Years ago when I taught marketing, I traveled on the train. I remember listening to a radio interview and there was a sales consultant on the radio. She said something that stuck with me from then to now.
The key is in the Follow up.
I’ll always remember that. Add that to another quote that I heard from a mentor of mine ‘Timid sales people have skinny kids.’
Put those quotes together and what you do you get – you need to follow up in order to get the sale…and feed the kids!
I work with business owners on creating the right message, identifying the right client and crafting a written piece to attract the prospect. But that’s only one piece of the pie – there has to be more than one touch point.
You have to follow up on the marketing. Marketing doesn’t bring in the sale.
And it’s at the follow up stage that many business owners fall down. Here are two of the most common reasons I hear:
1. “If they wanted my services, they would have bought by now.”
2. “I don’t want to keep calling. I’ll come off as needy.”
Here’s the deal – most business owners are looking at two or three suppliers. So while you’re wondering about how much is enough calls…someone else is doing the following up.
That lady on the radio years ago used an example of a tradesperson and said she ended up going not with her first choice but the person who persisted in calling…because they showed interest in her and her needs.
A quick rule of thumb is call five times (not email), then once a month but every business and industry is different. Jeff Bezos of Amazon once said he knocked on 5001 doors. What if had of given up on the 5000th door?
Sometimes people are not ready to buy despite you giving them a proposal. Keep reminding them who you are.
Consider these soft follow up methods:
1. Add them to your newsletter
If you have a newsletter, why not ask them for their email address and add them to their newsletter list. That way, they’ll get relevant content from you, keeping you top of mind.
2. Send them useful articles
Sometimes I see articles that I know are perfect for my clients or prospects. It could be competive information, an image or ad that I think they could relate to. That type of communication allows you to keep the communication going.
3. Send a card
Who doesn’t love getting a card in the post? While Christmas cards are great, think of another time to send a card..halloween maybe or a fun day that is relevant to their business. Check out www.daysoftheyear.com for some fun days that you can plan ahead.
For example, today is Melon Day. If I planned ahead, I could send a card with an image of a melon to a restaurant client. It’s a bit of fun, you’re keeping the lines of communication open in an non-intrusive way.
To end – be persistent, be polite, be persistent.
If you’d like to talk more about your sales process or how you attract and retain clients, then book a call with me. It’s a no-obligation call, just you and me discussing your business. Contact me today.
