Your follow up strategy ?- Heidi Sloss

What does Your Follow-Up Strategy Look Like?

 

Sep 252012

How do you follow-up with prospects? Do you differentiate between leads picked up at networking events versus leads from clients? And what about past clients? Do you consider them prospects? If not, why not?

Prospecting from new leads and past clients should all be part and parcel of your follow-up strategy. Think about your list of prospects and past clients. How often do you schedule time to contact your leads either on the phone or in person? If you have read my book, Fortune is in the Follow-Up®, you know that I am biased against following up via email. I think that building a relationship means you need to have a real conversation in real time using the phone or better yet in person.

If you don’t have follow-up as a regularly scheduled activity in your weekly calendar, you are missing out on the wealth that may be sitting on your desk in the form of business cards, just collecting dust. My suggestion is to block out time in your calendar that is just for follow-up. Then think of information that is relevant to the people you want to contact. Perhaps a timely news story or something that you learned recently that will mean something to them. Next pick up the phone and start dialing.
Challenge yourself. This week, call 10 people. Do this every week for the next 12 weeks. Make appointments to get together–start building relationships. We all know that people do business with people we know, like and trust. Be that person!

Yours,