~by Haley Lynn Gray~
Following up is one of the most critical pieces in the sales process. It works, yet it is one of the pieces that people tend to put off, ignore and do the least. I’ve certainly been one of those chief offenders myself at various points.
Following up with prospects can be a pain. You may feel like you’re nagging someone, or perhaps that you’re bothering them, or that you don’t want to be obnoxious.
What I’ve learned over the years is that we don’t follow up nearly enough. A follow-up doesn’t have to be pushy or obnoxious. It is just another step in the “get to know you” process. A follow-up gives you the opportunity to get to know the client, their pain points and where they are in their lives. Ask them what questions they have. Let them know that you’ll follow up, and schedule the follow up call with them on the phone.
Usually the concern that we are being pushy or obnoxious exists only in our own minds and doesn’t really have any foundation in reality. But that doesn’t stop us from putting off the follow-ups.
It’s easy to allow ourselves to get mired in all the busy work, and just not bother to follow up because there are thousands of other things to do. You may have to follow up with a prospect a dozen times before they will agree to become a client. That can be so frustrating, so we engage in other activities that are less frustrating, like writing blogs. Yet, the follow-up is where we actually get clients, and income, so it’s a vital component.
Create a schedule for follow-ups after your initial contact. Depending on your industry, the schedule may vary, but I’m a big believer in follow-up at a day, a week, a month, and every three months after that. Don’t be afraid to use a variety of different methods to follow up – email, phone calls and texts are three that you can easily use, and should use.
The general recommendation is that you follow up with people until they either tell you to go away, or they die. Keep following up even after they’ve become a paying customer, as they’re much more likely to become a repeat customer. That’s a good thing, right? Income, customers and repeat customers is how your business is built.
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Meet the Author: Haley Lynn Gray
Haley helps female entrepreneurs create a strategy plan for their businesses – so they can make enough money to spend quality time with their family, pay for their children’s dance lessons, pay bills – and not worry about where the next client is coming from.
Haley is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Leadership Girl. She helps other entrepreneurs build their businesses by sharing the benefits of her business education and experience through Business Coaching.
Whether you want to get a new business off the ground or expand an existing business, Haley can assist you.
Connect with Haley:
- Work with Haley: https://leadershipgirl.com/work-with-haley/
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Leadershipgirl
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleygray
