The Power of Post-Sale Account Management in Building Stronger Sales Teams

We share a compelling story about the significance of post-sale account management and its impact on building future pipelines for sales. We'll delve into four key initiatives that can transform your team's post-sales process into a powerhouse of success. So, let's jump right in!

The Story of Successful Customer Management

To illustrate the importance of post-sale account management, let's look at a real-life story shared by one of our experienced sales professionals. He recounts his experience of buying a house through a real estate agent ten years ago. Over the years, the agent maintained regular contact, providing advice on the property market and valuations. When the time came to sell the house again, the decision was easy – he chose to work with the same agent due to the strong relationship and trust built over the years. This story emphasizes the value of keeping in touch with customers long after the sale, as it can lead to stronger relationships, repeat business, and referrals.

The Five Steps of an Effective Sales Process

Before we dive into the post-sale account management phase, let's quickly recap the five steps of a successful sales process:

• Lead Generation: Attracting potential customers to your business.
• Meet and Greet and Needs Analysis: Understanding customer needs and requirements.
• Presentation and Close: Convincing customers that your product/service meets their needs.
• Post-Sale Account Management: The focus of this article, ensuring customer satisfaction and building long-term relationships.
• Postgame Review: Analyzing and learning from the sales process for continuous improvement.

Initiative 1: Brand Accountability in Post-Sale

Post-sale, your brand, your salesperson's brand, and your customer's brand are all put to the test. The customer is now tied to your product or service, and their reputation and livelihood are on the line. It's crucial to maintain accountability for delivery and ensure customer satisfaction. Encourage salespeople to stay involved during the delivery period, checking in with customers at key points to gather feedback and resolve any issues promptly.

In this age of digital media and interconnectedness, customer experiences can shape your brand perception. A satisfied customer may share their positive experience with their network, leading to potential referrals and increased credibility for your company. Conversely, a dissatisfied customer can easily share their negative experience, damaging your brand reputation.

Therefore, brand accountability extends far beyond the initial sale. Sales teams must be proactive in maintaining positive customer relationships to safeguard their brand image. To achieve this, they can leverage various strategies, such as personalized follow-ups, ensuring smooth delivery, and addressing any concerns promptly. By consistently exceeding customer expectations, your brand will earn a reputation for reliability and exceptional service, laying the foundation for long-term customer loyalty.

Initiative 2: Seamless Information Flow

Determining when a salesperson should hand over the customer to the delivery team is crucial. For simple, low-value, repetitive sales, an early handover can work well. However, for larger, bespoke deals or key accounts, keeping the salesperson involved for a longer period can enhance customer satisfaction.

To facilitate a seamless information flow, businesses must invest in robust systems and processes that allow for efficient handovers. This includes maintaining data hygiene in customer relationship management (CRM) systems, setting up compulsory fields, and measuring success and completion to ensure compliance during handover.

In more complex sales, such as those involving larger projects or high-profile customers, a smooth handover is essential. Sales leaders should emphasize the importance of salespeople being actively involved in the handover process, providing CRM briefs and engaging in face-to-face or video handovers with delivery teams. By doing so, salespeople ensure that the customer's expectations and requirements are effectively communicated to the delivery team, minimizing the risk of misunderstandings or miscommunication.

Initiative 3: Fixing Mistakes Swiftly

Mistakes happen, but how you handle them is what matters. When mistakes occur in delivery, salespeople should own the issue, fix it quickly, and maintain open communication with the customer. Avoid finger-pointing and focus on solutions. Taking responsibility for errors can strengthen customer relationships.

In a post-sale context, fixing mistakes promptly is crucial in mitigating potential damage to the customer relationship. This proactive approach demonstrates the company's commitment to customer satisfaction and allows the customer to perceive the organization as reliable and trustworthy.

Rather than trying to shift blame, sales teams should focus on understanding the root cause of the issue and collaborating with other departments to implement effective solutions. This approach not only resolves the immediate problem but also helps in preventing similar issues from occurring in the future.

Initiative 4: Meeting with Customers Post-Sale

Meeting with customers after the job is done is a powerful way to ensure customer satisfaction and gather feedback. These meetings provide an opportunity to ask for referrals and express gratitude to customers. Encourage salespeople to build strategic relationships with customers for long-term benefits.

Post-sale meetings offer a unique opportunity for salespeople to receive valuable feedback directly from customers. This feedback serves as a goldmine of insights into the customer's experience with the product or service, allowing businesses to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments. By actively seeking customer feedback, sales teams demonstrate their commitment to providing an exceptional customer experience.

Additionally, post-sale meetings provide an excellent platform for expressing gratitude to customers for their business. A simple gesture, such as a personalized thank-you note or a small token of appreciation, can go a long way in building rapport and loyalty.

Furthermore, these meetings are the perfect setting for salespeople to request referrals. Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend your products or services to others within their network. By making referral requests part of the post-sale meeting process, sales teams can tap into a powerful source of lead generation.

Listen to the podcast: The Sales Process: The Post Game Review

Conclusion

Incorporating effective post-sale account management into your sales process is a game-changer for building stronger sales teams. By holding yourself accountable for customer satisfaction, facilitating seamless information flow, promptly addressing mistakes, and meeting with customers after sales, you can foster long-lasting relationships, generate referrals, and ultimately boost your sales pipeline.

Remember, the key to success lies in developing a habit of excellent post-sale account management. So, take these four initiatives to heart and watch your sales team soar to new heights!

About the Author

Hi, I’m Ben

I’m a builder of incredible sales teams, trainer, coach and an avid believer that the best sales leaders are constantly sharpening their tools to achieve an ‘edge’.

[email protected]