Are You Hit and Run

Snake-oil salesmen used to hit a town, sell as many people as possible, then vanish before their nostrum was found to be worthless. "The Music Man", for example, was a hit-and- run operator.
Their problem is they must keep finding new prospects, which isn't a very efficient way to survive in business today.
Nowadays, you want the customers to keep coming back. This means you can't just forget about them once the sale's made. You must build a relationship.
And not scupper it by your neglect once the sale is made.
I just dealt with a guy who did just that. He sold me on having his firm paint my house. I never saw him after that.
His painters did the job, and when it was finished one of them presented me with the bill, and a form to fill out asking, among other things, if I'd recommend them.
I wouldn't, and wondered why. The job looked fine---I had no complaints about the workmanship. So why wouldn't I recommend that firm?
It's not easy to explain, and the phrase that comes to mind is the deal "lacked closure".
Maybe I expected the guy who sold me to appear, and ask me if I was satisfied with the results. Maybe I felt neglected.
The important thing is I re-learned what it feels like to be sold by a hit-and-run operator, and thought it was worth passing on to you.
So don't mail your client his new policy. Set up a meeting to deliver it, and explain its benefits to your client all over again. Don't give him the chance to feel neglected.
It's more than being a nice guy. It's an investment in the future business you may do with him, and the referrals he can give you.
So don't be a hit-and-run salesman. It's just not smart.

Are You Hit and Run - To learn more about this author, visit Donald F. Pooley's Website.

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