The Power of the Follow-up
Are you busy? As an entrepreneur, I am sure the answer is “yes.” While you are out doing your hustle, how much of your time is spent following up with your leads and contacts?
If we were honest, that might be the area that we lack in the most. You have to understand that follow-up is a game-changer. It makes a difference. It could be the feature that distinguishes you from everyone else.
I share a story in one of my vlogs about how I was traveling and happened to drop by a client’s office that I had sent an estimate to. I hadn’t heard anything from her so I just made a point to follow up with her face to face. She ended up going with my offer, even though it wasn’t her cheapest option, simply because I took the time to follow up with her.
If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I say it takes 5–12 points of contact before 80 % of people are ready to buy. Persistence matters. Follow-up matters. There are lots of ways to follow up with your clients. It just shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to serve them.
- Follow up with a face to face-By far, probably the best follow up because you are right in front of them. You begin to form a relationship that goes beyond the black and white of an email.
- Follow up on the phone-Don’t be scared to pick up the phone. Remember, you’ve already established contact through a phone call or email, so it wouldn’t be odd for you to call them.
- Follow up with a text message-We all know that text messages are convenient and sometimes the preferred method of communication. Send one just to check in and make sure they received what you sent them.
- Follow up with an email-Emails still work, but I would say this is the least effective. Emails can be read and ignored or simply forgotten.
The problem with following up is that it requires high tenacity, high amounts of discipline, and high levels of focus. Many entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to “stick to it.” They throw it at the wall once and if it doesn’t stick, they give up.
Implement a follow-up day in your weekly schedule. Make that the day that you check back in with everyone you have made contact with that week. You have to have tenacity in this business. You have to get the deal done-no matter what it takes. That’s the grind. You have to build campaigns that touch your clients throughout your sales cycle.
Make a commitment to “up” your follow-up game. Let your clients know that you are willing to do whatever it takes to see that they are taken care of. Be committed to your grind and hustle-get the job done.
