Have you ever
listened to a sales pitch on something but didn’t buy it right then? I would venture to say that everyone has
experienced this at one time or another!
Did you ever think about it later though, and say to yourself, “You
know, I think I will buy that item! I
could use it for …” but then you got busy and never got back to that person? You always “meant” to, but time passed and
you finally just forgot about it!
What if that sales person had touched base with you within
the next couple days, right when you were in the debating stage and leaning
toward the purchase? He or she likely
would have gotten an order and made some money!
But what is it that keeps sales people from making those much-needed yet
ever-dreaded follow up calls? What can
sales people do to push past the fear of follow up?
Below are five very important steps you can take to make
follow up easier. First, though, realize
that the absolute best time to connect with a prospect is shortly after a
presentation! We know that about 72
hours after any presentation, some of the importance and some of the substance
of your presentation start to dissipate in our mind, and our initial emotional
connection to it starts to wane, also.
So it’s important to approach your prospect while the information is
still fresh in their mind and while there is still some emotional excitement
surrounding your offerings. You don’t
want to say, “I’ll call you next week!” The more time passes, the less motivated your
prospect will be to purchase from you.
So how should you approach your prospect when you follow
up? How about, “So, have you decided to
buy my widget yet?” Ugh! Dreadful! With an approach like that, it’s no wonder
people don’t want to make or receive follow up calls! I must say any follow up is better than NO follow up.
However, how about:
- Calling with some real enthusiasm! Enthusiasm about having the chance to spend time with them during the presentation. How nice it was to see them and speak with them. Show enthusiasm for what you have and how it can help them! Enthusiasm is contagious! Don’t be afraid of using it in sincerity.
- Positive expectancy can go a l-o-n-g way in closing the sale! Never call with an apologetic tone. What you have can benefit them in many major ways! What you have can change the way they do things and, in some cases, can actually change their life! Be excited and positive about calling them back! Fully expect them to see the benefits and to say YES!! Yes, of course!
- Something
that can make calling a little easier is if you have some additional information that you
didn’t cover during the initial presentation. Something you forgot to tell
them before! A juicy tidbit of
interest, a bonus benefit that you can share with them that makes your
offer, product or service even more appealing. “Hey, Mary, I forgot to tell you about
……….!” How exciting! For you, it feels like a ‘reason’ to call and that can
make it easier to pick up the phone.
- And by the way, do pick up the phone and actually talk to your prospect! It’s far too easy for them to blow off an email. Sending an email can make you feel like you did your job. After sending an email, you can breathe a sigh of relief, dust off your hands and think, “Okay! That’s taken care of!” And just wait to see if they will respond. Not to say you would never use email to follow up with a prospective client, but you don’t want that to be the only thing you do. If you want more positive results and more sales, talk to your prospects! You can answer their questions, relieve their fears and close the sale!
- And
finally, just because they didn’t purchase this time, remember to continue
to “sprinkle” on them from time to time. You can do this without being
pushy or obnoxious. Just put them
in your tickler file or other management tool and let it happen naturally
after that. Have something of
interest to share with them, even if it has nothing whatever to do with
your product or services. If you do
this right, you will be building a relationship. Even a cold call can turn warm after a number of friendly touches by you!
If you know you dread follow up calls, or you are just lax
about doing it quickly; take
heart! You are not alone! But remember, the people at the top make
follow up a priority! It is a learned
skill and you can learn it! You just have to be determined and “hungry”
enough to want to be of better service to your clients/customers and to make
more money. There’s a reason we say,
“The fortune is in the follow-up!” It’s
true!
Wishing you abundant prosperity,
Leanne Cannon
Dream Achievers Unlimited
704-236-6922
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eye off the goal." Henry Ford
Always looking to speak for companies, clubs, organizations, schools and networking groups!
Author of "TIME MASTERY: Key to Increased Productivity and Profitability"
Creator of the "STEPS TO SUCCESS WORKBOOK"
Originator of the DESIGN YOUR FUTURE Seminar Series
President of the HEALTH AND BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS OF CHARLOTTE group
Facilitator at the weekly CHARLOTTE COACHING AND CONNECTING Business Training Lunch
