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Close More Sales: Confirm every sales appointment with a PS letter or email

by Roger Brooksbank

Have you ever gone to an appointment that you had originally made by telephone, only to find that when you get there, the prospect is unavailable because they had forgotten about it? If so, then you’ll already know how frustrating it is - not to mention a complete waste of your valuable time! Worse still, this situation presents a real dilemma because, on the one hand, you know you really ought to telephone the day before, just to make sure your prospective customer is still expecting your visit; yet on the other hand, in so doing, you also know you are effectively inviting the prospect to change their mind about wanting to see you.

That’s why it’s always a good idea to make a point of confirming every sales appointment by letter or email, straight away. Nothing elaborate, just a simple letter saying “further to our telephone conversation I look forward to meeting you on such and such a date, at such and such a time, yours sincerely”. However, the crucial part of the letter is the ‘PS’. Add a PS to the bottom of the letter or email that says:

If this appointment is no longer convenient, please get back to me immediately. Otherwise, I’ll see you on the 12th.

There are two advantages to sending out a PS letter like this. First, the letter itself serves as a permanent reminder of the date and time of the appointment. Secondly, as time goes by and the appointment draws near, the PS makes it more difficult for the prospect to back out because, providing they did not respond immediately, then this has the effect of obligating them to see you as planned.


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