MandyBass.com – Do You Want More Income with That?
Most sales professionals and business owners make the mistake of denying their customers the opportunity to purchase a valuable add-on after they close the big deal for fear that they will risk losing the sale. This article highlights the importance of not waiting.
Do You Want More Income with That?
Coaches’coach, Mandy Bass has helped hundreds of professionals break through their income ceilings. Her works include “Ignite Your Secret Power,” “How to Build a Successful Coaching Practice” and the new website, http://FreeSpeakerMatch.com. Contact: Mandy@mandybass.com; http://www.MandyBass.com
Most sales professionals and business owners make the mistake of denying their customers the opportunity to purchase a valuable add-on after they close the big deal for fear that they will risk losing the sale. “I will sell them more later,” they think. But they don’t.
In most cases, the customer is forgotten as soon as the purchase is done.
Not only does that attitude rob you of massive potential earnings, it also denies your customer the opportunity and the convenience of making a more satisfying purchase.
Research shows that your customers or clients feel most positive about you immediately after you close the sale.
This is why McDonald’s asks us if we want fries with our hamburger. And why the checkout at Bed Bath & Beyond has two hundred little house-ware items to catch your eye just before you swipe your debit card. It’s also why Amazon always shows you a list of products on the way to the online checkout. (With the ingenious headline: “Customers who bought what you are buying also bought. . .”)
This is why mailing list brokers place a premium on buyers who’ve recently bought, and why catalog companies ALWAYS include a flyer, brochure or catalog when they ship your product to you.
They know that buyers buy more.
To use this principle in your own business, think about items or services you can sell at the following moments. . .
Immediately after you close a sale, and
Immediately when you deliver your product or service
Take some time to think through the needs of your customers. Are there other products or services that would naturally complement what you offer?
- A website designer’s clients could benefit from search engine optimization, or print marketing materials that build brand recognition and complement the website.
- A pool builder’s customers need fences.
- A small business advisor’s clients need retirement plans, access to credit, website development, marketing, bookkeeping, insurance and a host of other services.
IMPORTANT: This doesn’t mean you should distract yourself from your core business, or that you have to create a line of new products or services. Consider creating strategic alliances or joint ventures with other small business owners who complement what you do and will pay you for these referrals – pay you with a commission, mutual referrals or even a combination.
If you don’t know what products or services your customers may want, ask them! And while mail-in or email surveys have value, if you are in a small business, there is no better way to conduct your research, than by connecting with your customer one-on-one, in person or on the phone.
Here are five good questions to ask:
- Why did you decide to start doing business with us?
- What do you think are our strong points?
- What changes would you recommend?
- What additional services or products would you like us to offer?
- What should we be doing to attract more great customers/clients like you?
Remember, to listen to the answers and thank your clients with preferably a handwritten note, and let them know that you appreciate their business AND their feedback. You may be surprised how quickly your referral business increases.
Service Availability: Most of the services reviewed by "Aus Business Review" are provided by Australian based companies and organisations and available in different Australian states and territories. These include New South Wales (Sydney, Newcastle), Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast), South Australia (Adelaide), Victoria (Melbourne, Ballarat), Western Australia (Perth, Albany, Mandurah, Bunbury, Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie), Northern Territory (Darwin, Alice Springs), Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) and Tasmania (Hobart).
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The review "MandyBass.com – Do You Want More Income with That?" was last updated on 13/10/09.
