Your follow up process is just as important as the initial call, and it is how you will drive the conversion of a prospect to a client.
No matter what your potential new client's response sentiment is, you should always schedule your next follow-up. If they say no thank you, schedule a call for one month out to check in. Set reminders so that you will remember to follow up with your prospects.
It has been said before that a person has to see or hear new information 7 times before it really sinks in and they remember. However, a study conducted by Susanne Schmidt & Martin Eisend of Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany and European University Viadrina, Frankfurt, Germany (respectively) in 2015 concluded that a subject has the strongest increase in information recall after 10 exposures to advertisements.
The takeaway: your messaging must be persistent in order to be internalized and recalled by your recipient.
Relatability is critical to establishing authentic client relationships from the first impression. Your efforts will be recalled and valued in the future. (To learn more about the importance of relatability, read our blog post, How to Establish Relatability)
When you genuinely pay enough attention to understand who your prospects are, and what needs they may have, it's easier to know what information will be relevant to them.
When sending follow up messages, try to avoid generic language such as:
"I enjoyed getting to know you on our call the other day. If you need anything, please let me know. Thanks!"
A message like the one above is very impersonal and leaves the ball in their court. Share specific information about the call (take notes when you speak with a contact). What you learned about their unique situation, and how you can specifically address their needs. Above all, your messages should be worth the time the recipient takes to read them. Nothing is worse than communication without content.
"Hi, ((contact))! The last time we spoke we discussed X, Y, and Z. I found an article by ((respected industry journal)) that I think you will find very helpful. I look forward to our next call on ((scheduled date))."
Short, sweet, specific, and helpful!
Using your CRM (Salesforce, Pipedrive, Redtail, Hubspot, Netsuite, etc.), track every "touch" in your marketing process. Take notes on every message, every call, and what the plan is for the next steps. Scheduling a call, sending a message or an email with a timely and relevant news article, etc.
Whatever your unique process looks like, be sure you track your progress and keep moving forward to the next steps in your long game. Your patience, persistence, consistency, authenticity, and relatability are what will stand out in the relationships you have with prospective clients.
An efficient and persistent follow-up process is what will turn your initial connections into hot leads over time. Prospecting new clients should be looked at as a long game. You're in it for the long haul, and your patient efforts will be rewarded!
Advertising Repetition: A Meta-Analysis on Effective Frequency in Advertising, By Susanne Schmidt & Martin Eisend, 2015, Research Gate
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