The Importance of Follow-Up
Following up with clients is crucial, according to Adrienne Zoble, principal
of Adrienne Zoble Associates Inc., located in Fort Collins, Colorado. "The
key to organized, diligent follow-up is prioritizing," said Zoble,
a business owner who since 1977 has been teaching business owners and executives
how to sell more in less time.
Zoble said the frequency and amount of follow up needed depended on the
complexity of what was sold to the customer and its life span. Research
shows that most prospects don't buy the first time. They have
to encounter a marketing message multiple times before making a purchasing
decision. This makes follow-up an essential ingredient in the selling
process.
"It doesn't mean I have to do the same thing with everybody," Zoble
explained. "Some people will get phone calls and some will get emails. I
tell people you should check in probably once a quarter or once a month
if the product or service is complicated," said Zoble. "For
example, I will check in monthly if I write a marketing plan for a client."
Follow-Up Situations
Sales follow-up is one of the most common and important types of follow-up
situations. This type of follow-up positions you away from the competition
so you can generate more business from your existing customers. It
shows that your company has its act together and really cares about satisfying
customers.
According to Zoble, approximately 55 to 65 percent of salespeople do not
conduct sales follow-up. They often say they don't have the
time but they're really afraid of what they'll hear. Sales
follow-up can result in a positive experience, even if customers were slightly
displeased with your product or service.
"If the client is marginally pleased, it shows you're there
after the sale and you're attentive," she explained. "But
if there's something marginally wrong and you don't follow-up,
then your customer won't call you when they go to buy the next time
around; they will buy from someone else."
Sales follow-up also makes good financial sense. Getting business
from new customers can consume 100 percent of your marketing costs. It
will only cost 15 percent of your marketing budget however, to secure additional
business from existing customers.
Another typical follow-up method involves placing call-backs to prospects
after submitting a bid or proposal. During follow-up, it's
important to ask open-ended questions and then listen. To create
an open-ended question, just put an adverb at the beginning of the sentence — but
don't ask "why" because it's antagonistic. You
could ask: What did you think of the quote? Or how did you feel about what
was included? Asking open-ended questions gives you an opportunity
to gather more information from the prospect to pinpoint his or her needs
accurately.
"You're not selling what you have, you're selling what
they need," Zoble said. "Usually, they're close to being
the same; but there's a different spin on it."
Unfortunately, too many business people don't follow up on sales
quotes. Some become overwhelmed by having sent out too many quotes
or they simply may be afraid to follow-up. To that, Zoble said, "Why
take the time to send out the quote if you don't follow up?"
Tips for Following-Up
Follow-up isn't just about selling. It's about building relationships
and allowing the sale to happen. Here is some additional follow-up advice
from Zoble:
Do what you can. When it comes to following up, you don't
have to take an all-or-nothing approach. Doing something is better than
nothing, so follow-up as frequently and best as you can.
Don't ever ask yes-or-no questions. Ask who, what,
when or how many. Anything that will get prospects talking. Before
you pick up the phone to make that follow-up call, write down three open-ended
questions to ask prospects. If you start your call with an open-ended
question, you'll be amazed at how easily the rest of the conversation
flows.
Make sure the right person follows up. The person making the follow
up call should be the person who has worked with that company. Keep
in mind that there are certain calls that are more appropriate coming specifically
from inside customer service, an outside salesperson or the boss.
Space out your phone calls. Don't slot a long, uninterrupted
block of time to make calls because your approach can become dull. Instead,
place a call here and there to keep things fresh.
Using eNewsletters can greatly enhance your follow-up efforts with prospects
and customers. Because of their inherent tracking technology, eNewsletters
can tell you which topics and what parts of your web site are most interesting
to your readers. It's an incredible tool you can turn over
to your sales staff and say, "when is the last time you made follow-up
efforts?"
For more information about capitalizing on the benefit of follow up, email Adrienne
Zoble or call 970-282-1150 or 866-282-1150.
To get additional information on eNewsletters, email Proven Systems or call
970-223-6565. |
