Three Simple Secrets To Better Prospect Follow Up

So the trade show is over or you’ve just returned from a networking event with a list of leads or a stack of business cards. What now? How do you plan to successfully follow up? Follow up failure is the biggest dilemma in business. When you fail to follow up you leave money on the table for someone else to take. Here are three simple secrets to better prospect follow up.

1. Follow Up More Than Once or Twice. If you’re like many businesses you’re following up once or twice expecting them to call back if they’re interested in your services or products. Did you know that 48% of sales people quit following up after the first call? 24% after the second call. That’s a total of 72% quit any sales follow up after 1-2 calls to a business lead. And here’s what’s important to know – 81% of sales are made after 5 or more calls/follow ups with a lead/prospect. 81%! That’s significant! So, don’t give up after one or two calls. Be persistent and stay the course. Follow up more than once or twice. Follow up at least five times. You’ll see a difference.

2. Change Up Your Follow Up. While telephone or email is a great way to reach people, we are all inundated with both, particularly email. It’s easy for leads and prospects to lose your email in their inbox with the other messages they receive daily. In order to be seen you need to stand out so they understand how your products or services can help them. Mix things up a little to get their attention by using other media. Send them a postcard with product information. Mail a letter outlining your services. Send a personal, hand written note. Create and send a video. Changing your follow up will be better received than repetitive, same media messaging.

3. Systematize Your Follow Up. Business is all about putting systems in place. You have plenty going on trying to take care of your current customers, attend to employees and work on business development, not to mention your personal life. Systematizing your follow up allows your message to be received by those who are ready to buy today while still following up with those who will buy in the future. The truth is 80% of those who don’t buy today will buy in the next year. If you don’t want that business to fall to a competitor then you need to stay in front of the leads/prospects until they’re ready to buy. Today’s technology allows companies to systematize follow up to educate leads/prospects and increase sales closes using marketing automation. It helps you focus on what you do best while filling your sales funnel.