IDEA: Pursue old customers: The buyer who did not like you is probably gone … or doesn’t remember.

Review the company sales records for the past ten to twenty years and make a plan to pursue and win back some of the company’s previous customers.  Buyers leave companies like every other position so chances are that now, ten years later, the buyer that did not like your firm is no longer there or in a different position.  All the things that you remember being a problem in the past most likley can be ignored or forgotten now with the passage of time.  Employees leave and the positions turn over, especially within ten years. When you have called and reached a new buyer at the old company remember these items to cover to help smooth out a potential agreement.

Persuasions to use when trying to win old customers:

• Our company has grown. It is much different.  It has grown a lot and offers a lot more to customers.  (i.e. We have seven locations versus the two you knew when you bought from us ten years ago)
• We have twice as many pieces of equipment compared to what we had ten years ago.
• We now do our own plating versus going offsite ten years ago. That helps to cut down turnaround time so you get your products more quickly than our competitors .
• We offer the following products that have been added since you were customer ten years ago (i.e. product A, product B, product C, etc.).
• Some in your company may likely still know their internal system and how it works.
• You have have a couple of people assigned to them 24/7 as they need them.
• The assigned sales rep has been instructed to give the old customer’s buyer 100% attention and to push the buyers’ jobs through the plant regardless of what else is being produced.

To encourage and motivate strong sales rep participation, pay large bonuses to those sales reps who can secure a new contract to an old customer from years ago.