Best way to grow your sales team: account reviews
Do you have a great salesperson right under your nose?
Do you think you have an employee who could be the next company sales person? Or maybe we want many employees to take a try at sales – here is a way to see who can and who cannot- account reviews.
Most people respond the same when I suggest this: Account reviews? Why, how, what will I say? What will they say? Review what?? The list goes on. Let me ask you a question. Have you had any changes in your personal or professional life in the last one or two years? Reflecting on my past couple of years, I can tell you, changes are abundant! I have 2 new grand babies, a new job, a new home, a few extra pounds of weight, and a new hairdo. I think the only thing that has stayed the same is how I take my coffee. So, sure, I need to review plenty of things. The same is true for your clients.
The best way I can explain doing account reviews with clients is to relate it to the dentist. I don’t miss my bi-annual appointment with my dentist because I don’t want anything to go wrong. I know that my dentist is the expert and I listen to what he says and I follow along. More often than not at the end of my appointment he tells me that everything looks great and that he will see me again in 6 months. I schedule the appointment before I ever leave his office. All businesses should be run that way.
Why should we do account reviews?
1. Intercept any needs. My dentist knows that I want to be healthy, so he visits with me every 6 months to make sure I am healthy.
2. It is just good customer service. And as a bonus, when you give good customer service, you get recommended by your clients to their friends and family. I have recommended my dentist to at least 20 people.
3. Build trust. It is imperative that we are 100% trusted by our clients. When we are trusted completely we don’t have to worry about another professional taking our clients and if we ever have to deliver bad news (maybe a cavity), we have a strong enough relationship that we get through it somewhat painlessly.
If you can get an employee to schedule account review appointments, then you have the makings of a good salesperson. Start with a list of current clients, review a little background with your employee so they have some talking points, and send the employee to the telephone and have them make appointments to conduct account reviews. Great account reviews are done in person, but with our technology and time restraints, account reviews can be done in a manner of ways; in person, telephone, facetime – all work and all work well!
The next question to be answered is “What do I say to get them to agree to an account review?” Let me share how this conversation will go:
“Hello, John? This is Mary Ropp, do you have a minute or two that I can bother you?” (John, always says – “you are not a bother.”) I then say that I would like to schedule a time to look over his account with us. I share that we all have changes and I want to make sure we are doing a good job for him and his family. Would he be willing to go through the motions and let me ask a series of questions? It is painless and if there are no changes it will only take 15 minutes. If we have changes then we will discuss and that should only take 30 minutes.”
The goal is for your employee to schedule a few appointments from the list you handed them.
If this is a junior employee, I suggest holding joint appointments so the young employee can learn from a senior employee. This conversation would go like this:
“Hello John, this is Amanda from Mary Ropp’s office. Mary would like to visit with you and review any changes in your life for your account with us. Would you have 15 to 30 minutes we could schedule with her?” Sometimes people will push back a little bit. Have them explain the same as above- how we all have changes in life and this activity is standard practice.
What industries do I think reviews work for? (All of them.)
Construction type – “Hello, I know we painted (carpeted, power washed, added on to) your office (deck, garage) last year. Are there any other spaces you are considering? Perhaps we could meet and review your goals and I can give you an estimate?”
Realtor – “Hello! I hope you are enjoying your home. It has been 2 years, would you like an update on the surrounding neighborhoods and what the market is doing?”
Finance – “Hello! I am calling to talk with you about changes in your life that affect your banking, insurance, investments, retirement…etc.”
Normally, people relate easily to our own personal changes. When I share all the changes I have had in my life, it normally reminds them of changes they may have.
Account reviews not only grow sales people, they actually grow business too!! Happy selling!