How good are you at following up? As much as people struggle with getting prospects, it’s amazing how many potential prospects turn cold for one reason — a lack of meaningful follow-up.
If you think follow-up means to send the prospect an email that says something like, “Did you see my last email?” or worst yet, “just checking in,” then you need to have your email privileges revoked immediately.
Following up is an art. It’s not something that’s done quickly at the end of the day to give yourself the feeling you’ve done your job.
Check this short video on the #1 way to follow-up with a prospect:
There are 10 ways you can master following up with your prospect.
Each one of the techniques will have varying results based on the situation. We can’t expect all 10 to work for any single prospect. Rather, it’s a process of using the right one or two techniques at the right time.
1. Send an email restating exactly what they shared with you and then ask them a question about what they said. By sending back to them a note with exactly what they said, you show not only that you listened, but also that you value what they say.
2. Send an email sharing one new piece of information about a key interest they have and ask them a question about it.
3. Send an email recapping the conversation you had by using brief bullet points and state what you will be doing as the next step. Conclude by asking them to share back with you if they’re in agreement with what you wrote or if there are any changes.
4. Leave a voicemail stating a new piece of information you found and confirming the time you agreed to meet again.
5. Send a short 20-second video embedded into your email thanking them for talking with you and then recap one key point. End by stating what the next step is.
6. When you send an email to the person you met with, send it as reply to an earlier email conversation you had with the prospect. Continuing the string will help the prospect link back to you, because many times a “sales call” will wind up becoming nothing but blur within hours after it’s over.
7. Send via the regular mail a handwritten note of thanks, followed by the next step you both agreed to do. (Yes! The regular mail still exists and is a great way for you to stand apart from your competition.)
8. Call the person shortly after the first call is over and ask them to explain a little more on something they shared with you. Making the call later the same day helps to create a sense of urgency and will be soon enough that the prospect will not have forgotten what they said.
9. Watch for key news about the prospect’s company or interests they might have. When you see something, immediately call or email them with the news.
10. Send the person a PDF or a URL link with key information they would find of value and ask them a question or two about it. Ask them to get back to you with their thoughts. This approach is a great way to determine if the person is keenly interested in working with you.
This is simply a list of 10 ways to follow-up. There are many more, but the key is to do just that — follow up! Don’t wait for the prospect to call you. Be proactive. Bring value. Make the connection.
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Copyright 2018, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
2 Responses
Many thanks Mark for your great advice as usual and always appreciated.
Best regards
Barry.
Thanks Mark. l am going to implement your advise.
Kimpton