Many clients ask me about follow-up in my sales training program; those tasks that have to be completed after you've made a sales call. In my experience, follow-up is ABSOLUTELY a part of "making the deal" and will likely determine the future success of your customer relationships.

Can following up on those pesky details be annoying and time consuming? Sure! However, I personally have seen follow-up strengthen credibility, put a salesperson in position for future sales, and prove the reliability of a company. Some ways to ensure you’re following through:

1. Under promise and over deliver. Cliché, yet how many times do sales people promise the sun, moon, and stars?

2. Make notes after each visit/phone call about what the customer asked about, their hot buttons, & personal information.

3. Get action points from that conversation on your task list immediately, with due dates before you promised.

4. Ask others in your company for help with logistics, invoicing, and technical expertise to broaden relationship.

5. Write a letter or e-mail within a week of your major visits, concisely summarizing your action points.

6. Help find a solution to their problem, even if it's not directly related to your product!

7. Call to check in on product/service performance and directly ask about concerns, without looking for a sale.

8. Spend at least 15 minutes quiet time after your sales call considering creative solutions to help your customer.

If you're not asking questions about how your sales staff is following up, you're missing out on a key customer relationship tool. You may not find out about lack of follow-up until sales start falling or you hear customer complaints after the relationship is damaged. Don’t wait until it’s too late!