4 Follow-up Best Practices that Build Value and Trust
Following up with prospects is arguably the most-missed sales opportunity. You may think of follow up as sending a note or calling to check in. I think about follow up as continually providing value after initial contact. You are probably an old pro at establishing a first meeting, but all too often, momentum (and your prospect’s interest) wanes when you do not seize the opportunity to display how your product or service adds value. Follow up is an opportunity to reiterate your value message in ways you may not have in your initial sales calls, ways that may resonate more with your potential buyer. Consider these follow up strategies to build trust, provide value to prospects, and close more sales.
Don’t just check in, share resources
Sending your prospect, a piece of content, whether you wrote it or found it from a third-party resource, is a great way to let them know you are thinking about them and that you care about their business. When you share a checklist, blog post, white paper, article, video, or another type of content that’s relevant to your solution, you have the opportunity to provide something that may be useful to your prospect. It positions you as a trusted advisor rather than a salesperson simply “checking in.” It keeps you and your solution top-of-mind, so when they are ready to buy, they think of you. If you aren’t offering anything valuable, you become a pest really, really quickly.
Demonstrate your service
The best way to demonstrate the value of your service is to actually provide that service. Consider performing work for your prospect as an example of your level of service, your commitment and investment in the process, and a demonstration of the value you provide. For example, if you sell web pages, perhaps you create a landing page with their logo and design on it. Or, maybe you sell a digital payment service and you send them a digital payment receipt with your prospect’s branding to illustrate what you discussed would look like in reality. Whatever it is you provide, providing an initial sample of its value is a great way to follow up with prospects.
Think quality over quantity
I get this question all the time: “How often should I follow-up before I become a pest?” The reality is, that is totally related to the amount of value that you offer at each follow-up point. Successful follow up does not have anything to do with frequency. It has everything to do with the message and how much value you are providing.
Always set your next appointment before leaving your current one
The best way to ensure you’ll have the opportunity to follow up is to set your next appointment before you leave the current one. During your meetings, you probably know where you want to take the next meeting. You know how you want to take the next step. Set that date before you leave the meeting or hang up the phone.
Like most aspects of the sales process, follow-up isn’t complicated, but you need to be diligent about the fundamentals in order to succeed. Take these four tips and use them. You’ll create more value, and make more sales.
Jeff Bajorek
Real. Authentic. Experience.
There’s a big difference between knowing how to sell and being able to. Jeff Bajorek spent over a decade in the field as a top performer. He’s been in your shoes. He knows what it will take. He can help you succeed.
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