A lot of small business owners leave money on the table because they either don't have a follow-up strategy or they don't follow through on the process. This usually happens because they’re too busy managing their current business.  Follow-up is a critical way to get NEW business. Without it, you may be in business today but not tomorrow. There’s no guarantee that you’ll keep getting more business if you don't implement a consistent follow-up strategy.

I’m sure you’ve heard this statistic before: 80% of sales are made after the 5th contact.  So why do 70% of salespeople stop trying after the 2nd or 3rd contact?

Here are a few reasons:

No Time For Follow-Up

If you are having a hard time finding time for your follow-up, the answer is to automate your follow-up process for certain prospects.  Your automation might include email marketing campaigns, pre-recorded audio messages or even having a team member schedule a time for you to talk to the prospect. The end result is that you save time by not having to personally follow-up with every lead.

Follow-Up Frequency

 When you meet a new prospect, time is of the essence. You want to be sure that your follow-up process starts quickly. Then beyond that first contact, you want to stay consistent. As time passes, your prospect can start to forget about you and your product. Whatever schedule you decide, make sure you stick to it!  This establishes credibility and trust, which we all know is important.

The Value of Follow-Up

Many people do not see it working after a week or two and think it is a waste of time. Depending on the client or the price point, you may have to follow-up several times before they actually commit.  Plus, it may have to be tweaked over time to maximize its benefit. Remember that 80% of all sales occur after the 5th  contact. If you stop after one or two you are leaving money on the table.

I want you to sit down right now and make a list of all those prospects you have been intending to follow up with. Then write an email, pick up the phone, send a Facebook message – do something to start the process.