Do Business Well

All professional sales people keep records of their customers. Details of customers, such as names, addresses, phone numbers and other personal details are stored in a variety of ways, for example, in an indexed notebook, contact register, tickler box or on the home/ office computer. There is a very good reason for keeping this information. Your existing customers are the mainspring in developing your customer base, whether through informal word-of- mouth advertising or through referrals (sometimes known as recommendation business).

Whenever you complete a sale, before the customer leaves the home shop, broach the subject of a referral. Let’s suppose you sell a range of healthcare products including vitamins. If the customer is satisfied with her purchase, why should she not share the good news with friends? So don’t just thank the customer for the order and allow her to leave. If you do, you can’t turn that one sale into two or more. Many sales people say something like this: ‘Ms Prospect, thank you for your order. Much appreciated. There is no doubt that these health products make a difference. Many people don’t realise the benefit of supplementing one’s diet with vitamin pills. Is there anyone you know who could use these products?’

That’s the wrong way to go about it! The question ‘Is there anyone you know?’ is too broad. It’s the same as asking the customer whether there’s anyone in the whole wide world she knows who could buy food. That’s an awful lot of people to think about! Narrow the search area. Help the customer think of small groups of people who have a particular interest or need:

• ‘Do you know anyone who has a really busy lifestyle and is under pressure?’
• ‘Perhaps you know of someone who just looks tired and is lacking in energy?’
• ‘Do you know of anyone who is always catching colds and seems run-down?’
• ‘Do you know anyone who has skin problems such as eczema?’

By focusing on small groups of people you make it easier for the prospect to give you leads. Write down the referral’s name and telephone number. You can also ask for the address, but don’t make a nuisance of yourself. If she says her friend is Angela Trollip who lives in Wynberg, you’ll probably find the details in the telephone directory.

Now you can say: ‘May I mention your name when I call?’ This step encourages the prospect to give you a hearing. ‘Good morning, Ms Trollip. A friend of yours, Colleen Cook, mentioned your name. Do you have a minute?’ And you can then move on to your sales approach. Better still, if you have a really good relationship with your customer, ask the customer to phone the prospect right there and then. This really opens doors for you.
You can apply exactly the same concept when you ask people: ‘Is there anyone you know who would be interested in network marketing; someone who needs money for an overseas holiday, or someone who…’ Get the idea?

For the record, the obvious must be stated: never use a person’s name to secure an interview without their permission. Also, as a courtesy, if they give you a sales lead and it turns into business, phone them and thank them. Show your appreciation. If you are sincere and you make them feel good, this encourages them to help you again in the future.

What happens if you ask the customer if she can recommend a friend and she says no? You’ve lost absolutely nothing! But if you don’t ask, you’ll never get those precious sales leads.

Turn product users into distributors

One of the greatest sources of business is your regular product users. Many people try your products and like them but don’t actually network. Just because they don’t start their own distributorship immediately, don’t assume they never will. People’s circumstances change and, with it, the amount of time they have on their hands and their desire to make business. Sometimes, all people need is a push in the right direction. Once they have taken the leap, been to a number of meetings, been shown what to do and heard of others’ experiences, they suddenly discover that they too can network.

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