Did you know that it takes eight cold calls to reach a prospective client, with 72 percent of all sales calls not being answered? Cold calling may sound like an outdated sales approach, but it’s still a common practice around the world.
But once you’ve connected to a potential customer and eventually made a sale, what’s next? Follow-up marketing is an invaluable tool that develops your relationship with the client and encourages future sales.
But what are some unique ways to do a sales follow-up with a client? What steps can you take to ensure that your number doesn’t get blocked, and your emails don’t go straight to the junk folder? To discover the answers to these questions and more, keep on reading as we explore some sales strategies.
1. Mix Up Your Methods
This may sound obvious but mixing up your communication methods can keep your interactions with a client fresh. Maybe you sold them the product or service over the phone, and so now you’re sending them a follow-up email. Another option would be sending them a message via social media.
Different channels of communication offer different sales strategies. Emails can include links and images which may interest the client.
Phone calls allow real-time interaction while social media messaging can serve as a middle ground between the two, but some people won’t appreciate the intrusion.
Try switching to another communication method post-sale.
2. Show Them You Care
You want the client to know that your relationship doesn’t end just because they’ve purchased something from you. You don’t want them to feel like they’ve been used or hustled, so why not send them a follow-up message that highlights your interest in their personal life.
If they voiced any concerns previously, discuss how you plan to address these in the future. If they mentioned any specific interests, discuss this, and share some information that they may appreciate.
If they are a business owner, is their business running as expected?
The balance between discussing their interests and discussing your product or services is challenging to find. They don’t want to feel like they’re being stalked, but they also don’t want another sales pitch. Whatever you send to them post-sale, make sure it is personal and not a copy and paste job.
3. Create a Schedule
Making any sales follow-up personal is essential! One way to do this is to schedule contact with the client to best suit them. A recent study found that most people check their emails at 11 am on Tuesday, so this is a good place to start.
But by asking the client the best times to contact them, you can demonstrate that you value their time and respect their personal life. Nobody wants to be bothered while they’re out with family or in the middle of a meal.
Be patient – if they need more time, give them as much as they need.
When you follow-up with clients, a little note showing the times and days they prefer to be contacted will work in your favor. An email campaign is one way to do this.
4. Follow-Up After Every Conversation
As far as sales strategies go, doing a sales follow-up is common. A simple email or social media message to thank the client for their purchase helps them feel valued as a customer.
A personalized message goes one step further. You want them to feel like you wrote the message yourself, not because you had to, but because you wanted to. You enjoyed the interaction so much that sending a thank you message was an obvious next step.
But just because you made a sale that time, doesn’t mean the same client will purchase something again next time. You don’t want to put too much pressure on an existing customer.
A great approach is to follow up every interaction (with or without a sale) with a short message. Something as simple as, “Thank you for your time today!”
You could take this a step further and arrange your next call or exchange within this.
Would the same time next week work? Would two weeks be better? You’re trying to develop a professional, long-lasting relationship with them, not force them to buy something, so be respectful of their preferences.
5. What’s for lunch?
Timing is everything with a sales follow-up. Add that personal touch by including something that will make the client feel special. If the follow-up is happening around lunchtime, why not ask them what they’re having?
Put something in the subject line to this effect, such as: “What’s for lunch?” And then acknowledge in the email or message that they may be busy with lunch right now, but you hope they enjoy it. You can try and arrange a future call within this message.
This type of follow-up doesn’t work with phone calls as you may disrupt their meal, and nobody wants that.
6. Trial And Error
As with many other business tasks, you’re going to have to take some risks. There isn’t a template for a sales follow-up that will work with every client. You’ll need to try different approaches, see how they play out, and then make changes where necessary.
Every client is different, but one strategy that will always fail is playing it safe. Nobody wants to receive bland, repetitive communications from a company that’s trying to sell them something.
Make each interaction unique, and allow your personality to shine within every message, email, or phone call.
7. Follow-Up a Voicemail
So, you’ve made a sale and tried to carry out a follow-up phone call, but the client hasn’t answered. You’ve left them a message on their voicemail, but now what? Chances are the client will listen to the first few seconds and then delete it.
After you’ve left a voicemail, send them an email to let them know. This allows you to connect with them across different modes of communication, but it can also show that you tried your best to reach out. This is the perfect opportunity to arrange a future call at a time that best suits them.
Got Sales Follow-Up Questions?
We’ve covered seven ways you can improve your sales follow-up techniques. Being personal and creative will always work better than being repetitive and uninteresting. Respect the client’s time and personal life, and you’ll remain on good terms.
Do you need a website that generates leads? Book your free consultation with Fishhook Marketing today!