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Follow Up Methods With Clients

Mark007Mark007 subscriber Posts: 3
edited June 2009 in Sales
Recently, I read two articles about follow-up methods with clients. I think they offer useful suggestions on how to effectively follow-up with customers. However, I would like to get the opinion of other members about it. Is this sound advice and do you employ the same or different methods of followup?
The first article stresses how followup methods result in relationship building. In the article that is called Follow-Up is Foolproof! by Lourdes Elardo he states:"Everyone wants to feel special, valued and remembered. Our frenzied schedules often leave very little time to think about, appreciate or thank anyone in our lives, especially new contacts. However, that’s the essential ingredient to successful business relationship building. By taking the time to make someone else feel valued you make yourself stand out in a crowd, helping to build a positive rapport of trust and respect with prospective and existing clients.
To paraphrase the principles of the Law of Attraction, whatever you put out into the world is what you will get back in return. Thus going the extra mile, which might only take an extra few minutes a day, to appreciate your clients and/or prospective clients is a must to attaining your goals. Focus on giving instead of getting and remember that business relationship building takes time, organization and perseverance but it is well worth it in the end."
I also found some of Elardo`s followup up suggestions very useful:"1. Face time: Try to schedule some one on one time with clients, either over coffee or a quick lunch. Take an actual interest in their lives and they will remain loyal customers.
2. Quality assurance: Call your clients to inquire as to the quality of service they received. What worked for them? What, if anything, didn’t and could be improved upon? Most importantly, are they happy overall? Customer satisfaction is job one!
3. Remember to mark special occasions: Keep a database to track client information (online greeting card companies allow for this and will automatically remind you of your clients/prospects special occasions). Birthdays, anniversaries, baby on the way and the like, are important to your customers, so they should be important to you as well. Remember their special day with a greeting card and they won’t soon forget you!"I am not sure if all of these suggestions are practical in many industries. However, in How to Improve Your Client Followup by Brandon Cornett he makes the case for balance:"Go for a balance of automation and personal contact. Why? Because a program that`s 100% personal contact (phone calls, for example) will be exhausting to maintain. In the other extreme, a program that`s 100% automated (like a scheduled mailing program) will be too impersonal. You have to combine the two."
"You have the best chance of generating referrals during this first year. In the second and third years, you might choose to reduce the number of phone calls, while keeping the newsletter and auto-mailers going. "
Please offer any feedback regarding the advice in these two articles. Would you employ similar or different measures of follow-up? Do you think some of these followup methods are ineffective or outdated? I would appreciate your responses. Thanks.

Comments

  • menexismenexis subscriber Posts: 1
    I definitely agree that followups result in relationship building even if the person is not receptive at first. I don`t have much suggestion because you seem like you know what you are talking about but a good contact management database and persistance and followups are key to a great sales person.
  • DCCSCSDCCSCS subscriber Posts: 6
    How do you know when you are following up too much?  Sometimes I feel that way, but I assume as long as people are receptive when I talk to them then I am okay.  Is that wrong.  I try to be personal, but feel that too many personal contacts are bad. (these are just my feelings).  Is there some sort of standard with the frequency of following up?  
    Example:We had a meeting with a company about using our services.  The meeting went well and all seemed postitive.  A week later I followed up with an email and was told things were in the works.  Two weeks later I followed up with an email and was told that one department had some concerns.  A week went by without hearing anything, then two weeks.  I followed up again, but no response.  Where do I go from here?  General followups (newsletters, announcements, etc) or continue with the specific personal ones?
  • CardsAliveCardsAlive subscriber Posts: 0
    Brandon, 
    So you followed up twice via e-mail in a month?  That doesn`t sound like enough. 
    I definitely agree that a balanced approach is good.  I think it`s possible to follow up too much, too soon (which drives the prospect away), but following up too little, too late (which lets the prospect drift away) has the same result: no sale.
    Think beyond e-mail for your follow-up.  Obviously phone calls are the most personal - perhaps you could try to find out what concerns that department had by phone.  Show enough concern for your prospect to find out the issues he has. 
    Another great way to follow-up is with a written note or card - those are almost always delivered and typically read (unlike unanswered phone calls and deleted e-mails).  They also show concern and appreciation for your prospect. Check out http://www.myCardStories.com for additional benefits.
    Good luck!
  • profitizerprofitizer subscriber Posts: 16 Bronze Level Member
    Hello.
    I happened to be one of those who would probably be annoyed after the first follow-up.  My schedule is sometimes too crazy to welcome one more thing I have to respond to.  I make my own notes and to-do list after a meeting and have my list of those who impressed me and therefore, when I need that service, I typically contact them.
    Although I may not be the norm necessarily, it is advantageous to consider those like me.  How? That`s where it becomes a double-edged sword so-to-speak UNLESS... instead of just  regurgitating what we discussed in your follow-up, in addition, you present me with another idea or expand upon previous ideas since our discussion or something else I can use or at least consider more intently, then you`ll have my attention just that much more.  With that said, what that means is that, regardless of what we talked about, that was then, this is now. 
    Give me more and be creative about it.  That means that you must really understand my business in order to make that happen whereby making the time you`ve invested not having been for-naught.  What I often find is that many folks are available offering nearly the same thing.  I look for that which is harder to find or procure (a niche) because I stand a better chance of offering something different to my clientele.
    Bottom line:  really understand what makes a potential customer tick and find those resources that interests that person and then go the extra mile to distinguish you from others. Initially, it may seem to lie outside of what you actually do at the time, but one idea can lead back to your core product or service as there may be a link if you seek them out.
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