Guide to mastering follow-up: 7 Game-Changing Sales Follow Up Techniques to help you with sales closure
Hello there! Let’s discuss the make-or-break moment in your sales process: the follow-up.
You know, that crucial step that turns a “maybe” into a “yes” If you’re reading this, chances are you’re looking to up your follow-up game. Well, you’re in the right place.
“50% of sales happen after the 5th follow-up” Source
In this article, we’re going to learn seven powerful sales follow-up techniques that can transform your leads into customers.
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just starting out, these strategies will help you navigate the tricky waters of following-up with confidence.
Why Sales Follow-Up Matters
Before we jump into the techniques, let’s get one thing straight: effective sales follow-up is not just important—it’s absolutely critical.
“80% of successful sales take five or more follow-up calls” : Source
It’s the difference between a pipeline full of possibilities and a calendar full of closed deals. A well-executed follow-up can:
– Keep you on top of your prospects mind
– Demonstrate your commitment and professionalism
– Provide valuable information at the right time
– Address concerns and overcome objections
– Build long-lasting relationships that go beyond the initial sale
Now that we’re on the same page about the power of sales follow-up, let’s dive into the seven techniques that will take your follow-up game to the next level.
The 7 Essential Sales Follow-Up Techniques
1. Personalization: Making Every Lead Feel Special
When it comes to sales follow-up, one size definitely does not fit all.
As discussed in other articles, personalization differentiates you form your competition who are also pitching to your prospect.
Personalization is your secret weapon for cutting through the noise and making a real connection.
Implementation Strategies:
– Research into your lead’s company, industry, and recent news
– Use insights from previous interactions to tailor your message
– Mirror your lead’s communication style and preferences, you can also try and mirror the tonality, mirroring can help you in establishing familiarity
Practical Example:
“Hi Sarah,
I hope this finds you well. After our chat last week about streamlining your team’s project management, I’ve put together some thoughts on how our software could specifically address the workflow bottlenecks you mentioned. I’d love to walk you through it when you have a moment.”
2. Strategic Timing: The When of Effective Sales Follow-Up
Timing isn’t just important—it’s everything.
A perfectly crafted message sent at the wrong time might as well as your email going directly to the trash folder.
“Pausing for 2 and 5 days before sending a follow-up to a cold email yields the best outcomes” : Source
Implementation Strategies:
– Create a follow-up timeline based on your sales cycle and leads behavior
– Use CRM tools to automate reminders and follow-up tasks so that you don’t miss out
– Stay flexible and responsive to your lead’s cues
Practical Example:
A strategic sales follow-up schedule might look like this:
- Day 1: Thank you email with key discussion points
- Day 4: Share relevant case study or whitepaper
- Day 10: Friendly check-in call or email
- Day 21: If there is no response, initiate a long-term lead nurturing strategy
Long-Term Sales Follow-Up Strategy:
For those leads that go cold, don’t give up! Here’s a long-term follow-up plan:
1. Bi-Monthly value-added content
2. Quarterly personalized check-ins through email, text message or even phone call
3. Semi-annually reconnection attempts which can be through phone call or in-person meeting
4. Annual “we miss you” campaigns to warm up lead with different exclusive offers
Pro Tip: Timing your follow-up should be based on what stage the lead is in e.g. for a Cold lead following up more than once a week or fortnight might appear being too aggressive and pushy, where as for a Hot lead follow-up once every fortnight might lead to loss of interest in your solution. make sure that you assess the follow-up timing gap based on the interactions with your leads.
That being said, follow instructions from your prospects “To a T”, if they tell you to send information by end of the day and you agree, send it by the end of the day period
3. Multi-Channel Approach: Diversifying Your Follow-Up Strategy
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
A multi-channel approach to sales follow-up ensures you’re reaching your leads where they’re most receptive.
