Boost Sales

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. Your series could 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 Vo

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 sales people find this the hardest discipline to execute. But like most successful strategies, it requires a tactical plan. If you’ve been relying solely on follow-up phone calls to brusque sales, why not try this plan for 30 days?

1. Create a follow-up deportment series. If you use ACT! or surplus contact manager, deport the series aftermost you send your proposal. If you occlude the sale, you can in every instance end the series early. Your series could 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 driving voice mail script. Limit it to 10-15 seconds. (Time it!) Start with your name, room-mate 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 moving message; then, a declaration circa what you want them to do. Finally repeat your phone number at the end. I often give my email expression as an double way to “return the call.”

My voice mail sales follow-up call goes something like this: “Hi, ___, this is Lori Feldman with Aviva, 800/264-5478. I just completed a project for accessory regular who was as concerned as you are carelessly ___. Listen to what happened when they my services: (Recap story). I have some supplemental ideas for (Company's project for which I sent you my proposal. When are you unpopulated to discuss it? Here’s my phone number ditto and my email address, if that’s an easier way for you to contact me: (Phone 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 run where he’ll receive the regular direct marketing I send to all customers and prospects (ACT! Tips, User Group invitations, newsletters, etc.) However, seeing that he was interested in my services—enough to ask for a proposal—and he hasn’t said “no” yet, I still want to give him his own follow up.

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 rebuilt since we last talked. Please chimney the confiscate 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 auxiliary vendor, sorry! 4) Who are you again?” Humor goes a long way, too.

It’s true that persistence pays off in higher not quite 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, which is faster and less intrusive in their day than a phone conversation can be. Giving a prospect several ways to sound with you—especially when it cuts down on the time you’re spending with non-buyers—is a more effective long-term sales strategy. When you focus selling time on buyers who want to buy today, your sales go up!

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