If you’re a sales professional, you may have realized that it can be one of the most demanding, yet rewarding careers out there. In order to become the best sales person possible, you need to embrace the follow-up process. If you are not following up with 100% of your sales leads, you are missing out on valuable clients. To help you understand the importance of following up, I have put together some helpful tips on improving your follow-up skills.
- Don’t Wait – When it comes to making a sale and landing a new client, don’t wait. Studies have shown that sales professionals who contact potential leads within an hour of receiving their inquiry, are more likely to have a conversation with someone who is ready to take the next step. Every hour that goes by without you contacting a potential new client, is time wasted. When you respond quicker, you are demonstrating that you want to do business with this client and you are genuinely interested in hearing what their needs are. Do not wait when it comes to responding to an inquiry.
- Provide Complete Answers – When someone contacts you, it is likely because they have a question about the services or products that you offer. When you’re returning a call to a prospective client, remember to provide them with complete answers. It has been shown that the first sales person to respond to a client with the information they want, is most likely to land that client.
- Keep Learning – In order to become the best possible sales person, you can be, you need to continue to learn about what is relevant in your field. If you are promoting a new product or service, learn everything you can about it. The more informed and knowledgeable you are; the more trustworthy potential clients will find you to be.
The tips listed above will help you improve your existing follow-up technique. The key to becoming a more effective sales person, is following up with potential clients. The faster you respond and provide a prospective client with the information and details they want, the more likely you are to add that lead as a new client.
The world of sales can be very demanding, but if you continue to hone your skills, and educate yourself your clients will remain loyal customers who turn to you for advice and information when they are considering making a change. A simple follow-up call, can lead to clients who value our opinion and look to you for help when expanding their business. You have a lot to gain from a simple follow-up call.