Training yourself to appreciate the value of a follow up, and making them consistently, is the first part. The second is successfully delivering that follow up to achieve the best outcome. For the purposes of this blog entry I am going to use the example of a sales person following up a client on a quote that they have delivered.

You don’t run into battle with no armor; you can’t cook without ingredients; so why do so many people follow up without any preparation? Before you make the phone call there are a number of things to consider. What do you want to achieve? How can you become more ingrained in the customers buying process? How can you be seen as an irreplaceable resource as opposed to a sales person trying to make a sale? Why does the client care if you win the business? The answer to these questions can be summed up in one word… ‘Care.’ How much do you care about all of the above? Does the client see that? Do they know that you care about the outcome, and that your assistance is in their best interests? These are the questions that you need to consider when you are going to perform a follow up.

Some examples of this offering include:

• Drawing the client to specific parts of the quote which are key differentiators for your company.

• Further drilling down on their needs and cross referencing these against your proposal to show where they overlap.
• Offering more information on any aforementioned points.
• Relating their decision making process to an allied client in a relevant field and how they went about it…

You want to prepare your follow up so well that you can answer any questions confidently as well as be working in the clients best interests. Don’t follow up to say, ‘where’s the order?’ Follow up to say, ‘how’s the process going? Can I be of further assistance? What time frames are you running on? I firmly believe that we have the best product for your situation, and I will do anything to try to convince you to go with us, as it will ultimately serve you the least headaches and the most flexibility!’ Just be careful not go in with that last one unless you are oozing passion… Effective preparation will give you the outcome that you seek.

Next week, part three will discuss delivery.