Is the follow up you’re doing getting the results you want? If not, read on for some follow-up tips that will position you as thoughtful, professional and most importantly, are proven to lead to more promotional product sales.
Consistent and effective follow-up is one of the things that separates a promotional products consultant who is really successful from one that’s just getting by.
Here are ten tips to help you follow-up effectively, without being annoying.
1. Follow-up fast. Follow-up with all hot prospects quickly. The faster you follow-up, the better chance you have of securing an order. If you don’t follow up quickly chances are your competitors may beat you to it.
2. Call early and call late. First thing in the morning and at the end of the business day are the times you’re most likely to find your prospects and clients at their desks. Avoid calling on Mondays.
3. Make a date for follow-up. At the end of every sales meeting ask the prospect what their preferred method of follow-up is: phone, email, text, or another in-person meeting. Say something such as: “Now that I know more about your needs, I’d like to come back with some effective promotional ideas that can get the results you want to achieve. Would next Wednesday at 1:00 pm work for you?”
4. Summarize. After every sales meeting send a short email summary of what was discussed and what you promised to do. This will keep your name and agenda top of the mind.
5. Send a handwritten thank you note. A handwritten thank you note will stand out. Include with that an interesting promotional product and you have a great way to follow-up and spotlight what you do best.
6. Use a CRM. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, it’s a tool that will help you keep track of your prospects and clients and when and how to follow up. There are many CRM tools available both in and out of our industry.
7. Provide value. Forget about calling to see if your prospect or customer received your catalog or email or if they’re ready to order. How boring is that? Instead, share a valuable resource, an interesting article, a business lead or a business promotion tip. You get the idea. People will look forward to hearing from you if you share information that will help their business and their bottom line.
8. Get permission and build rapport. I don’t have to tell you how hard it is to get a live person on the phone these days. If you’re lucky enough to reach them you have to be able to convey the benefits of what you do quickly, in order to pique their curiosity and have them want to learn more. The first thing I encourage my coaching clients to do is to ask permission to continue. A short sentence such as: “Do you have a moment to speak? I have a new idea to promote your business that I’d like to share with you.”
9. Get help from the gatekeeper. Administrative assistants can be a big help in getting through to your prospect. Say something such as: “I’ve been trying to reach Mr. Adams and I seem to be always missing him, can you tell me the best time to reach him and how he prefers to be contacted?”
10. Use a variety of different methods. Phone calls and emails are not the only way to follow-up. Send a newsletter with promotional tips or a promotional idea of the week. Send a virtual sample or mail a creative promotional product. Follow your prospect on social media sites. Comment on their blog posts. Anything that will keep your name top of the mind works well. You’re in a fun industry. There are lots of ways you can share your expertise and connect with your customer.
Should you ever give up on follow-up? That depends on how valuable the prospect is to you. I can tell you from actual experience that it can take months to get an order or to get in to see a prospect that has the ability to give you large and repeat orders, but the payoff can be enormous.
Rosalie Marcus, The Promo Biz Coach, is a promotional products business expert, coach, and speaker. Combining her skills and years of experience in promotional sales, she helps her clients sell more at higher margins to better clients. Get a free special report: 10 Proven Ways to Thrive in Promotional Products Sales… in Any Economy at www.promobizcoach.com. Contact her at Rosalie@promobizcoach.com.