Are You Letting Client’s Slip Through Your Fingers?

Turn Prospects into Clients with a Follow-up Strategy

How important is having a follow-up plan in your marketing efforts? Well, would you tell a knock-knock joke like this?

Knock, knock.
Who’s there? … Uh, who’s there? … Hello? Anyone there?

Of course you wouldn’t tell a joke like that. The listener doesn’t have enough information to keep it going until the payoff for both of you, the laugh at the end. In the same way, if prospects are holding back from making the decision to buy from you, it’s likely because you’re not giving them enough valuable information to keep your relationship going until the payoff for both of you (help for them, money for you).

You can change this through a follow-up system where you consistently stay in touch with your prospects. Why is this important? People buy from people they know, like and trust. They have to get to know you and what you offer. You do this by reaching out to them and offering valuable information.

Don’t worry about giving away the farm. People buy implementation, not information. They begin to like you when they are familiar with you and your message. They trust you when they feel as though you truly are trying to help them.

Have you said this before? “But I don’t want to feel like I’m bugging people.” “If they are interested, they will call me.” “I don’t know what to offer them.”

I’ve been there and heard these comments from many others. But they’re baloney. First, if you are offering value, people appreciate that. If they don’t, they aren’t the right prospect for you anyway.

Second, people are busy! What is your day like? Are there people you wanted to reach out to or things you wanted to do, but because of the busyness of your life these tasks were pushed aside? The same is true of your prospects. You may have just slipped through the cracks, even though they are interested. Don’t automatically assume they aren’t interested. Don’t automatically think someone who hasn’t returned an email, an RFP, a phone call, or a letter is not interested in you. Follow up!

How often do you follow-up? This really depends on who your prospect is. Generally in a couple of days, after the initial contact. After that, a week or so. After that, another week. Then generally once a month through a newsletter or ezine. And if you feel as though they are a good prospect and not just a tire kicker, every couple of months send them something of value or call to check in with them.

As far as not knowing what to offer: If you know the daily challenges your prospects face, you can find solutions all over the place. Solutions might include tips and tricks to help them solve a challenge; articles; resources they might find useful; podcast links from online resources such as online radio broadcasts; book suggestions; checklists you’ve created … the list goes on and on.

You can even send an email saying something reminded you of them and you wanted to touch base and see how they were doing. If it’s from a place where you sincerely are interested in helping them out, they will appreciate it and you.

Institute a good follow-up strategy that keeps you in touch with prospects, and pretty soon they’ll be knock-knocking at your door.