The Customer Journey: Hit the Road with a Handoff to Sales

Posted:

08/08/2016

| By:

Craig Fulton

“You don’t close a sale. You open a relationship.” – Patricia Fripp, sales presentation coach & speaker

This probably isn’t the first time you’ve read that popular sales quote, but I think it’s a particularly fitting thought for this third part in my series about the Customer Journey.

So far, I’ve shared an overview of the 6 most important steps to a successful journey and taken a look at the first one: marketing that creates awareness. Now let’s talk about step 2 – turning potential leads into real prospects and, ultimately, long-term valuable customers. On the Customer Journey, this is the moment when the trunk is packed, the tank is full, and the GPS is on. It’s time to put it in gear and get moving. Who’s behind the wheel? Your sales team.

A seamless handoff from marketing to sales is critical in establishing the right direction for your customer relationships from the get-go. Heed all the research that’s available on customer reasons for not liking salespeople – often led by lack of follow-up – and commit to never dropping the ball when it comes to customer contact. You need to meet and exceed customers’ expectations for reps that get in touch without delay and present easy-to understand proposals.

At ConnectWise, we know that can be a lot harder than it sounds for an often stretched-thin sales team. That’s why we’ve developed tools that are all about simplifying the process.

The ConnectWise® Platform provides you access to the full visibility and reporting necessary to stay on top of all sales aspects. Manage prospects by holding leads in a database until ready to be passed along to sales.

Then ensure open sales opportunities never fall through the cracks.

Create quotes and proposals in minutes
Instantly access distributor pricing
Track sales in real time
Deliver quotes online
Close deals with an e-signature

Gain insight on sales performance that leads to customer relationships with expert advice from CharTech founder Alex Rogers, as he shares best practices for supercharging your team.

Watch for my next stop on this Customer Journey series, where I’ll look at perfecting the purchase process.