There are three practiced ways to increase the business of your products. One is to sell more of your product to existing customers (organic growth), or you can sell your products to new customers (new business) or, when possible, buy an existing product line and market share to grow your top-line sales.
During all of these business opportunities as an active marketer, you will come across several active participants in the buying process. These individuals participate in the buying process and can play an individual role or joint role in your goal to increase your business and to close the deal. All of these unique individuals you come into contact with will require some type of personal interaction. Marketers must develop a relationship with each or all of these individuals to penetrate the prospective company successfully. This includes everyone from the gatekeeper to the CEO of the targeted prospect.
Building a strong relationship at many various levels will allow these decision-making individuals (DMI’s) to trust your judgment as a sales manager and as an expert in what you are presenting. This vote of confidence will serve the marketer quite well and help to increase the closing possibility. Building a relationship and developing this rapport with your prospect requires constant communication, understanding of each of their responsibilities within the prospective company, and full comprehension of your targeted prospects' needs.
Managers that do not take the communication part of the marketing process seriously and lack the skills or common sense to follow-up with their prospect will not get the sale.
How many business cards did you collect from a recent trade show or business event? How many of them were promptly followed-up on? The skill of follow-up is a lost art, yet it is one of the easiest forms of prospect cultivating in today’s high technology society. I cover the art of follow-up in more detail with my teams because of its high importance. The act of sales communication includes returning calls promptly, answering questions, and providing timely and proper customer service. Your marketer responsibility also means that you must respect each role within an organization and understand how that role can help you in the buying process. Remember that behind every email is a person. People do business with people. Communication is the key to connecting with people – even your buyer!
