Thanksgiving & Giving Thanks In Sales

As the holiday season unfolds around us, and thoughts of family gatherings, social parties, and gift giving begin to fill our minds, it may be a perfect time to examine and evaluate the bounties of the year just past.

How appropriate it is that we celebrate Thanksgiving, first. The past year has been filled with joy and sorrow. It brought great wealth as well as financial woes. It supplied affirmation of good health for some, while disclosing terrible illness to others. It welcomed new acquaintances in our lives and lost a few, perhaps, even to death.

Most of us experienced life somewhere between these extremes. Yet, we all have much to be thankful for, because everything that we experience in life is a gift of sorts. We all must take a pause from our daily routine to reflect upon what we have received throughout the year and ask ourselves how well we have treated those opportunities.

Show Appreciation

One such opportunity arises at the end of every sales call. It makes no difference, if the sale has been made or not. If the call resulted in a ‘no sale,’ the simple offering of a sincere, “Thank you,” for the customer/client’s time and attention to your sales presentation is not only professional and courteous, but it also establishes a positive conclusion to the encounter. A client is, then, less likely to throw up a barrier wall against you, your company, or discuss your visit with colleagues in a negative manner. Being professional only warrants positive comments.

When a sale is made, a “Thank you” is always expected and it has been earned by the client. You may be giving the biggest favor of your client’s life, but that client, by agreeing to the sale, has given his/her trust and this warrants your gratitude. There will never be a moment when that trust is more vulnerable or important than at that final handshake.

Review and Reflect

Every sales call offers a salesperson dozens of opportunities to evaluate their own performance. You should always question exactly why a client bought from you. What factors did the client consider important and how did your client weigh them against not buying? If the client did not buy, consider what didn’t you do that may have influenced the outcome differently; what did you leave out of the presentation; what did you add that may have swayed a client against buying? Finally, what circumstances could you have changed in order to allow the client to say, “Yes?”

The most successful salespeople always breakdown, evaluate, and categorize every facet of every sales call. With this knowledge, they build a formidable tool chest that they can use on all future calls. These are opportunities that you give yourself. Be thankful and use them well.

Is the holiday season an appropriate reason to give gifts to clients? It certainly has become a popular practice in the business community. The ethics and propriety of gift giving can be challenged, but I’d rather offer an alternative. A message of gratitude and appreciation—a Thanksgiving missive—sent to your clients for their confidence and loyalty given to you may be more meaningful and longer lasting.