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1 86 Your Idea, Inc.

Follow Up

The unofficial eighth step for fulfilling orders is to follow up on
the account, especially if it's a large account. Just because you've
shipped the order doesn't mean you're done with your end of the
bargain. Make the most of the account; offer great customer service.
Here are some ways to do that:

• If your product would be good for in-store promos (like makeup
demonstrations or taste tasting), ask if you can do one in your
area or at a high-volume store.

• Keep on top of the big accounts and be proactive if sales aren't
what you were hoping. See if you can find out what the prob­
lem may be and offer a solution. For example, when Moisture
Jamzz Moisture Gloves were sold through a very large chain and
we weren't getting reorders from a particular region as quickly
as usual, we went to look at those stores (or in some cases, we
asked friends or family to look in their cities). We found that
those locations had our gloves almost hidden in bins. The other
stores had them hanging on hooks in plain view. We asked our
buyer for help in getting them out of the bins. As soon as that
happened, they sold swiftly again.

If a customer is late in paying, it's okay to speak up. If it's
small account and the owner of a store placed the order,
that person and let him know that you are checking on

"the status of a past-due invoice" ("open invoice" sounds
less harsh, but the point is that it is late). Then provide the
purchase order number, the invoice n umber, the amount
due, and the date shipped. He will let you know if he already
sent the check or he will cut the check right away. If it's a
larger chain, ask to speak to accounts payable. Or you could
always e-mail or fax the past due invoice with a note saying
the same.