Does the salesperson need to be involved after the sale has been won?

With lengthening sales cycles, the salesperson is likely to be under pressure once the deal has been signed to move on to close the next opportunity.

However, the danger is that those involved in the negotiation have moved on at a time when buyer anticipation and anxiety is at its greatest.

Buyers often complain the attention, enthusiasm and commitment shown by sellers during the sales process wanes once the order is signed. Instead of the seller chasing the buyer, the situation can be quickly reversed. This happens all too often when the salesperson fails to successfully pass the baton to their colleagues.

Just as the salesperson thinks their job is done, another vital phase of the sales process is just about to begin — implementation. So it makes sense that the lead sales people handhold and support the customer at the early stages of a project.

The salesperson should never shirk the responsibility of ensuring project success. However, it is essential that they hand over the day-to-day project management and delivery to the experts. Buyer confidence depends on a smooth transition, so it is crucial that the person who takes over the day-to-day management of the project has been involved during the sales process. It is also really important for the salesperson to maintain contact with their delivery team and the buyer’s implementation team. Salespeople cement and deepen the relationship by staying in touch after the sale.

Posted by Ray Collis on Nov 16 2010. Filed under 8. Forget Closing And Moving On, Keeping Promises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry