OldPhone-Cover

I spent five years of my life managing inside sales for an engineering firm. My customers were from all over the country so I rarely met any of them in person. Even so, friendships developed through the causal chit chat before and after the business transaction. I recognized them by the sound of their voice, knew about their families, where they went on vacation and what was happening in their business.

Today the world has changed. A lot of business gets done by email and text, but I still put my phone skills to use every day to talk to people about Roundpeg. So who do I call? Well, prospects of course, but routinely I will use the phone to touch base with former clients.

The “Non-Sales” Sales Strategy

This isn’t a sales call, but simply a chance to catch up and discover what is going on in their business. A quick chat can help you reestablish the relationship and remind them why they enjoyed working with you. Have they grown or downsized? Are they offering a different set of services than they were when you worked with them last? There’s a good chance their needs have changed since you last worked together.

Listen, really listen to what they say during that phone call. Based on what they say, this may be your chance to let them know you’ve grown as a business as well and can help them with new projects. Maybe there are services they haven’t used in the past which make sense now.

We also routinely reach out to let former clients know about updates to WordPress and other internet marketing things they should be aware of. Having one or two items of value to share makes it more likely they will be willing to answer your next phone call.

This is also a good time to get their contact information updated in your records (and do the same for them if you’ve had any changes in your information). Ask them if they’d like to be on your mailing list or attend an upcoming event. It’s a great way to keep connected even after the call.

In most cases the phone call doesn’t lead to a sale immediately, but it often opens doors which lead to new opportunities down the road. So if you’re a past client, don’t be surprised if you get a phone call from us. And don’t wait for the phone to ring. Go through your old book of business contacts and call your past clients.

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