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Now announcing a radical new way for you to afford quality consulting services. Read this press release.
The Black Hole of Sales 
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Bob Ryan, About Purpose, Inc. ©2009
Yes, there is a Black Hole, a Bermuda Triangle. And it is located squarely in your sales process. It has swallowed up tens of millions of dollars of sales and left uncountable proposals sitting on conference tables. It has frustrated thousands of consumers and communicated “failure” to a like number of salespeople. That Black Hole is the Follow-up.
True story: a townhome association solicits two bids for required work on all 36 of its units with an invitation to the contractors to directly sell additional services to the homeowners. Both bids were timely and professional. Both bids were reasonable and outlined features and benefits. The board took them under advisement and a board member was given the task of determining which bid to accept. The decision was easy. And it was NOT on price.
One contractor had done an excellent job of follow up. She called to be sure she understood the needs. She called just before e-mailing the document. She followed up with an e-mail a few days after sending it, asking if there were any questions about the bid.
The other contractor? Well, who knows? Other than the bid, no follow up, no contact.
Which scenario best describes your sales process? As if it were not obvious, look at the unspoken communication from the above example.
The follow-up phone calls and e-mails communicate that the contractor is interested in getting it right, in leaving nothing to chance (such as a bid lost in the Ethernet), in helping the customer get any questions answered, in serving customer needs on the customer’s timetable.
No follow up says the contractor is not professional; doesn’t have effective procedures; doesn’t follow up on details; doesn’t care about the customer’s problems, and doesn’t particularly care to get the job. The choice on which contractor to choose is a no-brainer.
Look at your sales process. First of all, is it even written down? If it is, does it include specific steps with corresponding timelines, people responsible and appropriate technologies to be sure they take place? Does it include a way of tracking the inevitable “lingering proposal?” Does it include a review process that keeps each sale visible to the sales or management team throughout its cycle? Finally, does it include a closure step, so that if a sale is lost, there is an understanding of why and how to avoid repeats? Does it include a thank you to the customer for allowing you to bid (though unsuccessfully) on the project?
Schedule a meeting. Right now. Sit down with the appropriate people and plug the black hole of sales in your organization.