Over the last few months, sales have been tough for most businesses. We asked our list of premium dealers how they fared during the front-end of the COVID-19 crisis and more specifically, what sales looked like in April, as that was the month many appliance dealers were forced to drastically limit access to their showroom or even completely shut down.

What we uncovered was pretty amazing – and also pretty simple.

The highest performing dealer we talked to only dropped 20% in sales while their showroom was completely shuttered to clients. Other dealers experienced losses of up to 80% during this time.

So what was the difference? Proactive phone calls. The management of the showroom that limited their drop in business had their sales team call all clients who had active orders or quotes in their system. They were relentless and it paid off. With that one simple tactic, they retained 80% of their business through one of the worst financial months in history.

The next time your sales team is waiting for someone to walk in the door, remind them that taking a minute to call customers who haven’t yet made a decision can become a true catalyst of growth.

As business ebbs and flows in the months to come (and it will), make follow-up phone calls a part of your sales teams’ routine. Have them check in on customers past and present. Be strategically relentless. Your bottom line will thank you for it.