Don’t fail to follow-up

Following-up is one of the most underrated and underutilised skills of selling. And yes, following-up is a learned skill, much like proactively generating new business opportunities or influencing people to take action on a decision.

Following-up is nothing more than communication that demonstrates professionalism and that you genuinely care and value your customer’s time — making this skill, a key contributor to your sales success. Following-up isn’t just calling or emailing periodically and asking for a decision, nor is it simply making contact to say hi, without any new information, value or leverage.

Following-up effectively means coming up with a consistent method that enables you to lead your customer through the final stages of your sales process. In this process, over time, you will understand the magic numbers that are best currently working that will provide you with a guide to measure how many times you should be following-up and at what frequency.

When your follow-up process starts to exceed your “magic numbers” you should change your approach by offering more value or leverage or simply directing your energy towards more willing and able opportunities. And the quicker the better! This is of course provided you’ve done your job properly by providing the right prospect all the right information, time and space to make the right decision.

Ideally, your follow-up method should be stated in your initial conversations with the customer. Particularly when you’re talking about time frames for delivery of information required in presales. This sets the tone and safeguards any uncomfortable feeling when you initiate follow-up and ensures that expectations are aligned for on-going communication.

There is always a fine-line between “persistence” and “harassment”, so setting a verbal agenda and letting the client know the thinking behind your follow-up process and how it’s in their benefit, is fundamental. Equally so, asking permission to follow-up can also provide a sense ease and buy-in and so the other party doesn’t feel you are pressuring by calling at inopportune times, ie. “How much time do you need to make a decision?”; “The benefits for us talking at this point are…”; “Do you mind if I call you then to discuss?”

Following-up effectively isn’t all hard, but it does require an understanding of your magic numbers, combined with discipline and of course, time. All best utilised in a structured approach that forms a key part of your overall sales process. When you take your following-up seriously, indeed exceptionally — greater sales results are always sure to follow.

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Trent Leyshan is the founder and CEO of BOOM Sales! a leading sales training and sales development specialist. He is also the creator of The NAKED Salesman, BOOMOLOGY! RetroService, and the Empathy Selling Process.