Hate Follow-Up Phone Calls To Hot Prospects Who Won?t Call You Back? Stop Calling!

We all learned in Sales 101 we must follow up with our prospects until they buy. Unfortunately, while we're busy trying to make all these follow-ups, some very fine prospects who are ready to buy now are flying under our radar.

The trick in sales is to talk to buyers. Rather than responding, "Duh!", professional sales people find this the hardest discipline to execute. But like most successful strategies, it requires a tactical plan. If you've been relying solely on follow-up phone calls to close sales, why not try this plan for 30 days?

1. Create a follow-up activity series. If you use ACT! or another contact manager, assign the series after you send your proposal. If you close the sale, you can always end the series early. Your series could look like this:

0 Day-Proposal Sent

2 Days-Follow-up Phone Call

4 Days-Follow-up Email

7 Days-Follow-up Voice Mail

10 Days-Follow-up Email

14 Days-Follow-Up Voice Mail

30 Days-Follow-Up Email

2. Write a compelling voice mail script. Limit it to 10-15 seconds. (Time it!) Start with your name, company and phone number (which gives the recipient an opportunity to retrieve your number without having to wait for the entire message to play). Next, say your compelling message; then, a declaration about what you want them to do. Finally repeat your phone number at the end. I often give my email address as an alternative way to "return the call."

My voice mail sales follow-up call goes something like this: "Hi, ___, this is Lori Feldman with Aviva, 800/264-5478. I just completed a project for another client who was as concerned as you are about ___. Listen to what happened when they bought my services: (Recap story). I have some additional ideas for (Company's project for which I sent you my proposal. When are you available to discuss it? Here's my phone number again and my email address, if that's an easier way for you to contact me: (Phone and email address.)

3. Send a Fax. Once I get 30 days out from a sent proposal, with no feedback from a prospect, I figure it's time to put him back in the prospect bucket where he'll receive the regular direct marketing I send to all customers and prospects (ACT! Tips, User Group invitations, newsletters, etc.) However, because he was interested in my services-enough to ask for a proposal-and he hasn't said "no" yet, I still want to give him his own follow up.

Based on the value of the proposal, I may put in a recall date every 30 days, or start emailing again, but first I'll try my "last ditch effort," a fax that says, "It looks like your needs may have changed since we last talked. Please check the appropriate box and fax it back to me at your convenience: 1) We're still interested, but I've had no time to follow up with you. Try me in ___ days/months; 2) Our needs have changed, and we don't need you! 3) We went with another vendor, sorry! 4) Who are you again?" Humor goes a long way, too.

It's true that persistence pays off in higher close rates. But your prospect is busy, too, and sometimes you're just not the high priority you think you are. Many potential customers prefer responding via email, which is faster and less intrusive in their day than a phone conversation can be. Giving a prospect several ways to communicate with you-especially when it cuts down on the time you're spending with non-buyers-is a more effective long-term sales strategy. When you focus selling time on buyers who want to buy today, your sales go up!

Lori Feldman is president of Aviva, a mailing list/database marketing and Internet consulting firm and an ACT! Software Certified Consultant. She is this year's Direct Marketer of the Year, awarded by the Direct Marketing Assn. of St. Louis. Reach her at http://www.aviva-aviva.com/act.html

---

People Buy People So Sell On Relationships

(Objection handling tips excerpted from Objections! Objections! Objections!)People buy people.... Read More

Use Bundling To Increase Your Profits And Sales

Use Bundling To Increase Your Profits And Sales An effective... Read More

How To Shorten The Selling Cycle And Reduce Buying Stalls

The main reason for buyer resistance and selling stalls boils... Read More

Everything Follows the Pitch

If you asked me to point to the heart and... Read More

Is Cold Calling Dead?

Is cold calling dead? And if laws are being passed... Read More

How to Build A Steady Stream of Customers--Step One

The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More

Everything in Life is Selling

Robert Louis Stevenson said 'Everything in Life is Selling' and... Read More

2 ½ Steps to Sales Success

You have just walked out of the office of a... Read More

Selling Your Business ? Step by Step Process

So it's finally come time to sell the business. After... Read More

Sell YOU With Your Small Talk (Yes You Can)

Want to build a relationship -- sell yourself for a... Read More

Where to Find Mannequins for Sale

Any time a clothing store opens or expands, they must... Read More

Stop Telemarketers, Do Not Call List or Not

American consumers have spoken and have done so loudly registering... Read More

Do You Want to Know the 8 Tips to Selling More Products?

So often sales men and woman are the very people... Read More

Things You Need to Know Before Joining a Direct Sales Company

A lot of people are very intrigued by the idea... Read More

A Little Something Special Goes a Long Way

Keeping the 80/20 rule in mind; that is that 80%... Read More

Top Seven Ways to Write An Order-Pulling Sales Letter

Ready to put your Web pages up? Ready to sell... Read More

Writing Effective Sales Messages

A sales letter is a document designed to generate sales.... Read More

Never Stop Selling

The question: "When should a growing company slow down its... Read More

Why People Use Long Sales Copy

Have you ever wondered why some people use long sales... Read More

Why Cold Calling Is Dead

Our world of selling is closed off from other areas... Read More

Now Is A Great Time To Sell!

Its official. The news just came out. Yes, we are... Read More

Listen! How to Sell More by Listening More!

In my opinion, one of the biggest skills of being... Read More

A Quick and Simple Tip For Gaining Customers

In the course of my career, I've had to deal... Read More

Caring - The Secret Sales Strategy

Sales information resource Just Sell, calls caring "sales love". Here's... Read More

The Art Of Cold Calling

I know, don't groan. You have to do them if... Read More

How To Write A Riveting Sales Letter That Closes Sales

How do you get people's attention and build their interest... Read More

Going Back To Get Ahead

Have you ever run DOWN an escalator that was going... Read More

Whats the Secret to Repeat Business?

When you think about ways to gain repeat business from... Read More

Tapping The Potential Of Your Customers

Business owners of long standing know the cardinal rule "take... Read More

Creating More Effective Proposals

The need for good proposals - the business kind, not... Read More

A Look at Mannequin Heads

A mannequin head is a life-size head that includes all... Read More

Six Steps to Creating Online Presentations for Telephone Selling

How much extra money could you make by closing just... Read More

If I Wanted To Sell For A Living, I Would Of Majored In It In College

By a show of hands, how many of you grew... Read More