There’s a perfect storm brewing on the horizon and it’s full of wild twists and turns that bring with it headwinds of opportunities and challenges.
As the economy comes roaring back, we’re facing a unique moment when it comes to managing a successful client relationship. Pent-up demand is being unleashed on a struggling supply chain, so carefully managing clients and their projects through this season will be vital for growth and success. In this series, we’re sharing the best client tips from the pros who know how to navigate fast-moving waters and come through on the other side; today’s tip: The QTRly Connect!
If I had to share one tip that most salespeople overlook, but all uber-successful salespeople do, it’s this one. It will help you and your team advance the relationship and secure confidence with your customer, which grows sales. And it’s one of the easiest-hardest things to do. Easy, because it really isn’t difficult, and hard, because you won’t want to do it (which is why the most successful people thrive at it, they excel at doing things different): Create a quarterly connect with clients. It’s a boring tip that sounds like it’s ripped straight out of an 80’s playbook, but here’s the thing: in this crazy climate, it works now more than ever.
What’s a QTRly connect? A space for you to think ahead, glance back at the wins, and dream big with your customer. It could be a zoom meeting, an in-person meeting (if you can swing it), but it’s a once-a-quarter window with a client where you can get a clear view of your success. Three reasons why you should create a quarterly connect with clients:
You know it. I don’t have to tell you.
Importing woes are causing inventory shortages and unmitigated hell for suppliers, distributors, and their clients. And peak season for shipping (August) isn’t even here yet, all the more reason why a touch base with clients every quarter is vital.
I once suggested you should connect with clients every six months for an overview, but every six months is not enough to deal with their wild demand fluctuations plus the supply chain woes. For most of us, the busy season hasn’t even begun yet and demand is about to go through the roof. Creating a moment to talk about the projects your customer has coming down the pipe in the next six months allows you to play offense instead of defense on projects. Train your clients to come to those meetings prepared with their upcoming agenda on mission-critical projects so that you can help them (and you!) get ahead of the supply chain challenges. Use that time to educate your client on what’s happening in the global supply chain so that you will have an empathetic partner who works with you to navigate those challenges. Most of us have uttered this cry in this business, “I wish my clients would think ahead, for once!” Well, now’s your chance to help them think ahead but it’s going to take more proactive work than merely taking the next rush order. A little preparation and helping your client develop a new rhythm with you around creating the best ideas will help them get out of that rut of last-minute orders, or, it will at least mitigate some!
You are talking with your client all the time, but it’s typically triage: a rush order needs to happen now, inventory issues are affecting a project in play, resolving an order that went awry.
Most of your communication these days is panicked. What you need is a neutral environment that allows conversation with clients without the fire fighting, you need a calm moment so that you both can step back, assess the recent challenges, and celebrate the successes in light of the voluminous amount of projects you manage on their behalf.
Over the past three months, you likely saved your client’s ass over an inventory shortage or a near-misprint, or you delivered on several near-impossible deadlines, and they don’t even know it. All of that is old news, but it shouldn’t be forgotten news. By reviewing with your client the challenges and the wins, you bring to their mind the many successes you’ve fulfilled on behalf of their brand, reinforcing your value. By not taking a moment to celebrate the wins, you allow your client to only recall the problems. Celebrating the wins puts losses into context. It helps them realize you and your team win far more often than lose.
Don’t make the quarterly connect with clients boring. You are in the fun business - so bring the fun!
Have a quarterly idea kit shipped to your client before your meeting. Create a special experience with each QRTly connect by using food or a one-of-a-kind spec sample gift to anyone on their team who joins the experience. If you have a shop for this client, adopt the drop and use it as an opportunity to present spring/summer or fall/winter products. Don’t make it a boring review, make it a fashion show, an exclusive, VIP party! You can still go over the numbers, the projects, and the problems, but you also need to present new ideas, dream, and ideate over projects, and show them (by example) that you are masters at “surprise and delight.”
What the quarterly connect is not: A review of all the projects in play and a place for customers to gripe. That can happen, but you are in control of this connect, you are the captain of the ship who is there to host a party. The quarterly connect is a way for you to take control of the relationship, instead of always feeling like you’re in a situation where the tail is wagging the dog. It’s about proactive problem solving, creative thinking, and good vibes only. Mostly, it’s about reinforcing your value in a fun, educational, and inspiring way.
How about you? If you had to sit across from a new colleague in this business and share with them the one tip that most salespeople overlook but the one tip that is vital to sales growth as we head into a busier season, what would your tip be?