment), just think of the business they could have done. After all who knows how many others who have bought from them in the past can no longer find their details.

The moral of the tale, is keep your database up to date, and keep in regular contact.

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