Without Follow-up, You're Nowhere

In my corporate sales days, I wondered what the difference was between top producers and those who were not. It became evident two major factors were involved:

Resilience and perseverance lead to more sales

It’s a simple enough concept. But the problem was, and always will be, the fear of prospects becoming extremely angry due to the follow-up. Similarly, it’s critical for job seekers on interviews to ask if they are the type of candidate being sought, and when the expected start date might be.

The fix is the communication style. Below are suggestions that will prevent anger 99% of the time. And by diligently following up in style, you will further build relationships and earn the sale.

Communication strategy

When you are speaking with potential clientele, you may hear “no”. Ask the following quesitons first:

Did I answer all of your questions or is something still unclear?

Is your “no” forever or will another time be better?

If down the road, what needs to be in place first in order to move forward?

When and how would you like me to follow up?

Follow-up

Those who are in the range of “somewhat” to “truly interested” will provide you with a date and method for follow-up. The first statement whether verbal or written, should be similar to, “Can you believe how fast the time past? Last March you suggested I contact you today. Is this still a good time for you to pick up the conversation?”

If you hear “no”, ask for a better time and promise to follow-up again. And with a “Yes” ask what changes have been made since you last spoke.

Instead of having an irate person on the other end, she will be thrilled to speak with you to give you her updates. When finished, it will be your turn to provide your updates. From this point, your will move closer to securing the sale.

Mechanics of Follow-up

There is no getting around the subject, but you do need to capture the information of everyone you encounter. It will be virtually impossible to remember the name and title of every person at every company.

Compounding the matter, people switch jobs and that information needs to be captured, too. And then there is the on-going need to continually feed your pipeline with more and more contacts.

The only way to manage the vast amount of data collected is to use a CRM system or database. Different types of business models such as global teams or a single entrepreneur will dictate the type of CRM to invest in. A wide variety of options exist today.

Each system has a different focus and it’s important to pick the one that best suits your business model, ease of use, and budget. Implementing daily usage will keep you on track for efficient follow-up.

Using these tips you will be adept at the Smooth Sale!