Value Added Follow-Up: How to get the very most out of your lead follow up
Follow-up is often one of those dirty words that you don’t want to hear.
We know we should do more of it. We know it increases our sales and profits.
But frankly, we feel a bit bad about doing too much. We don’t want to pester or annoy our leads. After all, they’re interested aren’t they? They’ll come and place their order in their own time.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work like that. In the whirlwind of work life, people forget about our companies and the work we’ve done for them, and they need reminding to go through with our solution.
But this shouldn’t be a problem to them! Indeed, they’ll be getting benefit from our products or solutions! So why wouldn’t they welcome helpful and useful reminders and aids in making their decision?
In our experience, we’ve found that if we go about it in the right way, prospects welcome follow-up. A friendly approach, not pushy, is best, and we give them something of value every time we speak to them. And much more often than not, we end up closing the order.
Some ideas are as follows.
Deadline reminder
If a prospect has told you when they need their problem sorted and solved, you can work back and plan when you need your order, and give your prospect a gentle nudge when the date is drawing near. And because this is a customer-focused approach, it really works in instilling urgency without being pushy.
Buying guides
If you know it’s a new market for your prospect, often a buying guide for background industry information is a very welcome tool. Things to look out for, typical specifications, and explanations of industry jargon are always welcome, especially when presented in a clear, non-partial way.
Infographic to solve a pain point
If you know your customer may have a specific pain point, it can be very powerful to address this before they even mention it. A blog article, Q&A or an infographic are all great ways to make this information clear and memorable to your prospect, and chances are you’ll build your trust with them for understanding their needs so well.
Free content or giveaways
It’s a no-brainer, but if you have some relevant and helpful content which you know will benefit your prospect, it can be a great lead-in to touch base with them and ask how their decision is getting on. And relevant and valuable giveaways are also nice ways to keep in touch – a Christmas card, some chocolate at Easter or a calendar in the New Year.
Relevant special offer
If you feel that your deal might be slipping through the net, you might want to consider a special offer for a limited time only, to get it over the line. You could also use this as an up-selling opportunity: you might want to offer a servicing package deal or inclusion of some value-adding accessories.
Say congratulations
Be human! If you see something on LinkedIn or elsewhere about your prospect that’s worthy of note, take the time to say congratulations or some such appropriate message. It might not be appropriate to ask your client about the deal at the same time, but your name will serve as a reminder, and also build the relationship you have with that prospect and shows them that you care and they can trust you.
***
You’re reading an article from the Borg & Overström Academy programme.
Borg & Overström are a manufacturer and trade-only supplier of top quality, beautiful water systems.
We take pride in working with our clients to help them to develop their businesses, giving them tailored sales, marketing and technical training and advice.
For information on face-to-face training sessions for your team, sales tips, articles and videos, visit the Academy home page: www.borgandoverstrom.com/academy.
