Sales Eye: When the client comes to town
If your company has an impressive headquarters or manufacturing location, then getting your prospect or customer to visit can be one of your greatest sales tools.
Lynka has the most modern production facilities and logistics center in Poland. When customers come to visit us, our success rate is probably 90 percent. What's our key to success?
First of all, we are all aware what a great opportunity it is when a client visits us. We know our success rate. Therefore, we take it seriously. Our account manager informs his boss of the desire to invite a client to Kraków. The sales director then informs HR of the plan. After that, everyone knows their role:
A warm and professional welcome
Our receptionist knows an important guest is coming. She makes a "Welcome Microsoft" sign for the front door. She greets them warmly, and makes them feel at home from the very start. She offers them a drink. The host of the visit (usually the AM) comes downstairs and greets them personally, escorting them to the conference room.
A well-designed conference room
Our CR is a pleasant place to meet. We designed it that way. There are hundreds of cool samples, some of our best prints hanging on the walls, and many awards and articles proudly displayed. More basically, we keep the CR neat and uncluttered - never ugly boxes lying around. There are good quality drinks and snacks already on the table. You feel you are in good hands.
A fun presentation and tour of the HQ
This is the substantive part of the visit. We try to make the presentation short and captivating, and the tour interactive and exciting. We show lots of samples. We set up a place for the clients to print their own T-shirt. We don't tell them, but show them why our quality is better. We introduce them to our regular workers along the way, so they can see that our talent is our people - not just our machines.
Gracious and professional
This is the best way to describe our attitude. We are not too serious - our approach is to treat the client as a friend. But we do try to overwhelm them with professionalism and grace. If the president of the company is in town, we always arrange at least a few moments for him to spend with the clients, either showing them around, or at least greeting them in the conference room.
A tasteful small gift
Anyone who comes to visit leaves with a nice small gift. It might be one of our decorated products, or maybe a Polish gift basket including a bottle of vodka, a guidebook on Kraków, and a promotional item with our logo. The smile on the client's face will tell you if you chose wisely.
International visitors
When it comes to international visitors, we pull out all the stops. We always meet them at the airport, help put them in a nice hotel, and spoil them throughout their stay. We want their heads to spin after the visit. We want to hear those magic words: "Wow. We never knew a company like this existed in Poland."
Show them a good time
If the client is spending a night in Kraków, we always arrange for a night out. Depending on the guest, it might involve dinner and drinks, or some entertainment, such as a jazz club. If we have time, we show them around Kraków - especially our international visitors. Our thought is "if they love Kraków, they will want to come back - and the best way to do that is by developing a relationship with Lynka." If it's only a day trip, then make sure you order in a nice lunch from a good restaurant.
This is your best chance to show your stuff. Get it right and you've got yourself a well-deserved new client.
John and Matt Lynch
-"The Sales Brothers"
Lynka has the most modern production facilities and logistics center in Poland. When customers come to visit us, our success rate is probably 90 percent. What's our key to success?
First of all, we are all aware what a great opportunity it is when a client visits us. We know our success rate. Therefore, we take it seriously. Our account manager informs his boss of the desire to invite a client to Kraków. The sales director then informs HR of the plan. After that, everyone knows their role:
A warm and professional welcome
Our receptionist knows an important guest is coming. She makes a "Welcome Microsoft" sign for the front door. She greets them warmly, and makes them feel at home from the very start. She offers them a drink. The host of the visit (usually the AM) comes downstairs and greets them personally, escorting them to the conference room.
A well-designed conference room
Our CR is a pleasant place to meet. We designed it that way. There are hundreds of cool samples, some of our best prints hanging on the walls, and many awards and articles proudly displayed. More basically, we keep the CR neat and uncluttered - never ugly boxes lying around. There are good quality drinks and snacks already on the table. You feel you are in good hands.
A fun presentation and tour of the HQ
This is the substantive part of the visit. We try to make the presentation short and captivating, and the tour interactive and exciting. We show lots of samples. We set up a place for the clients to print their own T-shirt. We don't tell them, but show them why our quality is better. We introduce them to our regular workers along the way, so they can see that our talent is our people - not just our machines.
Gracious and professional
This is the best way to describe our attitude. We are not too serious - our approach is to treat the client as a friend. But we do try to overwhelm them with professionalism and grace. If the president of the company is in town, we always arrange at least a few moments for him to spend with the clients, either showing them around, or at least greeting them in the conference room.
A tasteful small gift
Anyone who comes to visit leaves with a nice small gift. It might be one of our decorated products, or maybe a Polish gift basket including a bottle of vodka, a guidebook on Kraków, and a promotional item with our logo. The smile on the client's face will tell you if you chose wisely.
International visitors
When it comes to international visitors, we pull out all the stops. We always meet them at the airport, help put them in a nice hotel, and spoil them throughout their stay. We want their heads to spin after the visit. We want to hear those magic words: "Wow. We never knew a company like this existed in Poland."
Show them a good time
If the client is spending a night in Kraków, we always arrange for a night out. Depending on the guest, it might involve dinner and drinks, or some entertainment, such as a jazz club. If we have time, we show them around Kraków - especially our international visitors. Our thought is "if they love Kraków, they will want to come back - and the best way to do that is by developing a relationship with Lynka." If it's only a day trip, then make sure you order in a nice lunch from a good restaurant.
This is your best chance to show your stuff. Get it right and you've got yourself a well-deserved new client.
John and Matt Lynch
-"The Sales Brothers"
