The Fortune is in the Follow-up!

I guarantee you are losing money if you are following-up after every consultation (or purchase for that matter). So here’s 10 points that I want to bring up about follow-up.

#1 Consistent follow-up puts you ahead with winning the sale.
Detaching from the “when of the sale” & knowing when to sell. 
44% of business owners don’t up on follow-up after the 1st meeting.

#2 Marketing requires consistent communication.
Great results don’t come after one interaction. And, after their first purchase with you, staying consistent between purchases will keep you top-of-mind.

#3 Never leave a meeting w/o agreeing about your next steps.
Not every meeting is a sale but agree on what the next step is. It takes time to make the sale, even if you meet for a small offer. When they walk out of your office, close the Zoom call, or end the call, make sure both parties are really clear about the next step.
People love to do what they say they will do…That also means you need to do what you say you are going to do. If you tell them you’ll get the proposal/quote within 48 hours, then make sure you do it!

#4 Asking them, “What’s the best way of keeping in touch with you?” 
 Or “What’s the most important way to get in touch with you?”
Whatever they go for, take one step further... “I’m guessing you get a lot of email like I do, is there a better way or even a day to get in touch with you?”
If you get a verbal commitment of how to communicate with you, your chances of getting an agreement goes up 10-fold.

#5 The fastest way to lose the sale: Life happens...a week goes by and we forgot to follow-up. 
Have a follow-up sequence following all meetings. Add your prospect into that sequence immediately after the consultation.

1. Thank you and recap
2. Let them know when you will follow-up in ____ days time.
3. Make sure you follow-up and mention something personal that you connected with during the consultation conversation. i.e. pets or foods you love or anything that you discussed on a personal level. This will help you to stay on top of those leads and show the professionalism and genuine connection.
   
   The more sophisticated your system is, the better retention you will have.

#6 Depending on the offer, most people don’t buy right away.
In some situations it depends on timing. You never know what’s going on with them.
Also, if you have a strong brand/following that will mean that they will be quicker to respond to you.

#7 Know the best time to follow-up with clients.

• Wednesday is the best day between 2-4 p.m.
• Thursdays are the next best day between 2-4 p.m.
• Sometimes Fridays (between 10-2), people are more relaxed and ready for the weekend. I’ve landed more sales on a Friday by following-up with them. It’s not an ideal time for you, but it is for them.

#8 Our brain processes rejection the same way as pain.
If we think we are going to get rejected, our brain starts to think it’s going to experience pain.
If we question whether they are going to buy, then our brain stops us from follow-up so we don’t have to experience pain. You have to push through it. It physically thinks you are going to get harmed. Tell your brain that you are not in danger. Over time it won’t associate follow-up with rejection.
What would you do if you know you couldn’t fail? Push through it!

#9 Know when to walk away.
50% of sales requires following-up.
Your client needs to engage with you on an average of 5-7 times. Don’t give up especially if you see your prospect has engaged with your correspondence.

BUT, walk away when:

• you know they don’t have a desire to work with you.
• boundaries are crossed.
• what they want will compromise your integrity.

#10 Do stay persistently friendly and nice.
When following up via email, keep it short and to the point.
Do provide value; offer something relevant.
DON’T MAKE THEM FEEL BAD IF THE ANSWER IS A “NO”. They may come back…

If you always remember that the fortune is in the follow-up, you will come back to these tips and soon they will become habit!