Radio Silence

       One of the parts of my job that is the toughest is the lost sale. You hope to supply a product at a competitive price that makes it easier for the customer to do their job. As we all know, there are many things involved in the process of purchasing a piece of equipment. Add in multiple units and the leasing variable and things can get very involved. Having an open line of communication and making sure there are no questions left unanswered is the key to earning the business. But as a wiser older salesman once told me, "Every salesman loses sales!". Hopefully, the batting average is better than most hall of famers in baseball, three out of every ten at bats getting a hit!
      One of the hardest tight ropes to walk is how to stay in contact, as the process is playing out, without having a customer look at your name on caller ID and the first thing that comes to mind is, "I am not taking that call." Then you have the dreaded radio silence. If things have gone radio silent, it is almost always," I have not made my final decision," or the dreaded, "we decided to go another direction." OUCH! Like a closer in baseball or a defensive back in football, it is good to have a short memory. That is not the easiest thing to do, especially depending on how much time and effort you have exerted in trying to show you bring value, as much as the product itself. For me, I would prefer the Band-Aid approach and rip it off quickly. It is always appreciated if you fill me in on what questions were left unanswered,and hopefully the next time, I can improve. Sometimes my product was just not the best fit for your operation, but hopefully, not too often!




WJC