It's not enough to impress customers when they first make a purchase—you must ensure every step of the sales cycle runs smoothly and gives customers what they need. Raj Jana, founder of JavePresse Coffee Company, encourages sales professionals to think about their own transactional experiences. When you buy something, what do you enjoy about the experience? What doesn't sit so well with you?

Regardless of your company or average customer sales cycle, it's crucial that you take care of your customers every step of the way. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we discuss Jana's pieces of advice for closing the sale, keeping the business and getting referrals.

Be transparent. Jana has learned through running his own company that being over-communicative is the best way to prove transparency. Customers don't mind getting several text messages or email notifications if it's about where their package is en route to them. Jana encourages sales professionals to be transparent about other aspects of your company. Perhaps create a packet of case studies or pull together helpful information about your services. Make it easy for customers to find answers to potential questions.

Train your employees for exceptional customer service. Make sure all your employees and team members have been trained on how to give exceptional customer service, says Jana. This way, if a potential customer calls with a question or gets on a sales call with one of them, they feel well taken care of. Jana suggests creating a packet of customer service values, such as "going above and beyond for customers." This can orient team members in the right disposition for all of their communications with potential customers.

Seek to understand your customer's goals on the sales call. While the customer is, indeed, making a transaction by making a purchase from you, Jana asserts that the relational part is an important investment. In a relational experience, the salesperson seeks to understand the specific goals of the customer and create alignment between the product or service and the customer's goals. Using phrases such as "I understand" and repeating their goals back to them will help the customer feel that you're creating a long-term relationship with them as opposed to just looking for a sale, says Jana.

Be as responsive as possible. Jana encourages you and your sales team to remain accessible and responsive during the sales cycle. This extends to all ways potential and current customers can get in touch with you, even in places like Yelp, Instagram, direct emails and Twitter. Other potential customers observe, too. If comments posing questions on your company's social media pages go unanswered, it seems that you don't care about helping your customers.

A customer's transactional experience gives them a first impression of your company. You can make sure it's a positive experience by following the guidance above.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Raj Jana is the founder of JavaPresse Coffee Company. His company has done deals with Daymond John of Shark Tank and been featured in various news outlets.