Catch Prospects and Clients In
The 'Change Mode'

By Fred E. Miller

Do you ever find yourself spending major time prospecting, but getting minor results?

How often does the following happen?

You and the prospect agree that your proposal can: save money, offer more features and
benefits, get the job done quicker with fewer errors, is easier to use, has intrinsic benefits beyond
the multiple cost savings; etc. etc. Your offering is a totally better value that the competitive
product/service now being used, and the prospective customer agrees - but, no sale!

The problem isn't necessarily you, your product or service, or the prospect. It could be, as we've
all heard so many times before - Timing!

FastCompany Magazine featured the subject in an issue stating how hard it is for people to
change even if their life is in danger! If humans won't change to save their lives, no wonder it's
so hard to get them to switch to your product or service, even if it's to their benefit!

So when is the best time to sell? The simple answer is when the prospect is in the 'Change
Mode'. The "Change Mode' is the sweet spot that's the best time to sell new business. Just as
important, it's also the risk spot when you're more likely to lose a client than during normal
times.

And when, you ask, does the 'Change Mode' happen?

It happens when major business activity is occurring. Activity such as: new business, change of
ownership, new location, new branch, construction, and similar things. When significant
happenings as these come along, someone in a decision-making capacity gets in the 'Change
Mode' and says, "I'm going to look at everything! I'm going to look at products and services
I'm presently using, and I'm going to look at things we've never considered before." This is the
time to be close to prospects - and closer to clients!

It is important to stay closer to clients because as a vendor, you are in a riskier situation than
normal. This is because companies are more likely to switch vendors when their business is
changing. The research shows it's far easier to keep a present customer than get a new one.
They'll also stay on longer and be less maintenance than a newly acquired one.

Too often we place an inordinate amount of time on new business, and ignore the customers we
presently service. Have you ever been blindsided when a client you've sold for years, and you
thought you were tight with, suddenly jumped to a competitor?

Investigate how it happened and you're likely to find a major business activity occurred, and
someone got in the 'Change Mode'.

How can you avoid being caught unprepared like this?Several ways:

1. One of the big buzzwords these days is Customer Relationship Management, CRM for short.
It means having a system in place to regularly touch base with customers. Clients need to know
you care about your relationship, and not just when it's at risk.
Regular phone calls, emails, postcards, and sometimes stopping in to check that 'everything's
OK' cab go a long way in the battle to reduce attrition.
CRM can be as simple as using a Contact Management system like ACT or GoldMine and
setting reminders of whom and when to contact for these client 'touches'.

2. Be aware of what's going on with your clients. Be sure you and your staff consistently ask
them "What's going on?" or "Anything new happening with your business?"

3. Read the business section of the paper and observe who's moving, expanding, adding
locations, etc.

4. Subscribe to a Sales Lead Generation Service that regularly reports the kind of major business
activity that puts people in the 'Change Mode'.

Selling new customers and working on client retention are two of the main activities that build a
good, solid, and profitable business.

Catching prospects and clients in the 'Change Mode' will make these activities profitable by
spending major time on high outcome possibilities.





Fred Miller is the president of FredCo, a Sales Lead Generation Service in St. Louis, MO.

He also speaks on Prospecting, Customer Service, Public Speaking, and Mind Mapping.

He can be reached at Fred@MasterMindMapper.com or 314-517-8772.