Five Minutes to a Sign Sale

Five Minutes to a Sign Sale

What is the easiest way to get your next channel letter sign sale? Let’s answer that question with another question. What was the first thing you did after your most recent signage sales appointment? I’ll bet you logged that appointment into your contact management software. You also probably wrote some notes into that software regarding how that meeting went, what the customer’s priorities are, and when your next call will be. What else did you do at that point? I’d like to suggest using a more traditional media. The U.S. Postal Service. In the form of a hand written thank you note.  Does that sound old fashioned? You bet.

However, nothing else has quite as much impact for something that literally takes 5 minutes of your time. This needs to be a hand written note mailed through the postal service – NOT AN E-MAIL. It does not need to be lengthy – something like this will be fine:

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you for your time today. Your new business will look great with the channel letter signage plan we reviewed. I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Wile E. Coyote

Acme Sign Company

How does a hand written thank you note help your chances? First, it differentiates you from the competition. If you are the only sales representative who takes the time to send a note, then you have successfully positioned yourself as a caring professional. Someone who would probably do a conscientious job with the channel letter project.

Second, it provides the potential client with something tangible. People often keep handwritten items. When the time comes to make a channel letter vendor selection, who has a better chance of winning the project – the representative who wrote a thank you note, or the one who didn’t? You know the answer.

Third, it helps to build your client relationship. You never know what level of impact a hand written note will have, but you do have a better chance of building a productive business relationship with someone who perceives you as professional and proactive. Fourth, handwritten notes indicate effort. You can’t just type a message into your computer or smartphone, hit “send” and be finished. It shows that you took the time to write the note, address the envelope, pay for the postage and get to the mail box. Something your competitor probably wasn’t willing to do.

Last, it humanizes your presence. You are no longer just a number in the sales crowd. After mailing a note, you are now a human being who wants to help the client with their needs. That is a powerful selling factor. So send a brief hand written thank you note after each sales appointment. You’ll sell more signs.