4 Tips For An Effective Follow-up Strategy

For years I have heard that sales people make the same mistakes over and over again while following up with clients and prospects. In fact, I made these same mistakes for many years and that’s ok. Admitting that you have a problem with a follow-up is the first step. In this post I will share 4 tips for making effective follow-ups, address some mistakes that I hear most often from sales people and offer some strategies for avoiding those pitfalls.

Tip 1 - Set expectations on previous call

The first tip, oddly enough, happens in the previous conversation. If done correctly, it will ensure a high-class, high-value conversation that will be less stressful for you as the sales person and less awkward for both parties involved. At the end of your call or communication set up your next call. It might sound something like this:

“Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I have my action items here. Please reach out to me if you have any questions on the proposal I am sending and if not, I'll reach out to you on Tuesday to discuss the next step.”

Easy right? You are setting the expectations for the next step and also what they can expect from it as you shepherd them through the procurement process of the product or service that you are selling.

Tip 2 - Re-ignite the Sale

People who have buying power typically do not have a lot of time on their hands and are wearing multiple hats. Rarely have I seen someone who is spearheading the purchase of software or service solutions and has the sole role of looking at different vendors and make buying decisions. This is why it’s incredibly important to frame the conversation in such a way so as to remind the prospect what you talked about on your previous call and remind them why they were interested in talking with you in the first place. This conversation might go something like this:

“Last time we spoke you told me that you were challenged with X and we talked about a few ways that you could solve that issue with Y, so if that makes sense the next step is Z.”

This example also includes a directional close which can be very powerful for moving to the next step in the sales process.

Tip 3 - Avoid sales buzzwords

Do “Hey I'm just calling to touch-base, wanted to circle back, see where we were at, follow-up, and see if you had any questions…”  sound familiar?  It sure does to me too. Many times, an inexperienced sales person has nothing to add to the relationship or the conversation but is pressured by his/her manager to move deals forward and keep a pulse on the progression of the opportunity. So, they resort to using words like this.  

Tip 4 - Always tell them something new

It is imperative that you are continually adding value to the relationship as opposed to repeatedly begging them to move forward or asking if they have any questions. Focus on adding value and call with purpose. Always tell them something new and by working hand-in-hand with your marketing team you can have tremendous impact on helping your prospect make a buying decision. This might not always happen on a phone call but simply an email that might start out something like this:

I saw this article and thought of your organization… (use Google alerts to automate)

We just released this video and it reminded me of your unique scenario…

There is a webinar I’ve come across and I wanted to make sure you knew about it…

I had another idea I wanted to get your feedback on…

These 4 tips are by no means the only keys to follow-up success but I am certain that if adopted and perfected, they will have a noticeable impact on not only your confidence and stress level as you’ll start feeling more in control, but also your effectiveness as a professional sales person with the highest degree of integrity, adding value every step of the way.  Your prospects will take notice of the value that you bring, and by using these techniques there will be a clear delineation between you and your competitor. If you were a decision maker, who would you rather work with?