I've heard different numbers on how many times you need to have contact with someone before a sale is made. Anywhere from 7 to 15 is usually the norm.

It takes time for someone to trust you enough to do business with you. So many sales are lost simply because the person asking for the sale failed to follow-up with their prospect.

How much time are you wasting by making the initial phone call or having a face-to-face meeting with a prospect and not following up?

You can dramatically increase your closing ratio simply by following up with everyone you contact. And as I mentioned above, that can mean 7 - 15 contacts with the individual or business.

Once you make the initial call to your prospect, set dates on your calendar to remind you of when to contact them again.

People get busy and they forget about you very quickly. It's nothing personal against you or your business. They just forget about you because they have their own business and lives to manage.

Here are three tips to help you become more effective with follow-up:

1. Have a system for tracking your leads and following up. This could be a database online or on your computer. It could be something as simple as a yellow legal pad. Just find what works for you.

2. Write it down. Write down when you need to contact them again. Mark it on your calendar. Schedule it. Set an alarm in Outlook. Do whatever you have to do to make sure you follow-up with them in a timely manner.

3. Remember it's your responsibility to keep in touch. Not theirs.

The money is made on the follow-up. It is rarely made on the initial call. So make sure you are following up with everyone you contact.

 

To Your Success,