Why Great Account Managers Know When to Stop Texting (Money Monday)

0:01To going into a follow-up call, I want every important note right at my fingertips, not buried somewhere in a scribbled stack of notes. And with Plod Notepin S, I always have them because it's a wearable, portable note taker that lets me stay present and focused on customers during every single meeting. Plod captures the conversation and turns it into organized summaries and action items so I can follow up faster. And if I need a specific detail, Plod's recall has that ready for me. And that's why Jeb Sr. and I and all of Sales Gravy trusts our Plod Notepin S. Try Plod and stay focused on the conversation while it handles all of your notes.

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0:48This is Jeb Blunt and it's Money Monday on the Sales Gravy Podcast.

1:03If you like this podcast, you'll love my audiobooks, and I've got a lot of them. Virtual selling gives you everything that you need to crush it and be successful in a virtual world. So don't walk, run, and go download and listen to virtual selling today. You know, I love text messaging as a sales tool. It's fast, it's efficient, it's less formal than email, and it allows for arm's length, non-intrusive, synchronous communication that can still feel personal. There are two reasons why text messaging is such a powerful virtual sales tool. First, it's mobile. Text messaging is integrated into the mobile and wearable devices that are attached to us 24-7.

1:48These are the primary communication devices in our lives and our businesses. Everyone has a mobile phone. And for Apple users, text is even integrated across all their devices and their desktops. Number two, it's treated as a priority. One of the key reasons why text messages work so well is that most people feel compelled to read and respond to them immediately. Text messaging is also extremely versatile. You can attach videos, images, voice messages, and links to articles and resources. And when the person you are texting is not available, texting shifts from synchronous to asynchronous communication.

2:28For account management and communicating with customers, text messaging is a tremendous tool. It helps you nurture and maintain your relationships. You can keep customers updated and you can answer questions and respond to concerns quickly and on the go. It's for these reasons that text messaging is the perfect virtual communication channel to blend into your account management system and process. Text messages are an easy way to check the pulse of your accounts, show appreciation, send account updates and data, send insight and educational resources that keep you top of mind, keep your key contacts apprised of shipments and order information, be proactive in solving issues, and sending over offers and specials that allow you to upsell and cross-sell your accounts.

3:14The real key to blending text into your account management process, though, is ensuring that your text messages are intentional, they're systematic, and they're part of an account management plan. A brutal truth is that most customers are lost because of neglect. Not prices, not products, not the economy, not aggressive competitors. Neglect. And neglect happens slowly. It's something that creeps up on your customer relationships. Salespeople have a tendency to delude themselves into believing that if their customers are not complaining, then they must be happy. So they spend all their time putting out fires and dealing with squeaky wheels, all while ignoring the accounts that don't raise their hand.

3:56Now, wrapped up in this warm blanket of delusion, these salespeople swing the door open and invite their competitors in. Your aggressive competitors will not miss the opportunity to steal your accounts when you neglect your customers. You see, when you fail to proactively anchor your customer relationships, those competitors slip through and they encourage your accounts to consider other options. This is exactly why you must never lose sight of the long-term consequences of neglecting customer relationships. Relationships matter, and they must be protected against an onslaught of competitors. You must not take any relationship for granted.

4:37You must assume that every customer and every relationship is at risk all of the time. Now, I'm not saying this is easy, because one of the hardest things to do in sales is keep your fingers on the pulse of your customer base. Quarterly business reviews and other formal account meetings are time consuming, and you probably have a large account base and can't possibly meet with everyone all the time. And besides that, every single day you're putting out fires and dealing with immediate customer service issues. The good news, though, is the one secret to defending your accounts is completely within your control.

5:13All you have to do is pay attention to them. and a simple, regular, inexpensive check-in by text message can often make all the difference. And it doesn't need to be anything particularly special. You don't need a reason to tell your customer that you appreciate them. Just ask, how are you doing? What can I do to help you? You can tell them I have an idea for you or I thought you might like to read this article. Here's a link to a resource that I thought you might find valuable. Have a great weekend. Or just say, thank you for your business. You see, staying in regular contact with your customers ensures that you are top of mind and it lets them know you care.

5:52Just remember that it doesn't cost a thing to pay attention to your customers. Now, this message comes with a warning. Even though text messaging is a quick and convenient channel for communicating with your accounts, you must not allow text messaging to become a substitute for meeting with your customers by phone, video, and in person. I recently ended a relationship with one of my long-term vendors because my account manager was just texting it in. We'd always used text as a way to stay in touch, and I appreciated being able to communicate with him and quickly get questions answered or problems solved.

6:31And I'd even made several purchases after he sent me a special offer in text messages. A year earlier, though, text messages became his primary channel where we used to talk. Now he never called. He was no longer blending texting into his account management process. Texting had become his account management process. If he had an upsell or special offer, he sent it via text. When it was time to restock, he sent a text. And soon I started to feel that he was taking me for granted. He no longer needed to make an effort in order to keep my business. And this is the dark side of text messaging. It's fast and easy, but it is not a substitute for talking with people and investing in relationships.

7:16And in a virtual world, you have to be super careful because the distance between us often deludes us into believing that the relationship no longer matters. Sadly for my account manager, one of his competitors called me. She invested in the relationship and I gave her a little bit of my business. And then she did a great job. and as the relationship bloomed and she earned my trust, well, I gave her more and more of my business. And now, well, she's got it all. Chicago talks a lot. Hold on, let me step over here. People are talking too much. We debate about food, deep dish, tavern style, who's got the best beef.

7:55We yell across rooms, across blocks, across generations. Yes, nice earrings, Grammy. And now we're doing it on our phones too. Video calls from the L train, group chats that never shut up. Neighbors texting you the score before your TV catches up. Come on! Get a load of this guy. Catch up. On a dog. Yeah, we've got thoughts. Too loud? In Chicago, you're gonna hear it. Because nothing here gets built without conversation. Nothing moves without connection. So, if you think you know AT &T, it might be time to rethink that. Because their network has improved, like, a lot. So Chicago can keep speaking its mind with AT &T Wireless and AT &T Fiber.

8:35Chicago won't stop talking. Our improved network backs it up. AT &T, connecting changes everything. AT &T Fiber, limited availability in select areas. Thank you so much for listening to the Sales Gravy Podcast.

9:00I need a pack of them snaps, a handful of Fetty wops and rubber band on my green backs. Look, doll, don't be playing with my paper. I need every red cent. That's why I brought my little scraper.