If your customer leases, here are a few ways to distinguish you from the regular sales people.
Many sales organizations assume that as soon as equipment is delivered the job is complete. The service organization takes over. Sales must wait for the next equipment release to sell more to their customer.
As you separate yourself from the rest of the salespeople, you can provide that little extra help that sets you apart from your competition.
- Counter-Signed Copies: Be sure that the leasing company sends your customer, copies of the counter-signed and fully executed documents. Let your customer know that you facilitated this follow-up item. Few Lessors’ send out fully signed contract packages. I assure you, at some future date; your customer will try to find their contract copies and will think of you with gratitude.
- Track Lease Expiration: At lease commencement, make note of when your customers lease expires. When the lease commences, enter into your customer management record, the date that each customers lease ends. Schedule customer calls with follow up reminders months before the lease terminates…
- Ahead of the Pack: Besides having a jump on your competition, you help your customer avoid falling into a lease automatic extension. A lease extensions means that the equipment stays and the customers rent continues longer than the original lease term. They are paying extra payments on old equipment. Your plan to upgrade that customer is delayed by the lease automatic renewal.
- Leasing Company Profits: You’d think the leasing company would send the customer a letter to tell them the lease end is approaching. They do not. It would be good customer service for you to help your customer remember that their written, end of lease notice is due. Leasing companies don’t send end notices because automatic renewals are a big contributor to leasing company profits. Lease extensions or forced equipment purchases delay your next sale and cost your customer extra money.
- Timely Notice: If your customer does not give the leasing company written, timely, end of lease notice, the customer loses purchasing flexibility and control.
- End of Lease Options: Your customer must give the leasing company notice of their intent to do one of the following:
- Purchase the equipment.
- Renew the lease for a period from a period that may be as long as one extra year.
- Return the equipment to the leasing company.
Doing a little extra work today will place you at the front of the sales brigade for more business.
Mary Redmond is a top-rated female professional speaker, author, consultant and business coach. She is a negotiation and body language expert that instills confidence, inspiration and expert knowledge that sets up her audiences for success!