Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on following up with a customer after a sale in English.
In sales, your work doesn’t end when the customer agrees to buy what you’re selling. Good salespeople understand the importance of following up, of making sure the customer is satisfied, and of helping them understand their new product or service. After all, happy customers continue to be customers, and selling more to existing customers is easier than finding new ones.
How exactly do you make sure customers are satisfied? For one thing, you might need to reassure them that what you’ve sold them is the right solution. They might worry about quality or reliability, and it’s your job to tell them clearly that they have nothing to worry about.
But sometimes a customer has a problem with their product, a problem that you need to resolve. In this case, it’s important to state confidently that they’ll have a quick solution. Besides these kinds of worries, it’s very helpful if you can show the customer how their product works using clear language. You might also provide extra tips that improve their experience with the product. And finally, we often discuss things the customer shouldn’t do when using the product.
In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a post-sales follow-up conversation between Aaron, Eva, and Dave. Eva is the manager of a hotel with a new café, bar, and restaurant. Aaron has just sold them refrigerated coolers for the café and bar. And Dave is a contractor working on the hotel’s renovations. Aaron is talking with Eva and Dave to make sure everything went well with the installation of the coolers.
Listening Questions
1. What does Aaron promise when Dave points out that there is a “kick plate” missing?
2. What special tip does Aaron share on cleaning the display cases?
3. What expression does Aaron use to caution Eva against forcing the glass door open too far?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on dealing with setbacks near the end of the sales process.
Working in sales can be really tough. Sometimes you put a lot of hard work into the process but still things don’t work out the way you want. You might understand your customer’s needs and propose a great solution. But still, some customers might not see the value of what you’re offering.
In some cases, that means they decide not to buy what you’re selling. In others, it means they don’t completely accept your price or terms. Whatever the case, you’ll need to be prepared to deal with these kinds of setbacks. After all, a good salesperson is not just a good talker, they can adapt and face challenges with confidence.
One part of dealing with setbacks is responding to the bad news with understanding and a positive attitude. Tell the customer you understand their concerns and let them know you’re still interested in doing business in the future. And you should be careful not to use language that shows disappointment or frustration.
If you have to negotiate on the price or terms, you need to proceed carefully. Sometimes you might agree with hesitation, making sure to tell the customer why something might be difficult. And sometimes you’ll need to stay firm, while remaining polite and friendly. It’s also a good idea to know the language we use to offer something, such as little extras that will make the customer happy. And finally, at this point in the sales process, you will often have to discuss or make suggestions about the schedule and timelines.
In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Aaron, who works in sales for a commercial refrigeration company. Aaron has been trying to sell cooling systems to a hotel undergoing remodeling. He has offered some great solutions and overcome some obstacles, and now he’s about to hear the customer’s decision. Aaron is talking on the phone with Eva, the hotel manager.
Listening Questions
1. How does Aaron respond when he first hears Eva’s decision?
2. What does Aaron emphasize about the deli cases in response to Eva’s concerns about the price?
3. What extra does Aaron offer to Eva to help push her to accept the price?
Companies may seek ongoing funding through debt financing, or loans, which require collateral. Or they may use factoring and lines of credit to access cash quickly. Other sources of funds include crowdfunding and public offerings, in which a company sells shares.
All companies need to raise capital to begin operations. These startup companies may choose to bootstrap the company using personal funding to provide seed capital for the early stages. Or they may seek out angel investors and venture capital by offering equity in rounds of financing called series A, B and C. They may also seek out strategic investors for extra capital and advice.
