The Problem With Salespeople ‘Touching Base’

Has anyone in business looking to sell you something ever called you ‘just to touch base’? As a salesperson, have you ever called a client ‘just to touch base’? Of course, staying in touch is important, but here’s why ‘touching base’ can be a real problem for salespeople.

One of the dangers in dealing with wisdom that has been often passed on from one person to another, is that over time the real message of the original piece of wisdom can be diluted or lost altogether.

There’s a lot of solid research that I’m sure you’ve heard of that recommends salespeople stay in touch with their clients on a regular basis. It depends on what research you’ve seen or heard, but the frequency of how often we need to keep in touch with our clients generally seems to be between 3 and 7 weeks.

The real objective of Contact Initiation Strategies.

One of the struggles that salespeople (and their managers) are often faced with is when they call their clients on these regular diarised occasions to keep in touch, neither they or their clients enjoy the experience…..and it can actually be a disconnect or disengagement in the trust building process – which is the goal of staying in touch in the first place.

The key is for salespeople to be constantly looking and researching for reasons, purpose and value possibilities for which making contact with the client, whether by phone, email or face to face, becomes more than just a diarised ‘touch base’ call.

Here are some strategies for you to consider….

* Maybe it’s an article you’ve read and want to share

* It coule be an experience that you want to discuss

* What about a question you need to ask

* Or perhaps it is an update you know will be important for the client…..

Make it your personal and professional challenge and responsibility to go beyond ‘touch base’.