Buyer's remorse

A few years ago when I sold credit card processing I closed a deal with a video store and headed back to my office. On the ride back I received a frantic call from my "newest" customer.

"Sally so and so from Brand X credit card processing called right after you left and said her rate is much lower than yours...please cancel my contract." She blurted this right after I said hello.

Sally was telemarketing from California and had been well trained to blow up any situation with a prospect who had just signed on with someone else (me).

When I had the opportunity to speak with my new customer I asked her a few questions...

• Who did Sally represent? At first she couldn't recall.
• Where geographically was she calling from? She had a California phone number.
• Will Sally come and see you and review her contract? No, she will email the info to me.
• Do you want to work with someone in your own town versus a voice on the west coast? Absolutely.

My customer came in off the ledge and the deal was saved. The moral of the story is that buyers do have remorse on occasion and will behave in this manner. Can you nip this in the bud while still with the customer?

Depending on what you sell you may want to deal with potential remorse right on the spot. I could have told my new customer that she would likely hear from competitors on a weekly basis and reinforce the reasons she was working with me.

The sale is the sale when you have signed the paperwork, delivered the product or service and had the invoice paid. Don't celebrate too early.