Many salespeople are guilty of “hit-and-run” selling. They get the order and then disappear until the renewal is due or they want to upgrade the customer with additional products or services.

Successful sales professionals understand a fundamental, yet basic concept: The cost of keeping a customer is far less than the cost of bringing in a new customer. They intuitively know the importance of staying in touch with everyone impacted in the purchase decision throughout the lifecycle of the relationship. Reinforcing, communicating and reviewing the purchase decision throughout the relationship will not only help to solidify the business relationship over time, it will increase the likelihood that they will retain their customers.

The business of “sales” isn’t simply the acquisition of new customers; it is also the renewing and reselling of your existing customer base. A top sales professional that I work with once told me that he wasn’t in the sales profession; rather he was in the “customer success business”. The sale of his product and service was a derivative result. A key aspect of your role as a salesperson is to maintain and grow the revenue from your existing customers. Losing customers is akin to losing a key corporate asset.

People are satisfied when their needs are met and value is realized from their purchasing decisions. Checking in from time to time shows customers that you see them as more than just a series of commission checks. It also justifies the trust they put in you in the first place, which makes the buying process a lower-risk proposition and sets you up for a successful second or third sale.

So what if you find that it’s been months since you last spoke to a key customer? What if the “champions” who originally decided on your solution are no longer in their original positions?

When things change over time in your customers’ worlds, and they will, the ValueSelling conversation can be used again and again to reconnect to the new players and executives in your account. Remember the fundamental principle in ValueSelling, “People need a reason to change.” Now they will need a reason to change away from your company. Proactive communications, review of business issues, uncovering new problems that you are uniquely positioned to address with your solutions are key aspects to customer retention.

Value in the past doesn’t necessarily guarantee value in the future. Once a need has been satisfied or problem has been solved, it is no longer a motivator. Yet most sales people don’t approach renewal sales with the same rigor of sales process that they do new business. That is a trap that you can avoid with ValueSelling. Use the process for both your renewals and existing customers to ensure that they keep doing business with you and your company.