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FLATHEADBEACON.COM BUSINESS MONTHLY
JANUARY 29, 2014 | 35

Back in stock
BUSINESS IS PERSONAL Mark Rifey
styles
What If You Actually
this week
Customer Appreciation Sale
Followed Up?
JANUARY 18TH - FEBRUARY 2ND

DExperience Muse Styles, Women’s Boutique, &
OES YOUR BUSINESS FOLLOW your touch points / events are. You may meet our team.
Baklouti Green
up with your clients and pros- have a lot more than that, but I would be 30% off STOREWIDE
Also
Chili Fused Olive Oil
pects like you should?
surprised to ind that you had fewer.
visit the
You should probably consider what MUSE RACK
“like you should” means, before deciding NOW WHAT?
2 doors down:
whether you follow up properly or not.
Let’s analyze the why behind a cou- 50-70% of storewide
Having done that, let’s deine “follow ple of these so that my comment, “Thing
up” as continuing the conversation with is, if you do this right, it’ll help you wor- Back by popular
that particular prospect or client, in ex- ry a whole lot less about that last one,”
demand! Wonderfully
actly the context they are in with your makes more sense.
business, in a timeframe
Think about how spicy - perfect for all
that makes sense to the
things work in your busi- culinary applications
459 Electric Ave. Suite F, Bigfork | 406-837-2400
client.
ness today.
“IF YOU’RE TRYING
If a client who usu- This isn’t about you.
ally buys something once It’s about them, where TO START DOING
New
a month doesn’t buy this their interests lie, what Balsamic Flavors!
month, are you aware of needs they have right now THIS RIGHT, IT

it?
where they are in the low WOULD HELP TO
If you aren’t, it’s pos- of things in their life and/
sible for them to disap- or business. Not where START WITH THE
Mango White
pear and stop being a cli- you are.
samic
ent without your knowl- Let that sink in – this BASICS – IDEN-
Bal
edge. How many clients is not about you, what
do you have that buy your sales staf has on TIFYING WHEN TO

something every month? their mind today, where FOLLOW UP WITH
How many of them disap- you are with the month’s megranate
pear each month? Do the cash low, whether or not YOUR CLIENTS
Po
math and igure out what you’ve made your weekly Dark Balsamic
that could be costing you.
nut, etc. Thing is, if you AND PROSPECTS.”
New this week
do this right, it will help That’s the possible re-
you worry a whole lot less turn on investment of be-
about that last one.
ing able to follow up when

this event happens.
FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT WHENS
If this purchase doesn’t happen and
‘Oro Bailen’ 2013 If you’re trying to start doing this you know about it, then you can turn
Picual right, it would help to start with the ba- your service or sales team loose to make
- Oro Bailen
sics –identifying when to follow up with sure nothing is wrong or that conditions
is amongst
your clients and prospects. I call these have changed for your client. Maybe
“touch points” (meaning when to reach they don’t need to continue buying that
Spain’s inest
out and get/keep in touch), but it might product or service anymore. So be it, but
producers of
make it easier to think about if you view they may need something else. Or you
olive oil - their
them as events in the timeline your cli- may have had an unfortunate interac-
ents and prospects follow as they meet tion with them.
2012 Picual
you, become your client and continue Whatever the reason, knowing is a
was ranked #3
down that path until they are no longer ton better than not knowing. You might
your client.
ind out that you will lose them and can’t
in the world!
One more reminder, this is about the do anything about it (changes in their
Curious? Come taste!
right time for them, not you.
needs, etc.), but at least you’ll know.
Here are a few ideas for touch points:
• Someone becomes a new lead by call- ONE MORE EXAMPLE
ing, emailing, illing out a web form,
If a client pays a bill late, do you
etc.
grumble and add a service charge to
• Someone clicks on a link in an email.
their next bill without any conversation?
• An existing lead contacted you for info.
Does the service charge get added auto- I learned that hospice isn’t
• A lead bought a new product or service.
matically?
about giving up. It’s about
• A client bought a product or service.
There are plenty of ways to talk to
• A client had an interaction with your
a client about a late payment without living the fullest and most
service department.
coming of like a jerk. Maybe they need
• A client paid a bill on time.
diferent payment dates, a diferent pay- comfortable life possible.
• A client paid a bill late.
ment method or they just missed the in- What a git.
• A client paid a bill late for the second/
voice somehow because someone was
nth time.
out sick.
24/7 admissions and
• A client fails to buy something on their
Personal followups like these can individualized care
normal purchase schedule that they keep a relationship going for years, rath-
used to buy from you on a regular basis. er than letting them sour because of a
406.730.1449 Take a few minutes to consider what
misunderstanding or lack of knowledge.

140 Lupfer Ave, Whiteish
www.genesis-kitchen.com
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or

marketing problem? See Mark’s site, rescuemarketing.com, or contact him via email 406-755-4923 | frontierhhh.com
at [email protected].