2015年的上半年无论阿连有多少不舍，还是一眨眼就过去了，很快阿连的团队就要开展年中总结大会了，everybody都see着阿连呢，所以这段时间阿连抓紧时间对自己上半年的业绩做总结，也对自己半年来跟进的重点客户做了一定的分析和总结，特别是针对那些原本合作意向非常大，但是最终却没有达成合作的客户。
The first half of 2015 had passed no matter how reluctant I am. Soon, our team will conduct a mid-year summarization convention. Everybody eyes on me, so I have to take time to do summary of performance in the first half year, doing analysis and summary of my following up to key customers especially to those who have cooperation intention but didn’t cooperate finally.
阿连一直都觉得自己挺聪明的一个人，总结起来还是发现了自己一个重大问题：过于相信客户，跟进的时候老是处于“等待”状态。阿连今天就好好展开说说这个问题：
I always regard myself pretty clever, but to sum up, I find a big problem: I believe customer overly, always in a state of “wait” when following up. Today let me talk about this problem:
跟进一个客户，从客户选择产品－报价－询问价格反馈－提供样板测试－了解样板测试结果－客户下单这几个步骤，都是紧紧相连的，每一个步骤都需要我们的及时跟进，适时提醒对方。如果非要把这几个步骤划分一个重要程度的话，阿连觉得最重要的步骤有两个，就是了解样板测试结果和客户下单。
Every step of following up customers: from choose products - quote - ask price feedback - provide sample test - get the sample test results - place order, is closely linked, which needs our timely following up and draw their attention. If you divide the steps into different important degree, I think the most important steps are these two, to get the sample test results and customer orders.
跟进和处理一件事情都讲求一个时效性，如果错过了，可能就会错失合作机会。因为有意向让我们提供样板做测试的客户都是合作意向非常大的客户，及时跟进了解客户的采购意向就非常重要了。但是如果因为没有及时跟进了解，客户恰巧搁置这个项目的话，过了最佳时期，这个时候要勾起客户的购买欲就变得比较困难了。
Timeliness is a key of following up and dealing with matters. If missed, cooperation opportunity is likely to miss. Because those who are willing to take our sample for testing must have large cooperation intention, thus, timely follow-up customers’ purchase intention is important. But if you miss the order best time because no timely follow up and customer happens to shelve the project, it will be much more difficult to attract his desire after the best time.
阿连有好几个客户都是收了样板后，会说正在做市场调查，还没能给到反馈，或者是现在正在忙其他的项目，所以现在没那么快开展你们的项目，让我们给他一些时间，到时候有需要他会主动联系你，如果你就这么听信客户，放心慢慢等的话，你可能等到的结果是客户最终没有采购需求了、又或许暂时不打算开展这个产品的项目了。
A few of my customers told me that they cannot give me feedback because they are doing market research or in process of other project after receiving our samples, hoping to get more time for them, and they will contact me once in need. If you just wait patiently, the final result you may get is they don’t in the demand of purchasing or do not intend to carry out the project of this product temporarily.
所以即使客户说需要一些时间，那在这段时间之内我们必须要跟客户保持联络，及时催促客户推动我们的项目。
So even if the customer needs some time, we have to keep in touch with our customer in this period, timely urging customers to promote our project.
那如何推动呢？如果你一味地跟客户强调并催客户下单的话，可能反而会引起客户的反感，这便需要一些技巧，比如你可以利用节日营销手法，如恰逢客户国家的某个重要节日，我们可以说提前让客户考虑订货趁在过节前做促销，有利于打开市场；如果离假期的时间比较近了，那就跟客户说最近因为某某节日的原因，很多客户都已经下了单，我们的生产线非常的忙，希望他们尽快确认订单。又或者采用旁敲侧击的方法，先跟客户的下属打好关系，让他帮我们适当推进一下，也不失一种有效方式。
How to promote it? If you blindly emphasize and push to place order, customer may be disgusted with you. Some skills are necessary, such as, you can use the festival marketing gimmick. For example, as an important national holiday coincides with customers, we can advice customer that consider placing order in advance before the holidays to do sales promotion, which is good for opening the market; If holiday comes very soon, then tell them that recently because of XXX holiday, many customers have placed orders yet, so our production line is busy, hoping to confirm order as soon as possible. Or beat about the bush, playing good relations with customers’ subordinates and let them help us promote appropriately which is also a kind of effective ways.
总之，聪明的你与我不能按照客户的套路说等就等，反而是我们应该争取主动权，想尽方式跟客户取得联络，你才能得到你想要的。
In short, smart you and I can’t just wait as customers’ wish; instead, we should strive for the initiative, trying every effort to contact with our customers. In this way you can get what you want.
