Many times, we put money on the table, with contracts not signed and without knowing the reason. Why? Because we didn’t follow-up. There’s a saying that says “The fortune is at the end of every follow-up”. This couldn’t be more accurate. We’ve all experienced it. not answering a email or phone call promptly, and then not calling back at all. And, as time has passed, we’re ashamed to call. If we could only get more efficient in making calls promptly then we’d be amazed how quickly our business can grow.
With this in mind I’m sharing my top suggestions to follow up and extracting the gold that your business has.
1. After networking events,
follow up. Making new contacts and referrers at networking events can be great however, if you don’t stay in contact and keep them informed about your company in a matter of days, it’ll be as if you’ve never ever met. Within 48 hours of the networking event, you should connect with the new people you meet on social media. Like their Facebook page, follow the Twitter account, and connect with them through Linked In. Linked In.
Send them a follow-up email telling them how much you enjoyed the meeting and you’d like to know more about their company. Invite them over for lunch or coffee. If you made any promises (i.e. “I attend a lot of networking events and I’ll be delighted to provide you with an overview of the organizations I am a part of”) ensure that you complete it. Make sure you include hyperlinks to your website and social media websites so that they are able to easily learn more about your company.
If they’re a great referrer, stay in contact with them frequently and at least once a monthly, with an email, phone to, email, coffee, or a thank-you cards to ensure that you are always top of the mind of.
If they’re a potential customer for your company, you can ask for their permission to include them on your list of email addresses. Send them an “It was a pleasure to meet with you” card. Make sure to follow up with them via email or phone at least every two months. Inform them that there are any special events or specials that are happening. Invite them personally to join you at a later networking gathering.
2. Follow-up with previous clients.
This is another source of gold. If they’ve previously collaborated with your company and have had a positive experience, they’ll be an amazing source of referrals. Request for them to write a positive review on your site or provide a recommendation to the company you work with on LinkedIn. Within a week of having completed their task with the help of you (while they’re fresh on their minds and they’re still satisfied with your services) request their referrals. Offer a referral incentive to motivate them to refer others.
Keep in touch with them at least every 3-4 months to determine whether they require additional help or if they know someone that might require of your assistance. Once they’ve gotten into routine of referring businesses to you, it’s going to start to happen naturally to them.
When you’ve made follow-up an integral part of your week And yes, you can include it in your marketing strategy. It will be easy to watch your business grow quickly with all the new contacts you’ve made and all the new leads which begin to flow towards you.