Service Is the Key to Steady Sales

In 1980 when I first got into sales, service was emphasized above all else. Without providing service to the potential client before the sale, most likely you won’t close the deal. Without servicing the client afterwards, you probably won’t keep the account.

By January, 1989 I was selling computers and software, specializing in working with law firms. I was cold calling in Waterbury, Connecticut. It was late in the day and the secretary, Kathy, told me the attorney wasn’t in. I told her what I wanted to discuss with him and she virtually pleaded with me to get an appointment with him.

“We need computers here. We’re still working with electric typewriters. No memory, no nothing,” she told me. “I worked with computers at my last job and we really need them. Maybe you can convince him.”

A few weeks later I met with the attorney. I presented my case not only for him to computerize, but also for the product lines to go with it. I sent a proposal within 48 hours. A month or two later, I learned he had decided to computerize, but had decided to go with another firm.

I told the attorney that his computerization was a great decision, “I’m sorry we couldn’t do business, but if the need arises for training or if I can be of service in any other way, please feel free to call me.”

In April I got a call from Kathy: “We can’t get out of the program, we can hardly do anything with it and the people who sold us the system are no help. They say they don’t know how to use the software and so we should just play around with it on our own until we figure it out.”

She asked if I would come in and train her to use it. Of course I agreed to do so. When I got there a few days later I found the software had been installed incorrectly and that the company that sold the system had left no manuals or disks.

I called the company and told them they had better deliver the missing manuals, templates and disks within 24 hours or the attorney would take them to court. I then proceeded to reinstall the entire system and software in a directory system, and set up directories for their various types of documents. I provided a couple of hours of basic training and then left, with my check for services rendered.

Another few weeks went by when about 5:30 on a Friday night, the phone rang. It was Kathy again. “Bruce, we have a document all prepared. But we can’t get it to print. It’s critical that it gets out tonight. Can you help?”

“Well, I can try.” And we went through the process. I walked Kathy through the process to troubleshoot the problem and, after about a half hour, we got a copy printed.

An hour later I got another call from her. It was the same problem. She asked if I could come in the next morning.

“Well, I don’t usually work Saturday, but, sure, I’ll be there.”

The attorney met me at the door and said, “Bruce, thanks for coming in. Whether you can fix it or not, just the fact that you came in this morning to try means you’ve got all my business from now on.” I was able to fix the problem that day.

During the next few months, I received a few more calls, mostly just to troubleshoot a minor problem here or there. Of course, when he decided he needed another computer and software to go with it, he ordered it through me.

Then in early March of this year, I got a call from Kathy, “Jim wants to meet with you. Can you come in next week?”

We made the appointment and when I showed up I was ushered into his conference room where I was introduced to another attorney. I was told they were very likely going to merge their firms and they wanted to know, after describing their new firm, what they would need and how much it would cost.

We batted around a few ideas and I gave them a ballpark estimate of the cost telling them that “If you have me do the work, I’ll….. ” They stopped me right there and told me “There is no ‘if.’ You’re our man.”

Two weeks later they placed the order. And, true to the first attorney’s word, I have received all his business ever since.