It’s OK this isn’t an article about unrequited love (although it is in some way). It is a theme we have covered in some form before, but this time we thought we would approach it from the disappointed customer’s point of view.
So let’s pretend you are that customer.
The situation is one many people attempting to buy a product or service have experienced and are still experiencing, and how the companies who inflict this experience on their prospective customers are throwing money down the drain.
Imagine you have answered an advert for something you have an interest in, promoted on a leaflet that you received through your door. You contact them and requested a quote or a call to arrange a visit. They do not respond. You chase them up and they eventually respond and you receive a quote or a visit and after that; silence!
- No one from the company sends a written copy of the quote.
- No one from the company contacts you asking if you were happy with the quote.
- No one contacts you and asks for the order.
You feel ignored and decide to approach another company offering a similar product and they respond immediately. They send you a quote and confirm it in writing. They then follow it up with a phone call asking you if the quote was to your liking and ask politely for the order.
Which company would you prefer to deal with?
You must go that extra mile
So many companies lose extra income from their leaflet campaigns because they do not go that extra mile. They are satisfied with the response they get from the very hot prospects, those who respond quickly order as soon as they receive a quote.
But they ignore the warm prospects; the ones who received a quote but never ordered. “We sent them a quote but we never heard back from them, they obviously weren’t interested” is their attitude.
But they were interested; why else would they take the trouble ask for a quote?
There could be dozens of reasons why they failed to respond. The dog had to be taken to the vets, the kids were on school holidays, or they mislaid the quote and they were too embarrassed to call and ask for another copy.
A polite follow-up phone call could reveal the reason why they have not responded, and provide a chance to overcome any objections and close the sale.
It will also let the prospect know the company is one who takes an interest in their customers and goes the extra mile (something we all want to hear) and one they would be happy to use you again in the future.
So don’t let those warm prospects go cold now you know the importance of follow-up calls. They could make the difference between a reasonably successful leaflet campaign and a highly successful and highly profitable one.
