Follow Up

Follow up is where many people fail miserably. Whether you just get too busy or are just unorganized, deals are frequently lost because of this. We often put a lot of time, money, and effort, into promoting our business.

We also put that same effort into developing sales and presentation skills. It would be a shame to throw away deals that may only require a phone call to confirm.

Make sure that you follow through on your promises. However you left things at your client's house should be written down immediately so you don't forget.

I suggest writing it in your appointment book while you are at the clients house talking about it.

This way you avoid sitting in your house an hour later trying to remember what you were supposed to do for that client.

If you can't follow through on your promises, then you could be taking on more work than you can handle. This will cause more damage than good. People talk. You will end up building a bad reputation. It doesn't matter how good your work is if you don't return calls to your customers.

On the other hand, don't pester customers either. Don't make numerous calls to someone's cell phone or to their house. One or two calls is sufficient. If you have left a message, give them a couple of days to return your call before you follow up. People may be busy with their daily chores or work.

You can take things one step further in professionalism, by asking them what is the best time to contact them. Make a note of this time and try your best to contact them at this time.

I am pretty sure that almost all of us have had this experience in our lives where we failed to do something we promised to do? Next you find yourself avoiding phone calls. This is bad business, and we all know it. Yet we continue to do it. Stay organized. So you don't forget your daily tasks and follow ups.

If you can't do something you promised because an unexpected issue arises, contact your client right away. They will understand this. Don't use it as an excuse after the fact.

I don't know very many landscapers that couldn't use improvement in this area.

In summary, follow up with what you promised. Deliver the service you sold them on at the first sales call. Believe it or not, this is going to set you apart from many contractors in many different industries (landscaping included).

In conclusion, be professional, organized, and presentable. Present yourself, your company, your work. Ask for the business. And always follow through with delivering what you promised.

We hope that this article has been helpful to you, and you can use it to improve or develop a sales process that works for you.

The Dream-yard Team.

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About the Author

I have never given a selling skills seminar; I have not built three fortune 500 companies. I have not coached dozens of businesses to success, I don't have a degree in economics, marketing or business, and I don't have a wall full of awards and honours. I am just a person like you that wants to share what I have learned and experienced over the years in hopes of helping you improve your business.


Table of Contents: Sales Tips

Introduction: Sales Tips

A. Selling Yourself

B. Landscaping Customers: What makes them buy from You?

C. Steps in the Sales Process

D. Asking for the Business

E. Follow Up


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