Don't Forget to Follow Up With Sales Leads
Getting leads is an exciting part of the sales process. You’ve networked, found some interested parties and now have a potential new client. What’s not to like?
Don’t start counting your commission just yet - the art of sales is in the follow-up. If you're in sales, it's possible you have a stack of business cards on your desk gathering dust left wondering what am I to do with all of these potential sales leads? With a solid CRM in place, you’ll be able to easily follow up with leads while they’re still hot, and start to see an increase in your conversion rate.
Once your lead is obtained, knowing the next steps are crucial in the sales process. Very few sales are made within the first contact, so it pays to have a follow-up plan in place.
Not sure where to start? An example of a sales follow up schedule could be:
Day One: You obtain a lead through a cold call/ lead generation/ inquiry / free trial.
Immediately After Your First Contact: Send email or text thanking the customer for their time and interest. Let them know you will follow up shortly. Add the client information into your CRM program and start setting up a follow-up task as a reminder.
Within Three Days: Provide proposal, quote or more information as soon as possible to the potential client.
Next Day: Touch base with lead to confirm they received all the information you sent over and that they have everything they need to make their decision.
Next Week: Send follow up email to touch base with the customer. Ask if they’ve had a chance to review the material and if they have any questions. Gently remind them of the next steps in case they are interested in moving forward.
Once per Month to Every Two Weeks: If your lead is still on the fence, schedule follow up tasks at a frequency that works for you and your company, so that you stay at the forefront of your potential client’s mind. However, don’t make the mistake of focusing solely on the sale - switch up your content to show a genuine interest in your client by asking about their interests. Be creative in your reasons for reaching out.
Bonus Tip: Keep track of your sales follow up attempts and make note of anything you may want to refer to on future calls or emails. Your notes should be sales-related, but you can also add some details about the client as well, such as favorite teams or key interests.
Remember that 80 percent of sales are made on the 5th to 12th contact, so don’t get discouraged and continue reaching out. To help organize your follow up attempts, invest in a solid CRM like TouchConvert.
Once you have a lead, you can quickly upload all of their contact information and schedule follow up tasks in a simple To Do list that’s easy to organize. With all your tasks staring right in your face, you and your team will never forget about a sales lead again. As Benjamin Franklin says, “Diligence is the mother of good luck.” If you are diligent about adding tasks into your CRM, you’ll remember to follow up on more of your sales leads.
If you don't have a CRM to manage your sales leads, start your 30-day TouchConvert Trial today!
Check out how TouchConvert can help you after a conference in this short video. We recorded this specifically for #BizConCLE2017 - but it can apply to any event!
