Have a solid follow-up plan is crucial to your long-term sales success.
Think of this scenario: You have a new prospect, and they seem like a perfect fit. You decide to seize the day and ask for the sale. And what do you hear in return?
“Thanks, but not right now.”
Bummer, right? So does this mean it’s time to take your football and go home? Of course not.
Even with qualified prospects and dream clients, you might not get that yes-on-the-spot. But too many salespeople and entrepreneurs think that if they don’t hear YES the first time, it’s game over. What they don’t know is that they might be stopping just short of the goal line.
This is where your follow-up plan comes in.
But “following up” doesn’t mean continually pestering people. It just means continuing to show up, be of service, and share your offers. It means detaching from the “when” of the sale and trusting that it will happen at the right time, as long as you continue taking consistent action.
In my experience, following up on a regular basis is a game-changer for your bottom line. It’s one of the simplest and most effective strategies you can use to close more deals. But amazingly enough, it’s something that most people don’t even try. The excuses are many, and I’ve heard them all before…
“They already said NO…why ask again?”
“I don’t have time to follow up with everyone!”
“I tried it and it didn’t work for me.”
Little do they know that they’re quitting just shy of striking sales gold. We’re not going to let this happen to you, though! Follow up will work for you, if you use it consistently and correctly. That’s why I’m going to show you today what’s worked for me!
I’m going to show you why you need to keep in contact with a prospect (even after they say NO), how to create a follow-up plan that fits into your busy schedule, and what upping your follow-up game will ultimately do for your business.
WHY should you follow-up?
Here are just a few of the perks that come along with staying in touch on a regular basis.
You’ll grow more in-depth relationships with potential clients. It’s quite simple: the more you genuinely communicate with your prospects, the more you’ll get to know them. It’ll establish more knowing, liking, and trust between you and your clients-to-be. And when they do finally say YES, you’ll have the solid foundation for a beautiful business relationship.
You won’t have to break the marketing bank to find new leads. New leads mean new clients and customers. But getting those leads through ads and marketing campaigns can run up a bill pretty quickly. Follow up, though, doesn’t require a marketing budget. Just a little bit of time. Best of all, you’re reaching out to people who already know you instead of attempting to make a connection through a Facebook ad alone. That pre-existing relationship is priceless in this case.
It’s easy and efficient (if you have a system in place). I know, you’ve already got enough to do, and you don’t need ‘one more thing’ on your calendar. But believe me, following up doesn’t have to be a time-sucking ordeal. All you have to do is make a plan, put it into play, and let it work its magic. And it doesn’t have to take all day.
HOW do you follow up?
Sometimes, a sales call ends with “I need to think about it.” Don’t give up… Put these tips I share below into action and get your follow-up game going right away.
Schedule a first follow-up call before you get off the phone (and make it within 12 to 24 hours). Sometimes people do have to think about it, do a little more research, or run it by another person before they say YES. The key is not to let them ‘think about it’ indefinitely. So don’t get off the phone without setting a time to chat again.
Send a thank you email immediately. After you finish a first call, whether it results in a sale or not, send a “thank you” email. Thank them for their time, and leave the door open to chat in the future. (Better yet, if you have their address, a handwritten “thank you” note speaks volumes. That alone will set you apart from everyone else looking for a sale!)
Schedule check-in calls on a regular basis. The frequency depends a lot on what you’re selling or offering, but setting up a long-term follow-up plan is essential. For the “not right now” prospects, have a plan to stay in touch over the long haul.
Send an email reminder about the follow-up call one day prior. Your time is valuable. Their time is too. It’s your job to make sure that neither party wastes it. Send an email reminder 24 hours in advance and make sure that you’re still on for the following day. You’ll reduce the “flake-out” factor by a HUGE margin.
Send an off-topic email in the meantime. Sometimes it’s nice to talk about something other than what you’re selling. Every so often, send a personal message about something that they’ve mentioned to you, something important to them, or something you know they’ll love. No business talk, no pitch.
Be consistent! No matter how often you follow up, make it like clockwork. Whether you follow up with prospects on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, make sure you do it on the regular. Set aside time, put it on the calendar, and make it happen.
Sure, we all want to close the deal on the first try. But if the first go-round doesn’t go anywhere, the game is not necessarily lost. Keep building those relationships, keep showing up, and keep on asking. Distinguish yourself from everyone else with persistence and consistency.
After all, sometimes the fifth time’s the charm.
Do you want to create a follow-up plan that leaves less money on the table and gets you more clients on your roster? Don’t miss out on the game plan for growing your bottom line! Watch this video and grab your copy of the game plan to “7 Steps To Your PERFECT Follow-Up (The Game Plan To Scoring More Sales)” right here!
