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The Art of Follow-up
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You may have heard the assertion that people are more afraid of
public speaking than death.
I don't yet have the statistics to back it up yet, but I think the
fear of picking up the phone and calling someone you don't know,
trumps both of these.
I've met many people who have little fear of public speaking, but
I've seen several grown men and women quake with fear at the
prospect of making follow-up calls. In fact, many long years ago, I
was one of those people!
A follow-up call means calling someone by phone whom you've
previously met and who might be a prospect for your services. It
could also be a lead you've received from an associate or an
attendee from a talk or presentation.
The follow-up call is the pivotal action between marketing and
selling. Marketing warms up the selling process, but the follow-up
call is the key action that furthers the business relationship and
often secures the appointment.
To call or not to call, that is the question.
Not only do we not like making follow-up calls, we tend to do a
bad job of them when we finally get around to it. It's not
uncommon that we avoid them altogether, hoping that interested
prospects will call us back instead.
However, when I meet the very rare person who is good at
making follow-up calls, I know they won't have much trouble
consistently attracting clients. They don't wait, they connect.
They seize the opportunity, not wallow in the difficulty.
Let's do a reality check:
1. For the most part, prospects are not going to call you back,
even if they are interested in your services. If you want to turn
that prospect into a client you MUST make the follow-up call.
2. You will survive if you make these calls. I haven't known of
anyone who has died by making follow-up calls or has had the
prospect send a hit man to take them out.
3. You can get very good at making follow-up calls. You can learn
how to do this relatively easy. Like anything, it will take some
time and practice, but it's not rocket science.
Introducing a New Audio Program
In the Audio Program I'm launching today, "The Art and Science
of Telephone Follow-up," I interview Denise Clancey of Teledirect
Partners on all the ins and outs of making successful follow-up
calls. Let me share one of her main ideas.
The way to succeed with follow-up calls, is through scripting.
If you were playing in Hamlet, you'd have a script. If you didn't,
can you imagine how you'd come across? You'd bomb! Well, isn't
your business more important than a play?
With follow-up calls, you can't wing it; you need to know what to
say, when to say it and how to say it. You need to write out your
scripts and use them as guidelines as you make your calls. You
never actually read your scripts, but use them as outlines to keep
you on track.
Denise recommends four kinds of scripts:
1. The script for voice mail
2. The script when you reach a prospect
3. The script for dealing with gatekeepers
4. The general purpose information script
Armed with these four scripts, you finally have power when you
make your calls. You will start to control the flow of the call
instead of the call controlling you. (In the audio program, we go
over these scripts in great detail and even role-play each one of
them.)
Also, like being in Hamlet, you need to practice. Out loud. Use a
mirror and a tape recorder for immediate feedback. Until you feel
comfortable with your scripts, you will sound awkward and
hesitant, missing that authentic connection with your prospects.
If and when you master the art of the follow-up call, you will see
the following results: Fewer opportunities missed, more
appointments with qualified prospects, and more business closed.
Follow-up calls need to be a central part of your marketing plan.
No matter what marketing activities you do, follow-up calls need
to be part of the equation. If you don't make them, you may be
waiting a very long time for prospects to call you back. And that,
my friend, can kill you!
For more information on "The Art and Science of Telephone
Follow-up," link here:
Action Plan Marketing
click on Marketing Tools and Audio programs to find the follow up audio!
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The More Clients Bottom Line: Learning how to make more
effective follow-up calls can give you more marketing leverage than
almost any other marketing activity. Follow-up calls can
dramatically increase the opportunities to present your services to
potential clients. Avoid learning this skill and it will cost your
business dearly.
By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit
Robert's web site at www.actionplan.com for additional
marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional
service businesses.
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