Follow
Up
How many sales
have you made with one call or one visit? If you're like most of us,
the answer is between three and zero. The point is, our business is
all about follow up. Rarely are sales made after only one contact, so
we need to be smart about follow ups. We need to maximize our time
and effort and respect the time of our prospects. Here are some ways
you can get the most bang for your follow-up buck.
- Never drop by
unannounced. Call to see what time fits your prospect's schedule
and work around her time frames.
- Have a list of
goals you wish to accomplish or items you wish to discuss prior to
arriving. No one has time to waste, so the more focused and
prepared you are, the less the merchant will resent having to take
time away from their business to speak with you.
- Be on time. We
mention this a lot but it can never be stressed too
much.
- Schedule a
beginning time and an ending time for the meeting.
- Before you
call or visit, know why you are making contact. Convey the reason
to your prospect up front. Don't initiate contact if you have
nothing to say and don't make the prospect guess why he is meeting
with you.
- Use your
computer or scheduling software to do the work for you. Or, use a
regular calendar. Before you even have the initial meeting,
schedule your follow-up calls and "pencil in" follow-up meetings.
Choose the week for the follow-up and let the prospect choose the
day.
Rome wasn't built
in a day and your portfolio won't be either. But, focusing on
follow-up will help you build a solid foundation.
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Copyright © The Green
Sheet, Inc., 1999. All rights reserved.
First Published November 1,
1999
