Business travel mileage

Do you Hate to Make Follow-up Calls to Prospects Who Won't Call you Back? Stop Calling!

Description:

Persistence can pay off in higher close rates. But your prospect is busy, too, and sometimes you’re just not the high priority you think you are. Create a follow-up system that gives prospects several ways to communicate with you—besides a phone call and free yourself up to spend more time with today's *buyers*

Content:

We all learned in Sales 101 we must follow up with our prospects until they buy. Unfortunately, while we’re busy trying to make all these follow-ups, some very fine prospects who are ready to buy now are flying under our radar.The trick in sales is to talk to buyers. Rather than responding, “Duh!”, professional salespeople find this the hardest discipline to master because buyers don't always want to talk to us or they may not be buyers today. But like most successful strategies, this requires a tactical plan. If you’ve been relying solely on follow-up phone calls to close sales, why not try this "no cold calling", 3-step plan for 30 days?

1. Create a follow-up system. If you use ACT! or another contact manager, assign an activity series after you send your proposal. If you close the sale, you can always end the series early. Your series might look like this:

0 Day—Proposal Sent
2 Days—Follow-up Phone Call
4 Days—Follow-up Email
7 Days—Follow-up Voice Mail
10 Days—Follow-up Email
14 Days—Follow-Up Voice Mail
30 Days—Follow-Up Email

2. Write a compelling voice mail script. Limit it to 10-15 seconds. (Time it!) Start with your name, company and phone number (which gives the recipient an opportunity to retrieve your number without having to wait for the entire message to play). Next, say your compelling message; then, a declaration about what you want them to do. Finally repeat your phone number at the end. I often give my email address as an alternative way to “return the call.”

My voice mail sales follow-up call goes something like this: “Hi, ___, this is Lori Feldman with Aviva, 314/432-9500. I just completed a project for another client who was as concerned as you are about ___. Listen to what happened when they bought my services: (Recap story). I have some additional ideas for (Company's) project for which I sent you my proposal. When are you available to discuss it? Here’s my phone number again and my email address, if that’s an easier
way for you to contact me: (Say phone number and email address.)

3. Send a Fax. Once I get 30 days out from a sent proposal, with no feedback from a prospect, I figure it’s time to put him back in the prospect bucket where he’ll receive the regular direct marketing I send to all customers and prospects (ACT! Tips, User Group invitations, newsletters, etc.) However, because he was interested in my services once—enough to ask for a proposal—and he hasn’t said “no” yet, I still want to give him some follow-up attention.

Based on the value of the proposal, I may put in a recall date every 30 days, or start emailing again, but first I’ll try my “last ditch effort,” a fax that says, “It looks like your needs may have changed since we last talked. Please check the appropriate box and fax it back to me at your convenience: 1) We’re still interested, but I’ve had no time to follow up with you. Try me in ___ days/ months; 2) Our needs have changed, and we don’t need you! 3) We went with another vendor, sorry! 4) Who are you again?” Humor goes a long way.

It’s true that persistence pays off in higher close rates. But your prospect is busy, too, and sometimes you’re just not the high priority you think you are. Many potential customers prefer responding via email or fax, which is faster and less intrusive in their day than a phone conversation can be. Giving a prospect several ways to communicate with you—especially when it cuts down on the time you’re spending with non-buyers—is a more effective long-term sales strategy because it frees you up to focus on other clients who want to buy today.

Author: Lori Feldman

About Author:

Lori Feldman is The Database Diva of Aviva. She teaches sales executives and business owners how to profit from contacts they already have using ACT! Software as a sales and marketing tool. The company also offers targeted mailing lists. She is the recipient of the Direct Marketer of the Year award from the DMA of St. Louis and is the founder of the St. Louis ACT! User Group. To get Lori’s free special report, "Make a Million with Your Mailing List," go to www.TheDatabaseDiva.com

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