The significance of following up, touching base and chasing the note holder shouldn’t be undervalued. There are no qualms about it; conscientious follow-up has helped me win business. Strong and active following-up conveys a message to the potential note holder that you want to work them, that you are the right person for the job, and that you are just waiting to get started on one call. But, it could be a test to be persistent without being seen as annoying when you are doing strong follow-ups. While each situation needs to be handled differently, here are some ways to follow up without being seen as annoying:
Being persistent doesn’t mean daily – Doing follow-up every day doesn’t indicate your gumption or passion; give respect to a person’s time. The common rule of pursuing or following up is to give at least one week before sending a reminder. Doing follow up daily can come off as annoying. Start out with an email or phone call every week, and then switch to every couple of weeks.
Select a communication medium – There are no guidelines or rules on the best way to follow up; however, it’s always better to follow the indication of the individual you’re contacting. If they prefer email and your past conversations have taken place over email, it is better to follow-up via email. Selecting a communication medium does not mean you should keep one communiqué method. Occasionally using other communication methods can initiate a quick response.
Don’t act like you’re owed anything – There is a strong possibility of getting disheartened and irritable when you are not getting response after a solid follow-up. Remember that it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve followed up, or how impeccable your proposal or pitch is for that note holder; nobody is obligated to respond to your request. Each follow-up call, email or message should be as respectful, polite and humble in attitude as your first one was.
Your objective is an answer – Don’t set a quota or sign to classify an answer, whether your offer is turned down or receives a non-actionable response, such as “I’ll get back to you.” Some people might have a rough time saying no, so they’ll attempt to postpone the inevitable. Minimize that propensity by giving the person an intention to respond, such as offering a limited-time price. Be proactive and schedule a time to contact the person when they say they’ll get back to you.
Have a plan – You can’t simply keep calling a note holder after getting a negative response. Make an active plan for your offer or price. Find out other note holders that can be reached. A negative response should lead you to the next step according to your planned track.
Say thank you – Whatever response you get from the note holder, always remember to acknowledge the time he has spent to read your options, or communicate with you on the phone. He gave you time and consideration, which is a difficult thing for lots of individuals these days. He might help you by giving some information that can improve your offer or options, or offer a new contact, or ideas about how to do better with the next note holder. Always thank them for their time for considering your offer; they’ll remember how polite you were–and might consider your options in the future.
Remember, Success Demands Action! Keep on marketing, it’s going to work! TWITA!
Well written, great ideas. One for the archives.
I hate to bother people. Don’t want to come off as a “stalker”. Sometimes knowing if your follow up is being helpful or harmful to a deal is hard to tell.
Like the once a week, then changing to every two weeks idea.
Of course, always, always, always, be polite.