With all the phone conversations we have with potential buyers, we need to look at how to make a perfect follow up sales call.
Before you read this article, you may want to check out the following tips on making your first phone contact:
- What to Avoid During Sales Calls
- 3 Tips to Prepare for a Sales Call
- Talking with Buyers — What to Say or Not Say
The Sales Gravy Website offers some great tips on making the perfect follow up call. I am offering a few of their best tips here:
Avoid opening statement blunders that most sales reps (and producers) make.
Here is where so many tele-sales reps/producers stumble and fall. Here some of the classic follow up opening statements blunders:
- “I was calling to follow up on the proposal.”
- “I am calling to see if you had any questions.’
- “I just wanted to make sure you got my e-mail.”
- “The reason for my follow up was to see if you had come to decision.”
It is not that these opening statements are poor but rather it’s that they’re routine and common place. They do nothing to position you or differentiate you. What this really means is that you are perceived as yet another run of the mill vendor looking for a sale. You need a little more pizzazz.
Build a follow up opening statement that gets through the clutter.
There are 4 simple steps to creating that pizzazz. First, introduce yourself using your full name. Second, give your company name. Okay, so far it’s pretty obvious but Step #3 is where you differentiate yourself.
Remind the client why you are calling; remind your client what prompted the follow up call in the first place. This means going back to your initial cold call and reminding the client of the “pain” or the “gain” that was discussed or hinted at in your previous call.
Be persistent, be polite, and be professional but not a pest.
If you follow this formula, about 70% of the time the client is there. But, that leaves 30% who are not for one reason or another. If the prospect is not there, leave a message so that he knows YOU called on time. Say,
“Hi Debbie, it’s ____ from ________ calling for our 8:45 appointment. Sounds like you might be tied up for a few moments. I’ll call in 10 minutes if I haven’t heard from you. In the meantime, my number is ______”
Next, call in 10 minutes. Exactly. If the prospect is still not there leave another message:
“Hi Debbie, it’s ___ from ___, following up on our 8:45 appointment. Looks like you’re still tied up. Please give me a call when you’re free at —– —–, otherwise I will call you later this morning or early this afternoon.”
So far you’ve been persistent without being a pest. Now, give the prospect a chance to call. A good rule of thumb is a half a day. Four hours is plenty of time and space for the prospect to call you and more importantly, it doesn’t make you look desperate or annoying.
Many more tips are listed in the original article:
8 ESSENTIAL TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT FOLLOW UP CALL
