.png){kind=icon}
If you want to seal the deal and make a positive impact on decision-makers, here are some creative lead follow-up ideas to get you started. In fact, many case studies suggest that the second contact made in a new customer journey has the greatest amount of impact in terms of selling products or services.
With effective sales process strategies, sales reps can more easily turn prospective leads into loyal clients. There are many reasons that a lead may not respond to your first attempt at outreach. As such, your second form of contact must be strong, effective, and positive. This is true across all industries ranging from property management companies to individuals at home on social media.
Bearing this in mind, here are some of the most effective and creative lead follow-up ideas and tips to try. Before you know it, your sales team will be turning every email, pitch, or phone call into a final sale!
No matter how your sales funnel works, there are a few cornerstones to successful sales strategies. These include making first contact, establishing trust, following up with information, and closing the deal.
The TEC approach is helpful for an array of sales situations. This process is great for establishing contact, following up via email, and calling to close the deal (or continue the relationship until the lead is ready to make a purchase).
The first step of this process involves speaking with a potential lead. Whether it’s a cold call or a promising potential buyer, you just have to focus on making the best first contact possible. This is your chance to make a good impression and establish rapport!
Just like with any relationship, you should build trust, break the ice, and make things personable. Then, go over what you have to offer and why what you are selling is the best value for that specific person. Consider closing the conversation by getting their email (or business card) and promising to follow up with them soon.
After you’ve made first contact and established rapport, it’s time to send a follow-up email. More on that in a minute!
Call the lead within 1-5 days of the email going out if they haven't responded. This is an opportunity to touch base and see how the person feels about the offer you sent them. Remember, "no response" isn't the same as a hard "no".
Email is one of the easiest tools at your disposal for following up with prospective customers. After all, email is convenient, logical, and non-intrusive. However, email has one serious drawback: most email inboxes are already filled with introductions, offers, and messages that will go unread. So how can you prevent your emails from disappearing into an overflowing inbox? Not to worry! There are a few surefire ways to keep customers ready to buy with email marketing.
When it comes to lead generation, timing is everything. You want to send emails when a conversation is still at the “top of mind” for a potential customer. This ensures that your potential client will maintain the level of Interest they had when you first talked. After you turn a cold call into a hot lead, the word “hot” refers to timing. AKA, you have to strike while the iron is hot.
You will need to put a personal touch on the timing of all follow-up emails. Get an idea of what someone's day looks like. Will they have time to check their email? Teach your sales reps to read the room and get a picture of what to expect with the demographic they are selling to. Your target demographic may have a predictable schedule and you should tap into that.
For instance, if you were marketing fast food deals, sending a coupon out for 10% off dinner between the hours of 5:30 and 7:30 would be smart. You get the idea!
Follow-up emails after a phone call, in-person sales presentation, skype pitch, or any other type of pitch, means follow-up email timing is a bit tricky. Here are some tips to help with that.
It is also incredibly important to write intriguing subject lines. For instance, if you have just spoken with someone over the phone, you might want to start your subject line with the following openers:
Or, if you are sending the second email as part of an email campaign, you will want to write something intriguing and entertaining that will increase the level of interest in your audience. This could be a joke, a statistic, a fact, or something completely wacky. It all depends on your unique demographic and what works best with them.
Many studies suggest that it costs companies less to keep current customers than to find new customers. This means that after you have sealed the deal with a prospective lead, you will want to keep them coming back to use your business, brand, or services.
To build repeat business, you should offer a good value on products or services, make purchasing easier, and ensure that finding related products is a simple process. Loyalty programs and great customer service are incredibly important as well!
Plus, you should have the tools needed to ensure your digital media and marketing are on par. Keeping up with your website, social media pages, and other digital forms of communication can help you stay current. Moreover, these tools make it easier to keep your existing customers for a successful, long-term business relationship.
When it comes down to it, sales are about establishing rapport and following up at the right times and with the right information. Remember to stay positive! Even if someone puts you off for a while, that does not necessarily mean that they are not interested in what you have to offer. Sometimes, it can be helpful to have marketing tools in your back pocket to make things easier.
E-Marketing Associates is a digital marketing agency with a singular goal of helping small businesses grow. Whether your business needs more sales, leads, a refreshed website, SEO, or help to grow your social media followers, we have products and software to help help you achieve your business goals. Want to learn more? Subscribe to our digital advertising newsletter and get weekly insights to help you manage and grow your business!
.jpg)
