Open Sesame - The Follow-up Formula

Remember "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves?"

In this story from "A Thousand and One Arabian Nights," Ali Baba discovers the secret words that give him entry to the cave of the Forty Thieves, where a vast treasure is hidden.

Simply by uttering the words, "Open Sesame," the door to the cave swings open and the treasure is his for the taking.

There's a modern equivalent to Open Sesame that opens the doors wide to new business. If you master this secret formula you will never want for clients and you will grow your business in ways you once thought were impossible.

I call it the "Follow-up Formula."

Introduced last week, hundreds of More Clients subscribers now have access to this Follow-up Formula in the form of my new Audio Program, "The Art and Science of Telephone Follow-up."

In today's eZine, we'll explore some of the ins and outs of this Follow-up Formula and the impact it can have on your business.

Four Applications of the Follow-up Formula

There are at least four marketing activities where you can apply the Follow-up Formula. (How many of them are you using?)

1. Follow-up after networking

2. Follow-up after receiving a lead

3. Follow-up after giving a presentation

4. Follow up after a mailing campaign

These activities are ways to turn business connections into qualified prospects. But if you don't follow-up, all your marketing efforts will be wasted. To get results with the Follow-up Formula you need to apply these rules:

Rules of the Follow-up Formula

1. Always follow-up sooner, rather than later. Don't wait a week or even a few days after making an initial connection. Do your best to follow-up in one or two days. For every day you wait, you lessen the impact of the follow-up call.

2. If you don't make the follow-up call, the chances the prospect will follow-up are extremely low. It's not that they are not interested in your services, they might be; it's simply that it's your job as the service provider to make the call. Don't think of it as an intrusion, but as an opportunity to connect.

3. Think of these calls as "introductory calls," not as "sales calls." The follow-up call is the bridge between marketing and selling. Its purpose is to determine if the opportunity to do business with a prospect exists in the first place.

4. Be prepared. Never "wing it." Use a script or outline to guide you through the call. This keeps you on track and focused on what you are saying instead of worrying about what the person you are calling is thinking. This is the key to effective calls.

5. Always end the call with an agreed-upon action. a) you won't call again as there is no interest in your proposition, b) you will call back at a later time to explore further, or c) you will set an appointment (in person or by phone) to explore working together.

The Numbers of the Follow-Up Formula

My experience is that, on average, with three to five follow-up calls, you can turn at least one into a client. Sometimes you will do better, sometimes you will do worse. (But if you don't call, the results will be a big fat zero!)

Think of your marketing activities over the past month. How many opportunities to follow-up have you taken full advantage of? How many times have you avoided making a follow-up call or done a poor job with the call?

By some some estimates, the average Independent Professional misses (or blows) six to ten follow-up calls per month. And that means two or more new clients you didn't gain that month.

If you put some basic marketing activities into place, you will generate qualified prospects. And then, if you do make those telephone follow-up calls, you will predictably turn a percentage of them into paying clients.

Isn't it time to master the Follow-up Formula?

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The More Clients Bottom Line: When you understand the Follow-up Formula and apply it to your business consistently, you will have the power of Ali Baba who uttered the words "Open Sesame" to receive untold riches. Yes, this formula is a little more complex; the good news is that you can learn it easily.

Learn about my new Audio Program: "The Art and Science of Telephone Follow-up" and master the Follow-up Formula.

or you may purchase directly from this link (it's $29).

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When did you make a follow-up call that turned into a client unexpectedly? Please share on the More Clients Blog.

Comments

[Elinor Stutz]

Robert, your comments are on the mark. I advise clients to remind the other person of the function where you met and a brief overview of your conversation. This will get your second conversation on the right track and further build relationships.

[Shama Hyder]

It's so easy to fall off the follow-up bandwagon.

Thanks for the reminder Robert!