How to followup with leads?

[Scuderia]

Hi Guys,

I've had some pretty warm leads very interested in our product but then suddenly going cold.

Any tips/advice/methods you like to use when a prospect goes cold?

Example below

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[sparechange]

Hi Guys,

I've had some pretty warm leads very interested in our product but then suddenly going cold.

Any tips/advice/methods you like to use when a prospect goes cold?

Example below

Move on to the next, millions of people are out there

 

[Peal]

When I follow up, I start by giving them something first.

I'm a marketing consultant for small businesses. So when Prospect A goes cold for a few days, I'll send them an email with some tips on optimizing their Google My Business page. Here's an example:

"Hi Mr. Shithead,

I enjoyed chatting with you the other day. I took a quick look at your business profile on Google and here are a few quick and easy things you can do to improve your ranking.

1. x
2. x
3. x

Please let me know if you have any questions about those updates. Looking forward to circling back on our conversation the other day.

Cheers."

Doesn't work every time, but it's more effective than the greasy sales follow up.

 

[Think Expand]

Hi Guys,

I've had some pretty warm leads very interested in our product but then suddenly going cold.

Any tips/advice/methods you like to use when a prospect goes cold?

Example below

In business, the fortune is always in the follow-up. With a good follow-up system, you close more deals and make more sales. I created and send an e-message on following-up on leads this week to my list. Let me repost here to help.. and something little.


If you attracting more target customers and getting more leads but not exploding your sales targets and banks, I guess something is missing in the picture.

You’re missing one magic bullet to close your deals and exploding sales targets. What's that?

Persistent Follow-Up!

You see, that’s where we miss it. We don’t follow up after the first contact with a potential buyer.

The fact is that most people are very busy. Therefore, they need multiple follow-ups and multiple exposures for an idea for it to sink in.

Brain Tracy said, “ A full 80 per cent of sales are never closed after the fifth meeting or closing attempt.”

That means it is by the fifth time that you ask the prospect to make a buying decision that you make most of the sales.

But what do we do? We quit after the second conversation or follow-up.

You’ll have to follow-up persistently to break the barriers of resistance and close the sale!

How do you do that? Create your follow-up funnel, follow-up messages and follow-up channels. And then start banging!

Remember to track, record, analyze, optimize and improve. Take note, the money is the follow-up!

Well, I will love to add these quick ideas.

You also have to watch your sales process and refine it. I think refining your sales system and putting in a bullet-proof & persistent follow-up system to convert those leads into sales will be key.

Consider using this simple, but amazing five-step sales process.

1. ATTRACT (potential customers online)
2. ENGAGE (engage in chats/conservation with them)
3. NURTURE (build relationship with prospect & follow-up)
4. CONVERT (get them to take action to buy)
5. RETAIN (get them to buy more and more often)

Also, analyzing your buyer's journey is key. How long does it take a typical buyer to close and take buying action? Keeping track of all this will help improve your sales system in converting and closing more deals.

Also, don't focus on pushing stuff to the prospects and banging them about buying. Take time to NURTURE A RELATIONSHIP with the prospect. People buy from people they know, like and trust.

Consider offering them value... creating epic blog posts, buyer guides, how-to-guides, email posts, social media posts, industry reports and helpful content to HELP THEM, not sell them. Focus on creating content that is geared towards solving their problems and dealing with their pain points.

Always keep the ABC rule of NURTURING & FOLLOWING UP: ALWAYS BE CARING. Help them, I say...not sell them. When you genuinely focus on helping them and creating killer epic content focused on their problems, you will see how fast they will flock to you and open their wallet to buy.

As your relationships with them develop, sales will follow-up.

So, you have to focus on building a relationship using digital channels and then follow-up on the offer from time to time... or even chip that into your EPIC HELPFUL CONTENT.

You can use various communication platforms to do this. Email, social media, WhatsApp and SMS. You can automate the process with tools, but don't forget about building the relationship with EPIC CONTENT.

Use 377 follow-up method. Follow-up three days after the initial meeting, and then seven days and then another seven days and then repeat. Create your follow-up message for the 377 follow-up campaign. In between the lines, use remarketing to offer them EPIC HELPFUL CONTENT and embed the offer again. A combination of this strategy should help close the deals faster and bank more cash.

But remember, the faster your close-rate will also be dependent on the QUALITY OF LEADS.

If you attract a bunch of low-quality leads, your rejection and coldness rate will be high. So, first of all, focus on ATTRACT BETTER LEADS and WORK WITH BETTER PROSPECTS who needs what you offer and will take ACTION faster. I hope this helps. Thanks.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Kevin88660]

Hi Guys,

I've had some pretty warm leads very interested in our product but then suddenly going cold.

