Farquharson/Tedesco on Business Development: Don't Give Up on 'Lost Causes'
The "lost causes" file. You know you have one. It's filled with the customers you just know will never do business with you again. You're so sure, you haven't even bothered contacting them in over a year. Each one represents a dark moment for your company: a blown deadline on a critical print job, an incorrect billing you didn't own up to, a rude delivery person...you name it. Regardless of the reasons, the result is the same: You aren't getting their business.
Guess what? There's no better time than the present to give these former clients another shot! We know what you're thinking: "No way! Not these prospects! Not after what happened last time." To which your authors say, "Toughen up, soldier!" It's time to wipe the dust from these files and rap on those doors once more. Here are five rules to keep in mind as you call on these prospects, hat in hand:
Rule #1: Forget Price Concessions. We're guessing some of these lost causes were stolen away by a competitor with rock-bottom pricing. Perhaps you're wondering if you should bend to market pressure and give them the price they want. Let us be clear about this one—heck no! You're better than that. Lower prices may have made these customers leave, but there's no guarantee that lower prices will bring them back.
Plus, you have much more to offer than a low price. You don't sell widgets; you sell printing solutions. Your focus should be on how your company can help each prospect win more customers. That's a heck of a lot stronger than a 20 percent discount.
Rule #2: Be Honest and Be Creative. Calling on your lost causes may seem like as productive as waiting in line at the DMV. But you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. After all, your establishment has improved in the past year or two, right? You aren't the same incompetent company these folks remember. You're smarter, faster, nicer and people actually like doing business with you!
When you're trying to revive long-dead relationships, you might as well take a chance and get a little creative. Try sending them a "we've changed" letter, complete with a list of your prior shortcomings and what you've done to correct them. Self-deprecation may be just the icebreaker you need. No matter what you say and how you say it, remember that honesty may be the biggest factor in whittling down your "lost causes" file.
Back in his halcyon days as a print salesperson, Tedesco once used this sort of approach to score a meeting with a VBD (very big deal) print buyer in Washington, DC. The buyer controlled eight figures worth of printing for a large organization. Tedesco had called on the VBD repeatedly with no luck. One day, after a year of banging his head against the wall, Tedesco waltzed into the VBD's lobby. He gave the receptionist a cupcake with a candle stuck in the center, and asked her to make sure the VBD received it. Attached to the cupcake was a note: "Happy Anniversary! We've hit our one-year mark of not working with you!"
Rule #3: Time and Numbers Are on Your Side. Before you psyche yourself out about the thought of calling on your lost causes, take a closer look at them. You probably haven't contacted most of these customers in many months, if not years. We bet you a Starbucks that, since then, some of the people you jilted have hit the highway. Of those who remain, more than a few may have only fuzzy memories of what happened. Never assume that these prospects don't remember why they don't work with you. Chances are that the going may be easier than you think.
Rule #4: Ask for a Meeting, Not a Debate. Once you've sent a communication or two to get the ball rolling, follow it up by picking up the phone and calling. Ask the prospect if they're willing to discuss the circumstances surrounding your falling-out. Ask them, point-blank, "If we can demonstrate how we've improved the problem areas you outline, may we have another shot at your business?"
If the prospect grants you an audience, don't go in with guns a-blazing. Go in with a pen and paper, and an open mind. Remember that this is a fact-finding mission, not a debate.
Once you've recorded all of your customers' gripes and complaints, take a good look at this list. What do they have in common? Chances are, all of them are fixable! In fact, many of the problem areas may have already been improved. Were sluggish turnarounds a major complaint? Bingo! You've rearranged the equipment capabilities in your plant for faster throughput, and overhauled the shipping department for greater efficiency. Was sloppy customer service enough to make the former client's blood boil? Let them know that you've implemented regular training and review for all personnel in the last few months.
Contact the lost cause again with a plan of how you have—or will—address their specific concerns. Don't forget the most important part: Start talking to them about upcoming jobs you may be able to help them land.
Concerned you've made a mistake so grave that there's no way the customer will take you back? Consider this story from "How to Win Friends and Influence People." There was once a pilot who took off and immediately experienced engine trouble. He barely made it back to safety. Apparently, a ground crew member had put the wrong fuel in the tank. The pilot found that technician and said to him, "I want you to work on my plane exclusively from now on." The crewman was shocked, but the pilot explained that he wanted someone who was meticulously careful. He knew that, moving forward, the crewmen would be just that.
When discussing a painful past blunder with a customer, spin your mistake as a competitive advantage, emphasizing that no printing company is more careful or conscientious than the one that's recently messed up.
Rule #5: It's Not Just for "Lost Causes." Once you've won back a few customers you never thought you would, don't stop there. Apply these same principles to prospects you just haven't had any luck reeling in. Call them your "almost lost causes." These are the prospects you know you should be working with, but who simply haven't responded favorably to your previous marketing attempts. A different approach may be just the tonic that gets these prospects into your portfolio.
Don't be intimidated. Selling to your "lost causes" is truly a win-only situation. After all, these are the folks who you believe can't think anything less of you. Have fun with it, and see if you can't drum up some profitable business too! PI
—T.J. Tedesco, Bill Farquharson
About the Columnists
T.J. Tedesco is team leader of Grow Sales, a marketing and PR services company that has served graphic arts companies since 1996. He wrote "Direct Mail Pal 2012" and seven other books. Contact Tedesco at (301) 294-9900 or e-mail tj@growsales.com. Bill Farquharson is the president of Aspire For. Through his Sales Challenge and Tuesday eWorkshop training programs, Farquharson can help drive your sales. Visit his Website at www.aspirefor.com or call him at (781) 934-7036.