Key Channels for Following-Up:
1. Email: Great for sharing detailed info, exclusive offer. with automation you can easily schedule and track your emails
2. Phone: Perfect for real-time conversation and strong relationship-building
3. Social Media: Ideal for subtle engagement and staying on your prospects radar
4. Video Messages: Personal touch that stands out in a crowded inbox
5. Direct Mail: Old school charm that can make a big impact
Practical Example:
A multi-channel sales follow-up strategy could unfold like this:
- Day 1: Detailed follow-up email
- Day 3: LinkedIn connection and content engagement
- Day 7: Phone call to address questions
- Day 14: Personalized video message recap
4. Automation: Streamlining Your Follow-Up Process
Work smarter, not harder.
Automation can help you maintain consistent, timely follow-ups without sacrificing that personal touch.
Implementation Strategies:
– Leverage a robust CRM with automation features
– Create targeted email sequences for different lead segments
– Set up triggers for automated follow-ups based on lead actions
Practical Example:
An automated sales follow-up sequence for a webinar might include:
1. Instant registration confirmation
2. Pre-event reminder series
3. Post-event follow-up with resources
4. Tailored sequences for attendees vs. no-shows
5. Using Positive Language: Crafting Upbeat Messages
The power of positivity isn’t just a feel-good mantra—it’s a sales follow-up strategy that works.
Implementation Strategies:
– Focus your interactions on solutions, benefits and how you can solve the leads problems or pain points
– Use action-oriented, future-focused language
– Convey confidence and enthusiasm (without going overboard)
Practical Example:
Instead of: “I haven’t heard back from you. Did you not like our proposal?”
Try: “I’m excited about the potential impact our solution could have on your business. I’d love to explore how we can move forward together.”
6. Value-Added Follow-Ups: Be a Resource, Not Just a Salesperson
Every sales follow-up should offer something of value to your prospect so that the look forward to interact with you.
Position yourself as a helpful resource, not just another voice in the inbox who is jut trying to sell a product or service.
Implementation Strategies:
– Share relevant industry insights or news and their implications
– Offer tips or strategies related to their business challenges
– Provide exclusive content or provide early access to new features as a trial
Practical Example:
“Hi, Alex,
I came across this insightful report on emerging trends in your industry and immediately thought of you. I’ve summarized the key points below and added some thoughts on how these trends might impact your growth plans. Let me know if you’d like to discuss further!”
7. Performance Tracking: Measure and Optimize Your Sales Follow-Up
You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Tracking the performance of your sales follow-up efforts is crucial for ongoing follow-up strategy optimization.
Key Metrics to Monitor:
1. Response Rate
2. Conversion Rate
3. Time to Response
4. Channel Effectiveness
Implementation Strategies:
– Use CRM analytics to track all follow-up activities
– Create dashboards for visualizing follow-up performance
– Regularly analyze data to identify trends and improvement opportunities
Practical Example:
If you notice video messages get 30% more responses than emails:
1. Increase the use of video in your sales follow-up strategy
2. A/B test different video styles and formats
3. Train your team on creating effective video messages that are appealing to your leads
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Sales Follow-Up
1. Relying too heavily on a single communication channel
2. Sending generic, non-personalized messages
3. Failing to provide and build value with each interaction
4. Inconsistent or sporadic follow-up efforts
5. Neglecting to track and analyze follow-up performance
6. Giving up too soon on low response leads
7. Being overly aggressive or pushy
8. Not clearly articulating next steps or calls-to-action
9. Misaligning follow-up timing with the lead’s buying cycle
10. Overlooking the importance of building genuine relationships
Your Roadmap to Sales Follow-Up Success
There you have it—seven powerful techniques to improve your sales follow-up strategy and increase sales closure.
Remember, effective sales follow-up is both an art and a science. It requires creativity, persistence, and a willingness to adapt and learn.
As you implement these strategies, keep these key points in mind:
1. Personalization is key
2. Timing can make or break your efforts
3. Diversify your communication channels
4. Automate where possible, but keep it personal
5. Always add value
6. Stay positive and solution-focused
7. Track, measure, and continuously improve
Now it’s time to put these sales follow-up techniques into action.
Start small, test different approaches, and most importantly, keep learning and refining your strategy.
With persistence and the right approach, you can improve your sales closure and turn those leads into customers.
Here’s to your sales follow-up success!