Any tips/advice/methods you like to use when a prospect goes cold?

Example below

Follow up monthly via email, if no reply after 2-3 attempts classify under your “regular engagement list” where you still can email/text them industry updates once 2-3 months just to get then to remember you.

The main issue of warm lead going cold is they have more important thing than buying from you. Their own job(make money is first), their family and kids, and some entertainment and finally your product..It is 7th or 8th on their to do list so patience is key.

 

[JAJT]

I've had some pretty warm leads very interested in our product but then suddenly going cold.

I was in sales for over 10+ years.

My best guess is you're not closing quick/hard enough.

Warm leads are interested right now. It's weird and rare for them to go cold very quickly.

Are you contacting them within 24 hours (and preferably much sooner)? Are you doing it by phone when they provide a phone number or are you hiding behind digital options like email when given the choice?

In my experience, warm leads give you answers pretty quickly, or ignore you entirely. If they ignore you - they found something else and you were too late in contacting them. It happens. Shit I've done it myself - send a message, google for an hour, find an answer/solution, and move on. It happens.

Warm leads CAN drag on for weeks, months, or years but this should be far less than 1% of your pipeline. The folks who ignore you might be 25% but if you're contacting people quickly, you should be getting answers and significant buying indicators one way or the other from the other 75%.

Warm leads are gold. Zero reason why you shouldn't be closing (win or lose) 95+% of your warm leads almost immediately.

 

[BizyDad]

My follow-up process is pretty simple.

Towards the end of a conversation or exchange with a prospect, I tend to ask a question like:

So when would you like to get started?

Occasionally. I'll close with, I'm available to start this project on x/y. Does that work for you?

If they reject this kind of question, I'll ask, So what's our next step? (They answer) Ok, based on that, I'll check in with you on x/x day. Sound good?

They say yes, I set a calendar appointment to follow up with them around the time they say to. And in that follow up, I'll ask for their start time again...

"Hi X, Just checking in. Did you guys discuss the start time?"

Like I said, it's a pretty simple follow-up strategy.

One more thing. I never "wonder if they're still interested..." Uh uh. You need to ditch that verbiage.

Hope this helps.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Bekit]

My observations from your screenshot:

Prospective client:
OK, so here is what we should do. Thank you.

I'm guessing the part in purple text is them quoting you. So this is what you pitched to them?

From my perspective, this looks like the client is agreeing to do business with you.

Then you reply, "Yes correct. Cheers."

And 11 days go by without an answer.

I think this is the problem.

"Yes correct cheers."

Step back for a moment and put yourself in your prospective client's shoes.

Ask yourself, "How can I make it really easy for people to do business with me? Does this sort of reply make it easy for people to do business with me?"

If you reply with "Yes correct cheers" when your client wanted to do business with you, then what are they supposed to do?

They have no idea how to get started.

So they're forced to email you back with a question. "Ok, so how do we get started?"

But this makes them feel foolish. It makes them feel like they have to ask for directions. It makes them feel like they are not in control. It makes them notice that they shouldn't have had to ask this question at all.

So instead of emailing you back, they just use all of the above as an excuse to say to themselves, "You know what? Never mind."


Here's what is missing from your reply.

The client has just agreed to do business with you.

You tell them only, "Yes correct. Cheers."

What's missing is---how do they get started? There's no path.

You need to lay out the path.

"Hi client,

Sounds great, I'll be happy to get started.

As discussed, I'll be creating XYZ.

I'll go ahead and send over an invoice.

You can expect [XYZ updates / progress reports / how you will communicate with them about the project].

Once I see that payment come through, I'll get started on the work. [Or whatever your payment terms are].

Cheers,
Your name"

 

[Fid]

@Bekit nailed it. You left them confused about what to do next.

In general, I don't usually follow up. I found out that people who drag their feet are not the best clients anyway.

When I do follow up, it's short and direct about an objection. An objection I guess stops them.

> Hey XXX,
>
> it seems you found someone cheaper / more experienced / better suited to your needs / decided this project is not urgent after all.
>
> Let me know if you need me in the future.

They either reply with "yeah, your price was a little too high" or "no no no, we got swamped, let's talk tomorrow".

 

[Johnny boy]

If anyone messages me saying they can "lock me in because we only allow x number of people per month" I read it in a mocking voice while doing the "jerking off" motion with my hand and then laughing.

You wouldn't be emailing me again if that were the case.

Also, listen to @Bekit, 100% accurate.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.