8 Follow-Up Strategies to Keep Your Prospect Engaged

Doyle Slayton | Feb 03, 2010 | Comments 13

How do you follow-up with your prospects after your first conversation or after your first appointment? Sometimes we get so tired of chasing people down that we lose focus and take the lazy approach of “calling to touch base,” or “calling to check-in,” both of which bring little value.

Here are 8 follow-up strategies you can use to bring constant value and keep your prospect moving forward through the buying cycle. As you work through each of these, keep asking for the business!

New Information to Share – Call your prospect with something new… something that will benefit and excite them about what you have to offer. I always like to call and say something like, “I’ve got some great news for you!” or “I’ve got an update for you!”

Answers to Questions – The higher the complexity of the sale, the more questions to answer. It’s not important that you know every answer right on the spot. What’s most important is that you are honest, and that you don’t talk your way through something you aren’t sure about. Take it as an opportunity to follow-up. Get the information you need, and respond to your prospect as-quickly-as-possible with answers!

Success Story – Sharing stories about how you’ve helped other prospects is a great way to share your passion for your products and services. You may not want to share specific company names, for reasons of confidentiality, but you should have a handful of great stories to tell.

Reference List – I always keep my reference list private until we get deep into the sales cycle, but once I know the prospect is interested, I want them to call my current clients. Some people have a reference list of five or six clients. I recommend building a reference list of 25 plus! When your competitor sends their short list and you send your giant list of happy clients, it’s a great way to make an impression!

Customer Testimonials – When clients send you emails and letters of praise, keep them on file, and better yet, ask for permission to use it in your marketing materials. When you run into a prospect with similar needs and interests, send them a targeted testimonial.

Article – Be a resource! You should subscribe to industry publications and newsletters that help you keep up with the latest news affecting your industry. When you get an article that applies to a current prospects situation, send them a copy of the article, and make a follow-up call! Tie the information in the article back to the specific ways your product will solve the prospects problems.

Related Case Study – Sometimes you need to provide more detailed information, something backed up by research, analysis, and statistics. If you have access to this type of data, you’ll have and advantage!

Give Them a Referral – We are always asking for referrals, or at least we should be… right? What about giving your prospects some referrals? You might refer a potential client for their business, or even a prospective employee to fill a position opening.

The last year has been riddled with layoffs and reorganization initiatives. Through all of your prospecting activities, you are certain to know of decision makers who are losing their job, and you also know of openings. Help your prospects with your network of contacts. Imagine getting a call down the road that says, “We need your services. You’ve helped me before, and I trust you.”

That’s my 8 Follow-Up Strategies to Keep Your Prospects Engaged! Did I miss anything? What follow-up strategies are you using to keep prospects moving forward and buying from you?