Tips to effectively follow up
Now we've established the importance of following up, let’s make sure you’re doing it effectively. As a business leader or entrepreneur, it's important to have a clear strategy in place for you and your team to follow up with clients. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Set up a schedule. Create a plan for deciding when and how often you're going to reach out to your clients. Whether it's daily, weekly or monthly, it's important to be consistent and make sure your team is too. This will help everyone effectively plan their schedules by knowing exactly who they are speaking to and when - moving them through the pipeline as needed.
Be personal and authentic. You’ve likely received one if not hundreds of messages from companies where the message couldn’t be more generic. Great follow-ups are the ones that get to know the client on a deeper level.
That doesn’t mean the process can’t be automated to some extent, but listen to what they say in your initial meeting and tailor the response to suit. Often, this could be as simple as using their name or saying it was great to meet them on a particular day. Both of these can easily be automated and still come across as personal. Being authentic will show your clients you care and build a better relationship as a result.
Be flexible and responsive. The pitch you use for one person isn’t necessarily going to work for others. Be willing to adapt your approach to meet the needs and expectations of your clients.
Sometimes, you may need to respond quickly to an urgent request or change your follow-up schedule because your client is considering other offers. This may sound contradictory to our advice about setting up a schedule, but that’s okay. Adjusting to what your client needs and being responsive shows that you're dedicated to doing what you can for them and staying one step ahead of your competition as well as any issues or concerns that may arise. You’ll find more often than not this will be the exception, not the rule. Booking Page is a great way to own the process by letting people reconnect with you quickly, but only when it suits you.
Follow-ups should be a core part of any process that requires review. Arguably one of the easiest steps, checking in via a quick message or call could be all that’s standing in the way of you achieving great results.