How much is 'too much' when following up?

I recently got the following email from a reader:

'After having spent 20 years of my time as Human Resource professional in various organizations, I have now opted to work on freelance assignments. At this point, I am trying to balance taking initiative and not being pushy when speaking with potential customers. Do you think after a few calls/emails one should let go and wait for something to happen or can one do something better?'

In the time I've been writing this newsletter, variations of this question have come up several times. How soon is too soon to 'let go'? No one wants to stalk a prospect, yet at the same time, you don't want to miss out on potential business because you gave up too soon either.

There is no definite answer to this: eg three follow up calls, and then call it quits. It all depends on the prospect, their needs and also HOW you follow up with them.

If you commit to adding value on every single follow up, you can follow up as much as you like

The trouble is, most people AREN'T adding value on their follow up contacts. Their follow up calls are simply a variation of 'are you ready to buy yet?' There is no value in that for the client or the salesperson. These are the type of calls that become frustrating for both parties, ending up in misunderstandings and missed opportunities.

Commit to adding value on every single contact. And it will be much easier to do this when you.....

Agree a follow up schedule with your prospect the first time you speak

If you want to know how frequently to follow up and how many times, then ASK. The first time you speak with a prospect, take the initiative and find out what they want and expect from you.

• 'What do you see as the next steps?'
• 'When do you think we should speak again to progress this?'
• 'When do you want me to follow up with you?'
• 'When do you think we should be speaking again about this?'

Get as much information as you can on how they will be progressing what you have discussed. Who else is involved in the decision, what other options are they considering? What criteria will they be using to make their decision? If they have asked you to submit a proposal, how will they be using that proposal? If you end your first conversation without asking these questions, then it will be very difficult for you to follow up effectively.

Automate your follow up - so you get to focus your selling time on 'hot' prospects and can still stay in touch with other enquirers

The fact is that however keen a prospect is the first time you speak, priorities can change, so you need a 'keep in touch' strategy which is a low cost, low time method of staying in contact with people who have expressed an interest but for whatever reason, don't buy immediately.

Many marketing experts suggest a minimum of 12 times a year follow up with people who have enquired about your product or service. Having a 'keep in touch' strategy can pay dividends, because it enables you to stay in contact with more people than you could by phone or person. And, if you get the frequency right, you can make sure that YOU are the person they call when they are finally ready to move forward. Make no mistake. Having a keep in touch strategy will work wonders for your profit margins.

In my experience, an email newsletter is an IDEAL solution because you can build the relationship over time, position yourself as an expert who provides value, and it's a low cost method of staying in touch. It takes me the same hour to write my newsletter that now goes out to over 5000 readers as it did when I only had 50 readers, so this is a time-efficient method of follow up too.

If you aren't already publishing a newsletter, don't delay another day. It's never too soon to get started.

Would you like to use this article on your website or in your e-zine? Reprints are welcome so long as article and by-line are published intact and all links made live.

About The Author:

Bernadette Doyle publishes her weekly Client Magnets newsletter for trainers, coaches, consultants, complementary therapists and solo professionals. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, then get your free tips now at http://www.clientmagnets.com.

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