As small business owners, we worry about contacting people
too much - but no one tells us how much is too much! Many
of us think that a follow-up strategy is to email or call
someone a week or two after the initial contact and then
maybe touch base occasionally over the next few months.
If this is your follow-up strategy - whether with a new
prospect or a long-time customer - then you've got to
formalize it more and put it on auto-pilot. I've seen the
statistic that around 80% of sales are lost because no one
followed up. Is this you?
Marketing is all about fostering a relationship with people
and one of the key ways to do this is by having consistent
and relevant follow-up as part of your marketing strategy.
Remember, you're not following up to pester someone to
purchase - you are keeping the lines of communication open
and providing important information that can help the
prospect or customer.
Below are 13 ways for you to make sure that ongoing
follow-up is a part of your marketing strategy:
1) When someone requests information give it to them
immediately.
2) When someone asks a question respond within 24 -48 hours.
3) When someone makes the first contact (i.e. downloads
your free give-away), follow up with emails every few days
providing helpful information, highlighting specific ideas,
or providing some tips.
4) When you have a time-limited special on a service or
product, make sure to remind your prospects frequently.
People always buy on the last day, so send a friendly
reminder email that today's the last day to get the
discount.
5) Call or send an email to a customer who has just
purchased something from your website. Say "thank you" and
ask them if they need any questions answered or anything
clarified.
6) If you're offering a tele-seminar, give enough advance
notice and send reminder emails providing the pertinent
details.
7) If someone has made an appointment, do a reminder phone
call or email a day before the scheduled time.
8) If someone sends in a contact via your website form,
make sure you get back to them within 48 hours.
9) If you've made a good contact at a seminar or networking
event, send them an email or better yet, a handwritten
note, expressing your desire to keep in touch. Then mark a
date in your calendar in one month to follow up with a
phone call or email.
10) Send "thank you's" promptly to people - i.e. they've
given you a referral, a great piece of information,
someone's name as a possible Joint Venture partner, etc.
11) Have a system in place that captures people's names and
contact information so that you can keep in touch.
12) Keep track of clients' birthdays, business anniversary
dates, when you started working together, and send cards
(via mail or email) to mark these milestones.
13) Send out a weekly or bi-weekly ezine or newsletter to
all your prospects and customers.
If you incorporate a consistent follow-up strategy into
your marketing activities, it will allow people to know,
like and trust you; give them information that they can
use; exhibit the value and results you can provide, and of
course, see your sales climb!
----------------------------------------------------
Jody Gabourie, The Small Business Marketing Coach, delivers
simple, innovative and powerful marketing strategies to
help business owners find and keep their most profitable
clients. To learn more about how she can help you take
your business to the next level, and to sign up for her
FREE special report, ezine and articles, visit her site at
http://www.JodyGabourieMarketingCoach.com
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