A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a postthat outlined a few strategies you can use to improve your follow-up with prospects and customers.
Today, I’d like to address the difference between quality follow up and chasing someone.
One of the most common mistakes I see sales people make is that they chase low-value leads or people who have little or no intention of making a buying decision.
The other mistake that is frequently made is making low value follow up calls.
Here’s what I mean…
“Hi, Mrs. Smith, it’s Kelley Robertson calling. I just thought I would touch base with you and see if you have made a decision yet or if you need any additional information.”
This is chasing a prospect and this type of call is weak and seldom accomplishes anything.
Instead of using this approach try saying, “Mrs. Smith, Kelley Robertson calling. One of the trends we’ve noticed in your industry is that it is more difficult to hire qualified staff. I’m going to send you an email with some information about how you can improve your recruiting process.”
The voice mail is short and adds value by demonstrating that you are a resource. The key is to demonstrate your value BEFORE the actual sale is made. In fact, this is quickly becoming a prerequisite in sales today.
It’s also important to consider the person you are talking to. If they don’t have the decision making authority, it’s highly possible that the sales process will never go any further. That means you end up wasting your valuable chasing a sales opportunity that probably won’t pan out.
Lastly, you also need to consider the potential of that prospect.
If it’s a low value sales opportunity, you shouldn’t spend too much following up. I know some people will disagree with this but you only have a limited number of hours in a given day or week so it is essential that you use your time accordingly.
The more valuable a lead, the longer you need to follow up and keep your name on your prospect’s radar.
Don’t chase people.
Follow up, follow through, and add value to their business.
I work with sales teams to help them close more sales at higher profits. If I can help you or your company please feel free to contact me.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get when discussing follow-up strategies with clients and sales people is, “How much is too much?” or “How many calls should I make?”
There is no clear or definitive answer; however, here is my guiding rule:
The larger the sales opportunity, the more you need to follow up.
Obviously, you have to determine what a high-value sales opportunity is for your particular business.
In my own sales training business, I seldom try to reconnect with a prospect more than once or twice if the value of the sale is less than $500. I will make several attempts for sales that are worth a few thousand dollars and I will be relentless in my follow up for a sales opportunity that has the potential to generate a five figure result.
Once you have determined your individual thresholds, you need to…
Develop a plan
You can’t simply keep calling a prospect and say, “Hi, it’s Kelley following up to see if you have made a decision yet.” That approach will get you nowhere…FAST!
The key is to find ways to keep your name on your prospect’s radar. Here’s why…
Many buying decisions go into a holding pattern while your contact deals with internal politics, approval processes, and other projects on their plates. Although the buying decision may be a priority today, it can be pushed the bottom of the list tomorrow when your contact has a more pressing issue to deal with.
You also need to figure out how you can…
Become a resource for that person
For example, if you know that your prospect struggles with employee turnover, look for information that addresses this issue. You don’t have to be the expert; in fact, you will earn even more credibility if you aren’t because this demonstrates that you are in touch with their business challenges.
As I mentioned in yesterdays post, you should provide this information by email, snail mail, voice mail, text, and through LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media platforms.
If you’re going to call, make sure that each message adds some type of value…avoid the approach I mentioned a few paragraphs ago.
Prospects will accept regular contact from you providing you stand out from the competition and as long as you contribute value and/or expertise. And providing you don’t come across as a pest.
Could your sales team improve their follow up? Call me and we can talk about a solution. 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca
The other day I had the privilege to be a guest speaker for a webinar Colleen Francis of Engage Selling hosted for her membership program. The topic of focus was follow-up and I thought I would share a couple of the ideas we discussed.
One of the issues many sales people face in today’s business climate is actually trying to reconnect with prospects and customers. Decision makers in business today are extremely busy so it is very difficult to connect with them even after an initial conversation or two.
Pre-arrange the Follow Up
One powerful strategy is to pre-arrange the follow-up during every conversation.
During an initial call you need to establish a day and time for a subsequent conversation. You can do this simply by saying, “It seems like we need to talk again. Does next Tuesday morning at 9:15 work for you?” Pinpointing a specific day and time is critical but most sales people say something like, “I’ll call you next Tuesday.”
This approach leaves the door open and forces the other person to actually look at their calendar and consider your request.
Once you nail down a day and time, tell them that you will send them an Outlook invite and then send it…immediately after your call.
When you call at the determined time you may get their voice mail so hang up and call back in 2-3 minutes. If you still get voice mail leave a message, “Mr. Jones, Kelley Robertson calling as promised. I suspect you got called away so I’ll give you a shout at 11:45.” In many cases, the other person will either return your call shortly or they will be at their desk the second time you call.
Consider Snail Mail
Too many people rely solely on email or telephone to connect with people when they follow up. However, regular mail works very effectively. The key is to send them something that catches their attention or adds value to their business. I have sent high-value prospects a book that is on their LinkedIn reading list or a magazine that relates to a personal interest.
For example, if a person’s profile shows that they enjoy scuba diving send them a diving magazine with a note that says, “I know you enjoys diving and thought you would enjoy this magazine.”
This approach takes time AND effort so use it only with your high-value prospects.
Use Multiple Approaches
I mentioned this concept in a previous post. Most decision makers rely on text messages or will respond to messages from their LinkedIn account or Twitter more quickly than a standard email. This has proven to be an effective way to connect with busy decision makers.
