Salespeople have a tricky balance to strike with potential clients. On the one hand, they can be seen as pushy if they bombard prospects with too much contact. But on the other hand, they could miss out on a sale by not continuing their conversation.
A sales follow-up is when you stay in touch with a potential customer after your first interaction with the aim of closing the sale. Surprisingly, 48% of salespeople never make a single follow-up attempt (according to Hubspot).
But a follow up email or call is really important. It signals your dedication, professionalism, and eagerness to build a lasting customer relationship. It’s important to be persistent and to continue nurturing that customer relationship after the initial contact. Effective follow-up strategies can increase your conversion rate of potential clients by up to 50% (source: HiverHQ).
Here, we’ll explore the most effective techniques to use after an initial sales pitch. And we’ll share winning follow up strategies to help with closing deals.
What is a Follow-up Strategy?
You may have written the perfect intro email; nailed your initial client meeting; or made an impactful cold call. But before you sit back and congratulate yourself, it’s worth remembering that 80% of sales require five follow-up calls.
A winning follow up strategy can build trust and strengthen your relationship with the prospective client, capture your prospect’s attention, and boost your sales conversion rates. It can help you to sell more to existing customers and gain referrals to new customers.
Your follow up strategy will define your next steps. How you’ll make contact (email, phone call, LinkedIn message, in person), when you’ll do it and what you’ll say. It’ll define how many times you’ll go through the follow up process and when to walk away.
It’s important to remember throughout the follow up process that this is a two-way street. You need the customer (for sales), and they need you (to provide a solution). If it’s a good fit between salesperson and potential customer, there’s mutual benefit from the conversation.
8 Step Follow-up Process
You’ve had your initial contact with the new customer, now what? Follow these top follow up process tips.
1. Ask for their preferences: tailor your approach to suit the client. Find out if they’d prefer a follow up call or email. The preferred communication channel is usually a follow up email these days. Make sure you use a subject line that’ll make your email stand out from the many others in their inbox. Some people prefer a conversation, especially if you’ve clicked in the initial meeting. Find out so that you get a better response.
2. Determine next steps: don’t leave your initial meeting without action items. Decide what needs to happen next. The client may want more detailed information, or a next level meeting with the company’s decision-makers. Specify a timeframe for this too – “shall we set that meeting up for next week?” or “I’ll send that product brief to you this afternoon.”
3. Personalise your communication: whilst you may have a follow up email template, make sure you tailor it to the individual. Include an enticing hook that will draw them further down the sales funnel. Show that you’ve listened to them, and reiterate how your business can reduce their pain points. Provide additional information that may answer their questions.
4. Contact them quickly: follow up while your lead is still warm. Don’t allow time for the enthusiasm shown in your initial interaction dwindle. After your first meeting, send an email to thank them for their time and include any action items and notes taken. This helps to keep you at the top of mind and makes a lasting impact.
5. Share your expertise: step out of pure sales professional mode and focus on meeting the customer’s needs. Answer their questions, show your expert knowledge in the area, send them useful research, links, white papers or articles. This lead nurturing phase will build trust and confidence in you and your offering. It’s an effective sales technique without being salesy.
6. Connect on social media: if you’re not already connected with them on LinkedIn, send a request. It’s a great B2B sales tool. Join their discussions, see what they’re interested in and whether you have industry groups in common. Channels like X (Twitter) will reveal more of their other interests.
7. Make a follow up schedule: many sales teams utilise automation for follow-up email sequences. It means that they’ll be sent on schedule via your CRM.
Email 1: thank them after your first meeting and state action items within 24 hours of your initial interaction. The first follow-up email is powerful and can increase the response rate by 49% (source: Belkins).
Email 2: follow up when the first action item is due. Check for the best time to schedule that meeting or send further information. Include obvious CTAs to encourage action.
Email 3: persistence pays off. If you don’t hear back, try again in the next 2-5 days.
Create a schedule for subsequent emails or phone calls, led by the deadlines for action items. If there’s a long gap (eg a month until the next deadline), send an email halfway through to recap on previous discussions and remind of next steps. Keep sharing valuable insights and help.
8. Know when to walk away: not all lead generation outreach work results in a successful sale. It’s important for sales teams to understand when it’s not going to happen. In those situations, let them know that this will be your final email or call. Do leave your phone number/ contact details and company name so that they can reach you in future.
Discover the power of the follow-up
Case Study
My friend PJ runs a business called UK Connect, a next gen wireless connectivity solutions. PJ didn’t have an effective follow-up strategy. But once he began to follow up diligently with prospective clients, he saw incredible results.
His business soared from £120,000 to £2.2 million in turnover. He increased his team from 3 to 23 people. What’s more, he learned how to step away from his business without it grinding to a halt without him.
I can help you to achieve incredible results, like PJ has. Contact me to find out more
Key Takeaways for a Winning Sales Follow-up Strategy
A follow up call or email is an integral part of a successful sales cycle. Done well, a successful sales follow up strategy nurtures customer relationships, builds trust, emphasises your expertise and professionalism, and results in sales. It’s an effective sales tool to advance the sales process.
To avoid overwhelming a potential client with contact, ask for their preferred communication channels and timings. Align emails with actions, and tailor your message to the specific customer. Make sure every follow up adds value for your prospect. Be helpful, understand their pain points, share your relevant industry expertise and show empathy.
Follow ups keep the lead engaged, answer their questions, inform their decision-making and increase the likelihood of closing the deal.
