 President's
Corner
The significance of following
up, touching base and chasing
the note holder shouldn’t be
undervalued. There are no qualms
about it; conscientious
follow-up has helped me win
business. Strong and active
following-up conveys a message
to the potential note holder
that you want to work them, that
you are the right person for the
job, and that you are just
waiting to get started on one
call. But, it could be a test to
be persistent without being seen
as annoying when you are doing
strong follow-ups. While each
situation needs to be handled
differently, here are some ways
to follow up without being seen
as annoying:
Being persistent
doesn’t mean daily
- Doing follow-up every day
doesn’t indicate your gumption
or passion; give respect to a
person’s time. The common rule
of pursuing or following up is
to give at least one week before
sending a reminder. Doing follow
up daily can come off as
annoying. Start out with an
email or phone call every week,
and then switch to every couple
of weeks.
Select a
communication medium
- There are no guidelines or
rules on the best way to follow
up; however, it’s always better
to follow the indication of the
individual you’re contacting. If
they prefer email and your past
conversations have taken place
over email, it is better to
follow-up via email. Selecting a
communication medium does not
mean you should keep one
communiqué method. Occasionally
using other communication
methods can initiate a quick
response.
Don’t act like
you’re owed anything
- There is a strong possibility
of getting disheartened and
irritable when you are not
getting response after a solid
follow-up. Remember that it
doesn’t matter how many times
you’ve followed up, or how
impeccable your proposal or
pitch is for that note holder;
nobody is obligated to respond
to your request. Each follow-up
call, email or message should be
as respectful, polite and humble
in attitude as your first one
was.
Your objective is
an answer
- Don’t set a quota or sign to
classify an answer, whether your
offer is turned down or receives
a non-actionable response, such
as “I’ll get back to you.” Some
people might have a rough time
saying no, so they’ll attempt to
postpone the inevitable.
Minimize that propensity by
giving the person an intention
to respond, such as offering a
limited-time price. Be proactive
and schedule a time to contact
the person when they say they’ll
get back to you.
Have a plan
- You can’t simply keep calling
a note holder after getting a
negative response. Make an
active plan for your offer or
price. Find out other note
holders that can be reached. A
negative response should lead
you to the next step according
to your planned track.
Say thank you
- Whatever response you get from
the note holder, always remember
to acknowledge the time he has
spent to read your options, or
communicate with you on the
phone. He gave you time and
consideration, which is a
difficult thing for lots of
individuals these days. He might
help you by giving some
information that can improve
your offer or options, or offer
a new contact, or ideas about
how to do better with the next
note holder. Always thank them
for their time for considering
your offer; they’ll remember how
polite you were–and might
consider your options in the
future.
Remember, Success Demands
Action! Keep on marketing, it’s
going to work! TWITA! |
