May is a huge month for birthdays in my home and at the office. No fewer than 6 celebrations occur each time this year, not the least of which is mine and my youngest daughter's. As I sat contemplating the fun we had this weekend, I was suddenly hit by the memory of a simple yet effective strategy I used during my retail sales career.

It all began with my commitment to follow up. I was dilegent at contacting every customer I’d met by phone, e-mail and regular mail. One of the more successful strategies I used for follow up was to send out Birthday Cards to everyone, including those who didn’t buy a car from me. Since it was our practice to log every customer, and photo copy their driver’s license before test driving, it wasn’t difficult to obtain the address and the birthdate.

Here’s a sample of the type of phone call I would get regularly:

Phone rings:

"Hi, this is Gene and I can help you!"

Customer:

"Hi Gene, this is Karen Jones, and I just wanted to thank you for sending me a birthday card. Do you know this is the only birthday card I’ve gotten in the mail this year? And I’ve never even heard from the salesperson I bought my car from, but you keep in touch with me regularly. When it comes time for my next car, I’m coming back to you!"

These customers were sincere and honest about coming back. Many of them began sending their friends to me, which is one of the more significant reasons for my sales success.

Why not give it a try? People need people who care. Even if it doesn’t result in a sale, you will be doing good for someone by helping them celebrate a special day. It will also make you feel better about yourself. This stimulates a positive mental attitude, which helps you sell more cars.

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