The Fortune Is In the Follow-Up

How many times have you heard that? I’m often asked, when it comes to following up, “How often is too often?”

There’s no hard and fast rule, and we want to be sure to walk the fine line between paying attention to a potential client and being a pest. It’s also dependent on the product or service you’re selling AND how urgent the sale is (is there a time it HAS to be closed by?)

I always start by asking a prospect when THEY want me to follow-up. My hope is that they’ll say what I want to hear, such as, “A week from today should be perfect,” in which case I’ll set an appointment for the follow-up conversation. (ALWAYS get a next appointment…the Best Next Action Step philosophy says you never leave a meeting or phone call without setting up the next meeting or phone call).

If, however, my prospect say, “Give me a call in a month or two,” I’ll suggest, “A lot can happen in that amount of time. I’ll ping you in 10 days or 2 weeks and if you still need more time we’ll push things forward. Fair enough? Can we set a quick “check-in” call for Tuesday the 20th at 10:00 am?”

As a general rule of thumb, assuming the deal is something that can close now (as opposed to something that can’t happen in the next 6 months, or in a year when the budget is available) I suggest following up once a week for the first 5 or 6 weeks, then every two weeks for the next 6 weeks, then monthly.

I’ve had deals close 5.5 years after I first met with someone, because they received my monthly newsletter. Staying in touch, and nurturing a prospect, can lead to sales you would not otherwise make if you didn’t follow up.