These are just a couple of ways you can improve your follow-up and increase your sales. The key to reconnecting with prospects and customers is to be persistent without being a pest.
Did you know? I deliver high-impact sales training workshops and keynote speeches. If you’re planning a conference, sales meeting, or other event call me and we can discuss a program that will help you achieve your objectives. 905-633-7750 Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca
Every year I receive a Christmas card from the real estate agent I used when my wife and I bought our house 13 years ago. While I appreciate the gesture, I don’t this agent has figured out that sending an annual card is not going to compel me to pick up the telephone if I’m in the housing market.
A PR person I contacted several years ago occasionally sends me a generic, mass-produced email reminding me of her services and suggests that I call her assistant to schedule a time to talk to her.
Every six or eight months, I get an email from someone I met at a networking event about nine years ago. I honestly don’t remember this person and his email is generic in nature stating something like, “We met at an event a while ago and thought I would drop you a line to stay in touch. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you.” I don’t even think HE remembers where we met.
Another contact I met at an association meeting five or six years ago calls me on my birthday and wishes me a good day. Other than that I never hear from him.
I certainly understand the importance of staying in touch with prospects and customers—in fact, I believe it’s an integral part of successful selling and one I have written about from time-to-time. However, sending a generic email or an annual card is not enough to keep your name in your prospect’s mind. Let’s face it, a prospect is not going to keep a Christmas card on his or her desk until the summer with the intent of calling you.
It takes more effort that that!
Staying in touch with your network requires more effort and work than that. Each contact you have with someone MUST have value for that person. An article, a newspaper clipping, a trade magazine, industry insights, or a business book all offer more value to your prospect IF, and only if, it relates to their specific business or interest.
This sounds like a simple concept but it is extremely challenging to execute. It requires thought, discipline, effort and a plan. Here’s a strategy that can help…
Make an effort every day to locate ONE piece of information that would be useful to ONE customer or prospect. Don’t overwhelm yourself trying to find and send out information to dozens of people every day; this is simply too complicated to consistently execute. Instead, focus on one or two key prospects and determine what would help them while helping you stand out. Then take action. Fifteen to thirty minutes of effort every day can make a significant difference.
My wife and I moved to a brand new subdivision from a very mature area earlier this year and what we missed most this summer was a backyard with a patio and lots of grass. Fortunately, a few weeks ago the sod people arrived and covered the dull brown dirt with bright green grass. Yay! The builder issued instructions to water our grass for approximately 2 hours every day for the first couple of weeks to ensure that the sod could take hold and thrive. However, several homeowners have disregarded these instructions and have only watered their lawn sporadically . As a result, their grass is starting to turn brown and die.
The type of neglect also happens in sales.
Sales people often neglect to execute certain concepts that contribute to their success and they wonder why their sales falter or die off. Here are eight things many sales people neglect.
Nurture existing accounts. Just because you captured the initial sale does not mean you have a customer for life. You need to nurture your accounts and keep adding value to ensure a competitor does not come along and take the business from you. Keep in touch with these key accounts and look for ways to continually add value. A coffee meeting or lunch is often all it takes to keep abreast of the changes in their company and to discover new opportunities to help them.
Nurture prospects. Many sales people make contact with prospects but fail to keep that contact alive when the sale doesn’t immediately happen. Unless you sell a small ticket item, it is essential to keep your name in your prospect’s mind. Look for ways to stay in touch with prospects by providing valuable information or industry insights that will help them improve their business.
Personal development. Too many people stop learning and integrating new strategies into their routine. What worked last year may not be relevant today. Just because you attended a training program a few years ago does not mean your skills are current. Make the time to read new books, attend an industry conference, listen to audio recording, or participate in a training program.
Recharge time. Taking time to rest and recharge is essential if you want a long term career in sales. Let’s face it, selling is challenging and it requires a tremendous amount of effort and energy especially in today’s difficult business environment. Recharging your batteries can give you renewed energy and inspiration not to mention new ideas and thoughts. Take your allotted vacation or if you operate a business, take time away from it so you can return refreshed and recharged. Even a few days away from the day-to-day rigors can make a difference.
Networking. Many people aggressively network when they first embark on their sales career. However, as time passes and their sales grow, they gradually stop networking as much as they used to. They get caught up in the day-to-day busyness of their job and stop making time to connect with others.
Filling the pipeline. Some people experience major fluctuations in their sales and this is usually a result of not keeping their pipeline full with new prospects. This is particularly true for small business owners or sole proprietors who work directly with their customers. They often end up working on a few projects and stop prospecting. However, when those projects are completed, they usually discover that they have no leads to follow-up on. A general rule of thumb is to ensure that you have 300% of your sales quota in your pipeline at any given time.
Cold calling. Not every business relies on cold calling to generate new leads or business. However, the vast majority of sales people rely on this age-old strategy and neglecting it can seriously affect your results. You may not enjoy calling strangers (I don’t know many people that do!) but it still generates business.
Follow up. Although it is mentioned last in this article, follow-up is one of the most important concepts. Many of my prospects and customers have said, “Thanks for following up” when I finally connected with them after making multiple attempts. Decision makers are extremely busy and neglecting to follow up after an initial meeting can cost you the sale.
Neglect doesn’t happen overnight. It usually starts with one small thing and gradually expands into several other areas and the long-term result can be devastating.
