The #1 thing your business is not doing that is costing you 50% of your business.

What is the #1 thing you are not doing? What could possibly be costing you 50% of your business? That's crazy!

When I started business coaching, one area I knew I could affect was, FOLLOW THROUGH. I knew that whenever I called a small business for a product at least 50% did not call me again. It did not matter if I said straight out, I need to buy XYZ and I am calling you to see if you can help me.

A new "Customer Service Benchmark Report" released by SuperOffice also revealed some interesting and compelling statistics. I would even call their findings scary. As you read this information, you are going to hope you are on the right side of the statistics.

The report starts by citing past research that states 80% of businesses believe they provide excellent customer service, but only 8% of customers agree

? 99% of companies did not follow up after the interaction with the “customer”

Now that seems ABSURD! Doesn’t it? But there were only 500 companies polled so yours probably was not one of them.

Ninety-nine percent of companies did not follow up after the initial interaction with the customer – A follow-up to a conversation is the perfect opportunity to “tie a bow” around the package, the package being how well you handled the customer’s request, question or complaint. Follow-up is an extra touch point that can add value to the relationship. Of the 500 companies surveyed, only 41% responded, and of those, only three followed up after the interaction. Two of the companies sent a survey to ask how they did. Only one company followed up to simply ask if the customer was happy. Once again, the bar is low … very low!

Now tell me, when you started this article and I said you are losing 50% of your business, you thought I was losing my mind. The polling says 99%.

I know, that seems way off. Especially for your company so I will ask you to stay with me and actually reply. What is your process after you receive that initial call that someone is interested in your product?

What I am asking is this, someone calls, someone (go ahead, write down who in your organization takes those calls.) takes the information.

Then what is the next step? Go ahead, write that down right now. Don’t skimp on me.

Write it down. If you are so damned confident that your company does not have this problem why are you afraid to write it down?

OK, so Martha takes the initial call for information. She gives that information to ??? (The number one problem in most small businesses is they do not even have a MARTHA!)

And here is the important part, she gives that information to Bob and she writes it in her log book of calls taken with all of the information, name, product of interest, ph #, address, best time to call back, who she then gave this information to and how she gave it.

Then there is also an area that she MUST fill in and that is when did Bob call the client and actually got in touch with someone and the result. (Bob must report that back to Martha)

Martha then records that information into a separate place for the managers to follow up with Bob to follow this sale. (if it is missing, guess who isn’t making those call backs?)

But wait, you are not even close to being done with this. Did you think you were?

Now Bob has the info in his book. He calls at the times the prospect offered. How many calls does Bob actually make? Do you have a place for each call? Date, time, result? That Bob completes?

Then when Bob actually makes contact it goes into another book (possibly). What was the conversation? Appointment Date & Time with whom and their phone number. Actual results.

Then if Bob was able to make the appointment is there a place for Bob to record an appointment confirmation call & email? So he will never be stood up but will always get a confirmation before he heads out to meet them. This could be two days before, the day before or the day of the appointment.

Does your company do this? Go look, right now. I dare you.

Has Bob been trained on this call? Does he have the script ready? Is he personable, asking the right questions, verifying specific information in addition to the name address and phone. Does he ask what kind of week they are having? What expectations will they have when he arrives? Are they prepared to purchase if he offers them the products at a price they have in their heads? What is that price? (Ok it is better scripted than this but you get my point.)

The REASON for the appointment should have been covered on the initial response call. Why they called, what they are looking for, who else have they contacted, have they made appointments with other companies. When is that appointment (But as you should note here, this will probably never be a problem because most of your competitors do not have my system in place and do not return those calls, ever!)

Does your manager/supervisor watching over Bob and all of the other Bob’s have their own log books showing what each and every sales person is doing with each and every call and is your manager/supervisor following through to make sure every call has been contacted as it shows in the book?

Steve, we do not have time for all of this kind of thing. That would take forever. We are busy. And that my friends, is why most businesses are losing 50% of their business.

Now is the next step in this process. Does Bob call to confirm and they have changed their mind? Is there a place to put the reason into the log book so the manager can call those same people and re-affirm that there indeed was a reason for their cancellation.

If Bob does get the appointment is there a place for him to post what exactly happened at that appointment?

When it is all done there should be a trail of at least 4 phone calls and maybe as many at 20 so you can see and check all of the reasons you are not closing business. What was their choice and why if there was a different choice made for either a sale or a refusal with the reason you lost that business.

When you know, according to this survey 99% of all small businesses do not do this type of reporting you have to ask, why? Because you are losing as much as 99% but let’s just conjecture it’s 25%. Think of making 25% MORE sales than you are making right now. Would that change your business?

If your company was closing 25% more sales you could hire a Martha and a Bob!

Would you like help putting this in place for your business? Along with many more profit building processes and services? Imagine what your company could be making if …

A great business coach makes sure your procedures are reflecting the success you need in order to achieve your goals.

Maybe we should talk.

I am Steve Sapato, the most famous unfamous speaker in America and damn fine business coach.

[email protected]  www.profitbuildercoaching.com