Following up leads is key to securing sales in many industries. But at what point should you send that follow up email or make that follow up phone call? You don’t want to be too rash or persistent as it could be annoying. At the same time, you don’t want to put it off too long and end up losing your leads.
Sadly, there is no perfect formula as to when and when not to follow up – every business and every customer is different, and so you have to constantly adjust. That said, there are few common practices that could be worth considering. Read on to learn the art of following up leads.
Use software to track your leads
The customer conversion process is made up of multiple stages. It’s possible that you may have many different leads – all of whom are at different states of the conversion process. In order to follow up all of these leads at the right time, you need to be able to organise all these leads and track exactly what point they are on their customer journey. You can do this by using software.
Lead tracking/generation software may allow you to set up alerts when a lead reaches a certain stage and requires a follow-up. Some of this software can even send automated follow-up messages for you. It’s important to choose software targeted at your industry. As you’ll find by searching online, there are lead generation tools for SAAS companies, lead generation tools for insurers, lead generation tools for retailers and even lead generation tools for marketing agencies.
Follow up by email an hour after making contact
After an initial phone call or physical meeting with a lead, it’s customary to send a follow-up email straight after. This email is used largely to sum up the meeting in writing, however it also may also help to push along leads to the next stage who may already be eager to commit.
Such an email should take the form of a gentle nudge rather than a hard push. Customers may still need time to prepare for the next stage, so you don’t want to pressure them too much.
Consider these factors when following up again
When considering whether to follow up again, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Their level of interest: If a lead seemed excited at the initial meeting or replied enthusiastically to your email straight after, you may want to follow up quickly to take advantage of this eagerness. If they seemed less interested, you may want to give it two or three days at least to follow up. If you’re following up a cold lead who you haven’t had a meeting with, 2 days is also a good timeframe.
- The time of the week: When it comes to B2B leads, avoid following up at the weekend, as your lead may not be in the office. So if you made contact for the first time on Thursday or Friday, consider waiting until Monday to follow up.
- The delivery deadline: If you’re promoting an event or selling limited products with an expiry date, you’re likely to have a hard deadline as to when to secure a sale by. If you’ve only got a couple days before this deadline, you may have to follow up more speedily.
Should you follow up a third time?
Many sales reps are hesitant about following up a third time, but actually it’s worth doing it as many as five or six times with some clients. Studies show that 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups after the initial meeting in order to secure a sale. After six attempts, there tends to be much less chance of getting results, so it may be worth abandoning a lead and focusing on other leads.
Use a combination of emails, phone calls and text messages to follow up if you have multiple contact details, and space out each follow up attempt by a few days – leaving it longer between each follow-up after three attempts.
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