Following up contact from customers is not only basic etiquette … it should be the heart of your business.
I hear so many stories of where people have been let down by others. For example, where a business:
- Has given time to a supplier to meet with them but then the supplier never followed up on their actions afterwards. Or if they did it was not in a professional manner. Sometimes there is not even an acknowledgement to say ‘thank you’ for your time or to follow up on actions discussed despite the company being keen and needing their services.
- Themselves had several leads coming in but just didn’t have the time, resource, or inclination to follow them up to convert it to a sale.
There are lots of reasons why the above could happen. Lack of time. Lack of resource. Lack of skills. Other priorities. Perhaps even lazy.
BUT the upshot of a lack of FOLLOWING UP is interpreted by the other party as:
- Not interested
- Doesn’t care
- Unprofessional
- If this is how they are before a sale, then what will after sales support be like?
Personally, my view is simple.
The customer (current and prospect) should be at the heart of everything you do.
If you receive a call, email, tweet,etc then RESPOND. Even if it is a complaint. In fact, even more so if it is a complaint. The power of your response can turn even a negative situation into a positive depending on how it is handled. This should be part of your Sales Strategy and Account Management Strategy.
Here are some stats:
- Whenever a person has a bad experience, they tell 10 others.
- It can take on average 16 touchpoints with a prospect client before they make their buying decision. And the higher price point, the more touchpoints that may be needed. These touchpoints can be social media posts, emails, texts, newsletters and more, creating a full multi channel communication programme.
- It costs 10x more to win a new client than retain a current one. Do not let lack of follow up be the reason a client left you to go elsewhere for better service.
So, prioritise your communication strategy. Prioritise your customer engagement strategy. Develop a process to enable prompt followup. Create an environment where the customer is the heart of your business and watch the business grow.
If you would like support on reviewing your follow up strategy then do get in touch with me, using the Contact Me page.
