10 Critical Steps to Embrace
In the professional world, following up is an essential skill that can make a giant difference in your career. Whether you’re following up on a job application, a business proposal, or a networking opportunity, doing follow up effectively can help you stand out and achieve your goals.
Here are some tips to master the art of professional follow-up from David Jackson CSP, the Sales Doctor:
- Be Timely … Timing is crucial when it comes to follow up. You don’t want to appear too eager or too indifferent. A good rule of thumb is to follow up as appropriate e.g. one day, one week or one month of your initial contact. Remember, MOST salespeople do NO follow up … ever! Follow up shows that you’re interested and proactive without being pushy. Be different … become a master of follow up. In my early 20s has a professional salesperson, I work further a manager who followed this mantra … Follow everyone up until they buy or die! It paid off big time.
The secret to getting ahead, is getting started … Mark Twain
- Be Clear and Concise … When you follow up, make sure your message is clear and to the point. State the purpose of your follow-up, reference your previous interaction, and express your interest or concern.
Avoid lengthy explanations or unnecessary details.
Remember … always leave a GOOD NEWS MESSAGE, unlike most salespeople who leave no message at all. I was told to always leave a message, and that message was … GOOD NEWS, please call me.
When a team takes ownership of its problems, problems get solved. … Jacko Willink
- Be Polite and Professional … Always maintain a polite and professional tone in your follow-up messages. Use proper greetings and signoffs and avoid using slang or overly casual language. Remember, you’re representing yourself and your brand.
Use the customer’s name often. They like to hear their own name
Without passion, you don’t have energy. Without that energy, you have nothing … Warren Buffett
- Provide Value In your follow-up, try to provide value to the recipient. This could be in the form of additional information, a helpful resource, or a new idea. Showing that you can offer something valuable will make your follow-up more impactful.
Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. … Winston Churchill
- Use Multiple Channels Don’t rely on just one method of communication. If you don’t get a response via email, try reaching out through LinkedIn, a phone call or a text message. Different people prefer different communication channels, so using multiple methods can increase your chances of getting a response.
A good question to ask your client is … How would you like me to communicate with you?
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will … Vince Lombardi
- Be Persistent but Respectful. Persistence is important, but it’s equally important to be respectful of the recipient’s time and boundaries. If you don’t get a response after a couple of follow-ups, it might be best to give it some time before trying again.
Every sale has five basic obstacles … No need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust. … Zig Ziglar
- Follow Up with a Purpose. Every follow-up should have a clear purpose. Whether you’re seeking feedback, confirming receipt of information, or expressing continued interest, make sure your follow-up has a specific goal. This is crucial to your success
Success is how high you bounce when you hit rock bottom. Gen George Patton
- Keep Track of Your Follow-Ups Maintain a record of your follow-up This is so important in your sales process. There are numerous customer contact programs that you can select from. Make sure everyone you speak to is entered on this program in a timely manner This will help you stay organized and ensure that you don’t miss any important follow-ups. It can also help you identify patterns and improve your follow-up strategy over time. Your database, from followup, can be an absolute goldmine for you.
- Show Gratitude Always express gratitude in your follow-up messages. Thank the recipient for their time and consideration and let them know that you appreciate their efforts. A little gratitude can go a long way in building positive relationships.
A thank you card can deliver you some of the most unbelievable results, when you use them daily. A thank you card sent, same day, to every prospect that you did not close, is a fabulous follow-up tool. Personally, I used to put a voucher into every thank I card I sent out to the value of $25, $50, $100, depending on what I was selling. These vouchers were returned to me, with a concluded sale, at a rate of over 25%. I became known as the thank you card King. I used to send thank you cards to all people I spoke to on the phone. My tenacity paid off many times when visiting clients who had received numerous thank you cards. One client, when visiting with him, pulled out and put on his desk the 14 thank you cards I had sent him. We concluded one of the biggest sale with him.
Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesperson … Not the attitude of the prospect. … William Clement Stone
- Be Patient Finally, be patient. Not everyone will respond immediately, and that’s okay. Give the recipient some time to get back to you, and don’t take a lack of response personally. Patience is key to successful follow-up.
The key is not to call the decision-maker. The key is to have the decision-maker call you. … Jeffrey Gitomer
David Jackson, The Sales Doctor states emphatically that a consistent and planned follow-up system was instrumental to his success as a former World Sales Champion.
ACTION … Check out www.thesalesdoctor.com.au with over 40 educational, inspirational and motivational e-books for you to enjoy and benefit from.
Wishing you good selling.
