Comments on: The Power of the Written Word/Shelley Kaehr, Ph.D. http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/prospecting/referrals/keeping_in_touch/the-power-of-the-written-word/ Selling Skills | Sales Training | Close More Sales | Increase Sales Revenue Tue, 08 May 2012 09:04:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tom Hopkins http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/prospecting/referrals/keeping_in_touch/the-power-of-the-written-word//comment-page-1#comment-37 Tom Hopkins Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:00:34 +0000 http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/?p=16#comment-37 I do not recommend asking for referrals in your initial Thank You note. You should have already asked for them when you closed the sale (having set that up at the beginning of your presentation. Including 3 cards and suggesting they might give them to friends, relatives or associates who may have the same need as theirs is OK in future notes to clients. I do not recommend asking for referrals in your initial Thank You note. You should have already asked for them when you closed the sale (having set that up at the beginning of your presentation. Including 3 cards and suggesting they might give them to friends, relatives or associates who may have the same need as theirs is OK in future notes to clients.

]]> By: Jerry Lohbauer http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/prospecting/referrals/keeping_in_touch/the-power-of-the-written-word//comment-page-1#comment-35 Jerry Lohbauer Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:41:02 +0000 http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/?p=16#comment-35 I agree with you 100%. So few salespeople today ever send Thank You notes, even when they have closed a sale, so when you send hand written notes it is a big surprise and slows the client down; which can be the hardest part. I have been sending notes for many years and have received great results. In our office most of sales reps use email (which is so static) in lieu of hand written notes which I send and they don't understand how powerful written notes by hand can be. One of the most powerful notes you can send is to the prospect that chooses to <em>not </em>purchase from you or who purchased from someone else. When the prospect receives a note from you and does not get one from person they choose to do business with; I can only say "it is powerful." I have received their future business, phone calls to say thank you, referrals which lead to business, but most of all it separates me from everyone else and I become part of their memory today and in the future. Thanks for great article. I agree with you 100%. So few salespeople today ever send Thank You notes, even when they have closed a sale, so when you send hand written notes it is a big surprise and slows the client down; which can be the hardest part. I have been sending notes for many years and have received great results. In our office most of sales reps use email (which is so static) in lieu of hand written notes which I send and they don’t understand how powerful written notes by hand can be.

One of the most powerful notes you can send is to the prospect that chooses to not purchase from you or who purchased from someone else. When the prospect receives a note from you and does not get one from person they choose to do business with; I can only say “it is powerful.” I have received their future business, phone calls to say thank you, referrals which lead to business, but most of all it separates me from everyone else and I become part of their memory today and in the future.

Thanks for great article.

]]> By: Stephen Hart http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/prospecting/referrals/keeping_in_touch/the-power-of-the-written-word//comment-page-1#comment-31 Stephen Hart Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:51:32 +0000 http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/?p=16#comment-31 Very solid tip here. I will definitely begin the process of sending Thank You notes in the future to new clients, thanking them for their business. I can't see how this would not be a great way to influence their referrals to me as well. The only thing most of us get in the mail are bills and promotions. Once a sales person gets what they want from you, they're on to the next sale. So it's truly a stand out, if you were to get a thank you note, hand written. Do you ask for referrals in a soft way in this Thank you note? And if so, would you include a couple business cards for the customer to pass along? Very solid tip here. I will definitely begin the process of sending Thank You notes in the future to new clients, thanking them for their business. I can’t see how this would not be a great way to influence their referrals to me as well.

The only thing most of us get in the mail are bills and promotions. Once a sales person gets what they want from you, they’re on to the next sale. So it’s truly a stand out, if you were to get a thank you note, hand written.

Do you ask for referrals in a soft way in this Thank you note? And if so, would you include a couple business cards for the customer to pass along?

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