Nine sales follow-up tactics which can make a difference in 2017
Learning how to play the game of golf has helped me understand the importance of “follow-up” or “follow-through” in selling. I have come up with three striking similarities between golf and selling:
• In the game of golf, how you follow-through after the point of contact with the golf ball significantly determines the trajectory of the ball. In the same way, the “follow-through” or “follow-up” approach a salesperson uses after the initial contact with a prospect will greatly determine the outcome of that sales activity or opportunity.
• Some golfing experts would say “the follow-up is just as essential as your backswing because the follow-through is a reflection of what happened before contact.” Similarly in sales, the follow-through or follow-up strategy deployed by a salesperson is as important as the pre-approach activities before the prospect is contacted.
• The lack of a follow-through in the game of golf suggests that you are not putting as much power on the ball as it should be.Same applies to selling in that a failure of a salesperson to follow-through / follow-up with prospects with whom contact have been initiated results in loss in potential revenue to the sales organisation.
From my experience, I can safely say that follow-up is responsible for the majority of the success that successful sales professionals enjoy.Regrettably, 44 per cent of salespeople give up after the first “no”, 22 per cent after the second “no” and 14 per cent after the third “no”. The fact ,however, is 60 per cent of customers buy after saying “no” five times.
The implication of the above findings ,therefore, is that staying in touch with prospects and customers is the single biggest sales activity that professional salespeople should be investing their time in. The reward to salespeople who invest time in following up on prospects and customers include growing their business, eliminating their competition and becoming a superstar amongst colleagues.So how can you be effective with follow-up in the coming year? How can you achieve a constant follow-up of prospects and customers without being perceived as a nuisance? How can your follow-up be seen as adding value?
Here are seven follow-up tactics that can increase your earnings and commissions:
1.Develop a prospect nurturing system that keeps you in regular contact with your prospects irrespective of the number of times they said “no” to you. It will direct and focus your follow-up activities properly. The system and plan should include your follow-through goals, prioritization of prospects as well as the resources required to achieve them.
2.Always agree the next steps with your prospects, and ensure that you are clear on what those next steps are.
3.Make sure you acknowledge and confirm agreed actions by e-mail within a day of the meeting. This conveys professionalism which builds confidence in your prospect.
4.Send articles, video, audio and other information which might interest prospects. You might include a message such as “I thought you would enjoy this.” You may also wish to send email with a link to an online article that would be of interest to prospects. Trust me it works. I’ve personally used it successfully in engaging my prospects and clients.
5.Leverage the use of “trigger events” such as news which might impact on their business, personal awards and promotions, as well as important milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries etc. to reach out to them. Send them personal and hand-written cards, as well as congratulatory messages on anniversaries (birthdays, marriage etc.) as well as promotions.
6.Telephone and visit them regularly to check in on progress and do make sure you ask questions which will help the decision making. As they say, “out of sight, out of mind.”
7. Use your company’s monthly e-newsletters or blogs to keep them on you on their minds. Position your company or yourself as thought leader through blogging especially. As a salesperson, you must understand that prospects like to deal with professional: subject matter experts. Blogging in your area of expertise helps in differentiating yourself from your competitors.
8.Make sure you maximise the use of holiday and special days greetings cards: Christmas, Easter, Eid, Valentine, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day.
9.Remember your prospects in times of bereavement. Salespeople must understand the importance people attach to the burial of loved ones in Ghana and by extension your prospects and customers. Salespeople may want to take a cue from politicians in this direction.
In conclusion, salespeople must understanding that any initial contact with a prospect without a well- planned and sustained follow-up system results in wasted sales opportunities for both salespeople and sales organisations.
The writer is the C.E.O of Salesmark Services
He is also a Sales Consultant, Trainer & Coach
E-mail: mocloo@salesmarkservices.com
Whatsapp: 0244279368