Thanks When You Get a No Thanks
It can be rather discouraging when you lose a job that you think you are going to get. I’ve been there many times. The sales process is moving along just great and then, out of the blue, the prospect goes with someone else. Typically it might end with, “Thanks for the time but we went with someone else.” Do you typically respond when you get a “No thanks” response? Most of us might respond with, “best of luck” or “thanks for letting me know” or get so frustrated that we do not respond at all. You can also try this little tip that I have found helpful.
Send Them a Heartfelt Thank You Note
Once you get over the initial shock of losing something you think you had sold, dust off the disappointment and send them a heartfelt thank you note and/or gift. The gift is very optional and depends on your type of business. The note, is non optional. That can be done informally through email or bumped up a few notches to a handwritten note. You might also want to wait a few days for things to cool down.Yes, It Is Still Marketing
Some of you who read my blog often know that I write about things that might not appear to be marketing topics. Yet, this and most of what I write is actually marketing. Everything you do in your business is marketing: good and bad. So this tip is a good way to “market” yourself as a person or company that is trustworthy, genuine and so on. Of course it must be done with sincerity. Keep your notes short and right to the point. It might sound something like this,I wanted to just write this little note and say thank you for giving me a shot at your ______ project. I don’t expect to win every job, and I trust that the company you selected will do a great job. Thanks for letting me know the outcome as well. I don’t always hear back. If I can be of service to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will remain, at your service.Have you had success with writing these types of notes in the past? Have you heard back from your prospects? I typically do when I’ve done this approach. I can only remember one time where someone did not like my follow up. Every other time, I received a very positive response back.
About David Chism
David Chism started his business out of a passion for helping small contracting businesses grow, be more profitable and become better known to their target clients. One lifelong hobby of David is using techie gadgets. So this blog is a place where he writes about technology, marketing ideas, just for fun (humor), personal thoughts on small business and more.
