4. Following up

The Professional Way of Following Up and Never Losing a Prospect Again:

Why is Following Up so Important?

This statistic speaks for itself:

  • 48% of salespeople never follow up.
  • 25% of salespeople only follow up twice.
  • 12% of salespeople follow up three times.
  • Only 10% of salespeople follow up more than three times.
  • 2% of all sales are made on the first contact.
  • 3% of sales are made on the second contact.
  • 5% of sales are made on the third contact.
  • 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact.
  • 80% of all sales are made between the fifth and twelfth contact.

The aim of this module is to teach you how to follow up in a professional manner, so that you never lose a prospect again, and don’t push them away by being too needy.

Why is this Important?

Because if you don’t follow up on your prospects, you have to find 10 or 20 times as many prospects to build a sustainable business. But when you do, you also gain a lot of new friends.

The Golden Rules of Following Up:

When the timing is right for the prospect, you should be in their life and on their mind. We never quit on people. While we follow up, we build the relationship. People do business with people they know, like, and trust.

The Basic Following Up Strategy:

Anywhere in the pipeline or in your follow-up process, when the prospect says “no,” you should think “no for now” and say:

  • “That’s okay because timing is the most important thing. Would it be alright if I check back with you from time to time to see how things are going for you, and you can hear how things are going for me?”

Then, put the prospect into your calendar three months from now and forget about them.

Three months later, when the prospect’s name pops up in your calendar, you call them and ask how everything is going (as promised). After a little small talk, you say:

  • “Last time we spoke about our business, it wasn’t the right timing for you. I have some exciting news regarding that and I wonder if the timing is better now. Are you open to taking another look at what we do?”

When they say “yes,” put them back into the pipeline and book a new short presentation (SP). From there, take them through the entire pipeline again (don’t assume that they remember any thing).

When they say “no,” simply say:

  • “That’s okay because timing is the most important thing. Would it be alright if I check back with you from time to time to see how things are going for you, and you can hear how things are going for me?”

Repeat process…

In this manner, you “program” them to understand that this is not a “no forever” but a “no for now” because it’s all about timing. Additionally, you show them that you stick to the plan and build your business. Finally, you show them that they can feel safe to say “no for now” without you being pushy or needy. This usually makes people feel safe to explore.

As Time Goes By:

After a year in Business, you will have Prospects popping up in your calendar every week. Some will be ready to join after three months, others after three years. The important thing is that they will love to talk to you because you’re not pressuring them. In due time, most of them will become either partners or customers.

Ideas to Build the Relationship While Following Up:

  • Invite the prospect for a brunch (at home or in a café).
  • Offer to give them a test (or give it as a birthday present).
  • Invite the prospect to a speech (doesn’t have to be Zinzino).
  • Give them a gift (a book, a gift card, etc.).
  • Invite them to a physical Zinzino event to get the feel.
  • Be creative. It’s a friend.

Intervals in the Pipeline:

If you didn’t book the next meeting but just agreed on talking tomorrow, you should follow these intervals to avoid being pushy or needy:

Let’s say we had an SP on Monday and they saw the BP on Wednesday at PM without you having booked an EM.

  • Wait 48 hours and call them early in the evening (this call would be a short EM).
  • If they don’t pick up the phone, don’t leave a message. They can see that you’ve called, and they know why. This call will be a short EM (study Skill #3 Presenting).
  • If they don’t call back within 48 hours, call them again. This time, leave a message saying, “Hi John. This is Anna. We were supposed to talk about our business opportunity and I’ve tried to get a hold of you. Please call me when you hear this.”
  • When they call you back, treat it like a short EM.
  • If they don’t call you back, leave a “Goodbye Message” taking the pressure off them: “Hi John. Anna here. I’ve tried to get a hold of you the last few days but you seem to be too busy right now, and that’s okay because timing is the most important thing. I will call in a few months to see how it’s going.”

Why do we Call them (instead of texting)? Talking with people is a much higher level of connection than texting, and you should always aim to level up your connection with people. And it’s easy to forget or ignore a text. Don’t get forgotten or ignored. Call people. ❤️

Note:

You will need a system to keep track of all your prospects. This can be a dedicated spreadsheet with names, contact information, notes on your conversations, first contact, last contact, and next contact. Or you can use Google Calendar or one of the many dedicated CRM systems available online.

Quiz for Learning:

  • Why is the team “Timing” so important?
  • Why can a “Goodbye Message” be a good idea?

Get Better: