Following-Up on the Close Date

February 26, 2021 Selling Comments Off on Following-Up on the Close Date

The last newsletter focused on the importance of following up. This month let’s look closer at why we need to follow up on the estimated close date and the importance it has in planning and scheduling. All opportunities need a realistic estimated close date so both sales and the balance of the company can plan their next actions. From the standpoint of the sales team, when the order is going to be placed drives their schedule and effort required to verify they get the order. This in turn becomes a forecasting tool for the support required from the rest of the team to successfully process the order and supply the solution in a timely fashion that meets and exceeds customer expectations.

Sales has to ask the customer for this date and over the course of the purchasing process they need to stay in contact with the customer, continually verifying this date so they know what is happening and when things change they can proactively modify their actions to stay in the game. Change comes quickly today, and timelines are quickly pulled ahead and pushed back so it is important that sales is involved and knows what is happening. Verifying the estimated close date and maintaining the opportunity log so others can see what is going on is a critical step in winning the order and in forecasting.

This forecasting drives the actions of the balance of the company. Knowing what resources and cash are required for the next week, month, quarter and year are critical decision-making tools for you as the owner and your management team. Looking at the estimated close dates in your opportunity log and planning the response required for support and materials leads to success. This success is proportionate to how well your sales team estimated the close dates, so you know when to expect the orders.

How do you teach your sales people to do this? We can help you do it. How do you get them to do this the way you need so you can use this as a tool to plan? We can help you do it. We need to talk because we can help!

“A Habit” is not work, but just a thing that is done every day and following-up on the estimated close date is critical to your success in business and can easily become a Habit.

TIME MANAGEMENT. For Top Performers every task is planned and focused on the goals that earn the results. Top Performers plan and then engage. They act on their plans, they work hard and they get results.

Coaching these skills is a critical part of what we do. We are here to help you develop and implement your Strategic Plan and coach and develop the skills to implement the plan successfully.

We are having great success coaching and implementing these methods and skills and our clients love it!