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Preaching to the Converted: Keeping the Conversion Process GoingBy Stoney DeGeyter
Does the conversion process end at the point of sale? Those of us in service industries realize that the conversion process is ongoing as we have to ensure customer satisfaction in order to continue to get repeat business. But even for those in retail or selling products of some sort, the conversation may be the end of one sales process, but it should also be the beginning of another. In the service industry, once you've got a client, he or she is yours to lose. That means that unless you screw something up, they'll remain as a client for as long as there is a need for your services. But it's also your job to continue to sell to them by providing the best service possible and making sure the results are more than merely satisfactory. Cultivating your Clients Providing quality services can net you far more than just an ongoing contract, it can also provide great word-of-mouth leading to scores of referrals, which is the most lucrative form of marketing. What you say about yourself is not nearly as important as what others are saying about you. Cultivating your existing clients can result in a great source of new clients. This is also true in retail. Anytime you sell a product, name and contact information can be gathered and used to cultivate that contact, providing a means to deliver additional information about your products, offer, etc. Once a customer has bought from you; there is a good chance he or she will buy from you again, provided that the experience was positive. If you don't do any follow up, there is a good chance that you’ll miss the boat the next time that customer needs your product. So while conversions are the endpoint of a single process, with proper cultivation, follow-up and relationship building, the end of one conversion will result in many more to follow.
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